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"The Worlds That Donald Trump and Xi Jinping Want

Whether Xi is moved by Trump's bonhomie may be immaterial. Analysts see China working quietly in the shadow of Trump's blustering disruption.

In some sectors, it is gingerly filling the void left by Trump's America First agenda, including buttressing parts of the global humanitarian system gutted by the Administration's dismantling of U.S.A.I.D.

More broadly, China is gaining ground simply by existing in contrast to Trump's United States " a more predictable power that's not launching unprovoked wars, installing puppet regimes in petro-states, or erratically lashing out at longtime friends and partners.

(New polling confirms the impression of China's growing popularity around the world, relative to the United States.)

On Tuesday, at the dais of the U.N.'s General Assembly, Trump denounced the institution's "globalist bureaucrats who nobody ever elected" and its "far-left" agendas, attacking bodies such as its human-rights council, and the International Criminal Court.

He laid out possible strikes against Iran, musing, "Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations?"

(The King of Jordan, speaking right after Trump, bemoaned the global instability wrought by the Iran war.)

Trump also celebrated his military operation, earlier this year, in Venezuela, to remove Nicols Maduro from power, asserting that the U.S. "will use our unmatched military might to secure the vital national interests of the United States."

Here was the leader of the global hegemon, reminding the world of his hegemony."

www.newyorker.com

more at the link

Two threads on the same topic in the same day?

drudge.com

Looks like BillJohnson is very excited.

Too bad he can't explain why.

Trump,

1. Southern border,

He did nothing about it and despite being asked, you can't provide any citation or information to show he did.

2. Greenland for protecting the North.

Greenland has been a part of NATO.

So again, Trump didn't do anything.

Now he needs to do something about protecting our future by tightening up our voting.
#2 | POSTED BY BILLJOHNSON

Which, again, you can't provide any information pointing to there needing to be federal involvement in elections.

In the end, you've got nothing.

Just another sad day for Bill.

Trump's Greenland deal, explained
www.politico.eu

... Eight months after Donald Trump almost destroyed NATO by threatening to annex Greenland " by force, if necessary " he signed what he called a "fantastic" new deal that would give the U.S. all the control and military access it needs over the Danish territory.

European allies were so alarmed by Trump's apparent determination to take the territory at the start of the year -- and his threat of 25% tariffs on anyone who got in his way -- that they began talking about a future for the West without America. In many ways, the transatlantic relationship has not been the same since.

Tuesday's agreement on security in the Arctic and North Atlantic, signed at the United Nations by Trump and the prime ministers of Greenland and Denmark, ends the dispute. But what exactly is in the deal? Who will pay for it? And who are the winners and losers from months of high-stakes talks?

What exactly is the deal?

This new agreement, which still needs ratification by Danish and Greenlandic lawmakers, is not, in fact, completely new. Instead, it sets out to "amend and supplement" an earlier deal between the U.S. and Denmark dating back to 1951. Many experts have been saying for months that this earlier agreement gave Trump most of what he said he wanted in terms of more or less unfettered freedom to set up military bases and police the region's security.

One key difference this time is that Greenland itself is a signatory. ...

Trump promised to build two "very major" bases in Greenland. According to the text released by the Danish government, the two touted new American bases aren't entirely new either, at least in terms of their locations. ...

Trump has often spoken about Chinese and Russian military activities around Greenland, claiming earlier this year that, "if you take a look outside of Greenland right now, there are Russian destroyers. There are Chinese destroyers ... there are Russian submarines all over the place. We're not going to have Russia or China occupy Greenland, and that's what they're going to do if we don't."

NATO officials have quietly pushed back against those claims, with one diplomat saying "we're not seeing any Chinese activity" around Greenland, while Russian movements in the High North haven't changed significantly and there's little, if any, Russian presence near Greenland. ...

Instead, the deal explicitly reaffirms Danish sovereignty and Greenland's right to self-determination -- including choosing independence from Denmark, potentially. For what it's worth, the deal also explicitly recognizes the need to protect the "pristine" environment of the territory and Greenlanders' cultural, social and economic rights.


"Reading it, one wonders why so much fuss for so little, when this could have been done from the start," said Grgoire Roos, program director for Europe at the Chatham House think tank in London. "I also think it's well played from Denmark -- clean and diplomatic. Some might call it the European touch."

Speaking before the deal was published, the Atlantic Council's Daniel Fried, a former U.S. ambassador to Poland, said the deal gave Washington something it could call a win, and "allowed the U.S. to walk back from its damaging and pointless threats of aggression."
...



Main terms of the Greenland agreement signed by the United States, Denmark and Greenland,

The agreement has no expiration date and can only be amended by mutual consent.

The United States may modernize and expand Pituffik Space Base.

The United States may establish additional defense areas at Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig.

Additional US defense areas may be established later, subject to consultation and mutual agreement.

Requests for unmanned US military installations outside established defense areas are to receive accelerated governmental review.

US military forces, vehicles, aircraft and public vessels receive broad rights of access and movement between defense areas throughout Greenland.

US military aircraft may fly over and land anywhere in Greenland, subject to the terms of the agreement.

US public vessels receive undersea access and movement within Greenland's territorial waters, subject to mutually agreed restrictions.

The agreement specifically recognizes US military access needed for defense of Greenland, NATO territory and North America, including establishment of a Golden Dome defense system.

Non-NATO countries may not establish military installations or maintain a persistent military presence in Greenland unless the parties agree otherwise.

Certain investments from countries outside NATO, NATO partner nations or the European Union can be restricted in sensitive areas, including critical infrastructure and natural-resource extraction, when national security or public order is at risk.

The United States may raise security concerns about construction or changes in land use near US defense areas. The parties then jointly determine what steps should be taken.

The United States, Denmark and Greenland will cooperate to counter espionage in Greenland.

Denmark commits to strengthening its Arctic defense capabilities, including land, sea, air, space and surveillance capabilities and cooperation with NATO allies.

US contracts involving construction, maintenance and servicing of Greenland defense areas are to go to Greenlandic businesses to the maximum extent possible, when they have the capability to perform the work.

Greenlandic society, including hunting, fishing, cultural activities and traditional ways of life, is to be respected when US military access rights are exercised.

If Greenland eventually becomes independent, Denmark and Greenland are to ensure that an independent Greenland remains in NATO and assumes the rights and obligations contained in the defense agreement.

The agreement takes effect after the required parliamentary procedures in Denmark and Greenland are completed and the United States receives formal diplomatic notification.

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