Trump threatens to cut aid to U.N. members over Jerusalem vote

[dexterm]

If Trump is so morally right to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, even though it's illegal under international law, then surely everyone would agree with him, and you wouldn't have to resort to threats, bullying or buying votes. Nations could just vote with their conscience.

 

And if as Haley said "The president's announcement does not affect final status negotiations in any way, including the specific boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem"
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-42431095

...so, why open his big mouth at all especially when peace negotiations are imminent. If ostensibly there is no change what's the problem about reversing the decision or qualifying it, as the resolution asks?

 

Maybe part of the answer lies in Haley's letter...

But on Tuesday, Ms Haley warned in a letter to dozens of member states that encouraged them to "know that the president and the US take this vote personally" 
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-42431095

 

Trump playing ego politics with millions of people's lives. It's not America First, it's Trump First.

[malibukid]

the U.S. would like to do away with the U.N. altogether, so bothersome

[Andaman Al]

6 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

Shouldn't have called it China sea

Ssh! If that is the precedent we may run into issues with the Irish Sea, The Norwegian Sea, The Indian Ocean, The English Channel, The Greenland Sea, The labrador Sea, the Argentine Sea.

[ilostmypassword]

4 hours ago, mercman24 said:

those oil rich arab states should counter by  threatening to blockade oil supplies to the USA that would bring this country to its knees in one month, once again this loud mouthed bully has opened his gob without thinking this out ha ha , go on , do it , ?? he will be shitting his pants

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

Just so you know, the US has enough of it's oil and even export some out,

beside, the UN is a dinosaur that it's time and relevancy has passed,

if they want the 500 million dollars the US contribute every year, don't

vote against them, as they say, the man with the money is the man

with the powers, ask any billionaire....

Not really. The USA still is a net importer of petroleum. But thanks to fracking the amount is way down. And most of what is imported doesn't come from the mideast. So, the threat to withhold petroleum supplies from the USA is not a very potent threat and certainly wouldn't bring the USA to its knees or even to a bow.

[chompolsky]

so later we may hear "who knew international finance could be so complicated?"..... what if some countries don't step up when The Fed steps down? duh. N.B. American expats with defined benefits fixed in dollahs. 

[KarenBravo]

31 minutes ago, Andaman Al said:

Tsk tsk, learn to read. I said "The UK has an extensive military aircraft PROGRAM  with India".  Not only do we still have over 100 of our fast jet trainer aircraft there, they are still built under licence there, and maybe the young pilots I taught to fly fast jets and move on to the Mig 29 and SU 30 were not Indian Air Force or maybe I forgot and am not British? I know EXACTLY what Pakistan will buy and what they wanted to buy and the prices of all candidates and specs AND the politics at play, because one of my companies is involved in discussions to supply the logistics for them. I also know exactly what the UK are 'desirable of doing' and what they will and will not do if it means bringing any jeopardy to the long term potential programs.  "Googleilligence" isn't all it is made out to be, and instead of addressing the points in my post that relate to Trump and the UN, you try to be yet another internet expert on everything - yet nothing.

And the name of your company is?

[lannarebirth]

2 hours ago, Morch said:

 

 Got to wonder how Tillerson, Mattis and Kelly stomach these things on a daily basis.

 

 

I don't think these guys get enough credit. To me they are true patriots. One's who would suffer the daily indignity of serving under Trump and the attendent scorn that goes with it, just to keep the ship of state from keeling over before it passes on to other leadership.

[connda]

Considering the US is $20 Trillion USD in debt, all foreign aid should be cut to all foreign countries and those funds invested back into  US infrastructure. 
Pretty funny 'eh?  Never happen will it?   

[ilostmypassword]

2 minutes ago, connda said:

Considering the US is $20 Trillion USD in debt, all foreign aid should be cut to all foreign countries and those funds invested back into  US infrastructure. 
Pretty funny 'eh?  Never happen will it?   

Or the US could repeal the tax reform bill. That would save over a trillion dollars. Far more than cutting foreign aid. Enough to fully fund infrastructure repair and upgrade.

 

And of course, if foreign aid was cut entirely, the biggest loser would be Israel.

[car720]

Hey!!!!

How about one of those Thai Visa surveys to see how many think he will get re elected next term.

[car720]

48 minutes ago, KarenBravo said:

And the name of your company is?

don't argue with these folks.

They are rich and live in a world far far removed from the rest of we mere peasants.  Ergo, their perception of things is very very different.

Who knows who is right or wrong.

[car720]

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

US foreign aid could reach $ 25.7 billion in 2018. In the distribution of aid, made through many agencies, the Americans contribute to global peace, security, economic development and humanitarian aid in times of crisis. The American aid program was formulated after World War II during the then Secretary of State George Marshall , and it provided significant assistance to Europe to recover from the war. In 1961, then-President John F. Kennedy became the foreign aid aid program and established a foreign aid agency, USAID, which coordinates aid and has become a very important body.

 

Today, the United States runs assistance programs in more than 100 countries around the world through more than 20 US government agencies, which promote diverse American interests such as a free market, fighting extremism, entrenching democracy, fighting the roots of poverty and more.

 

This year, the United States distributed $ 17 billion in aid money. In 2016 it distributed $ 30 billion. In 2015, aid stood at $ 28 billion and a year earlier $ 28.5 billion

So to sums it all up, you guys want our money? you better behave.....

I wonder though how much of that aid is just a front for the military.

[JulesMad]

5 hours ago, Get Real said:

Oh dear! He just don´t know when he´s standing on the tip of a melting iceberg. Time to introduce the new and exclusive Psycho-Superior Award 2017. This year the price is tied between two mad persons.

Between trumpy and the psycho idiot who seems to be president of usa?!? I am sure he wins....

[riclag]

How many years has this can been kicked down the road? Finally a President with testicular fortitude .

[VillageIdiot]

28 minutes ago, riclag said:

How many years has this can been kicked down the road? Finally a President with testicular fortitude .

Yes, Trump certainly does have testicular fortitude.

It reminds me of the old limerick about the girl from Dundee who was raped by an ape in a tree .

"...the result was most horrid,

all balls and no forehead,

with a long flowing yellow goatee."

[TKDfella]

I'm not sure how this one goes. I understood that Jerusalem was a key issue in Israel-Palestine  peace talks which I thought were still on going. Is this wrong? If this is right then what Pres. D.T. has done is to preempt any decision from such talks. Like to hear from someone who keeps track of the Israel-Palestine  peace talks.

[wwest5829]

6 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Scurrilous thing to do. It will be interesting to see the reaction if the US are the only country to vote against the resolution. Is Donald going to cut off everyone's funding?

He may well do. Anyone can read his long history of being a bully. Do what I want or "you're fired!" All, please do note, this man does not represent me nor the best of the American ideals. I welcome a UN vote on this and hope for an overwhelming request to withdraw his ill concieved unilateral action. This man needs to be condemned for the loose cannon he is.

[wwest5829]

53 minutes ago, riclag said:

How many years has this can been kicked down the road? Finally a President with testicular fortitude .

which he uese in the absence of thought...

[Beats56]

9 hours ago, mercman24 said:

those oil rich arab states should counter by  threatening to blockade oil supplies to the USA that would bring this country to its knees in one month, once again this loud mouthed bully has opened his gob without thinking this out ha ha , go on , do it , ?? he will be shitting his pants

Bring America to their knees..Ya right the US has found more oil on their turf than they  can use not mention Canada sending oil to the refineries.

They don't need  Arab oil anymore.

 

[dunroaming]

10 hours ago, webfact said:

"They take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars, and then they vote against us. Well, we're watching those votes. Let them vote against us. We'll save a lot. We don't care," Trump told reporters at the White House.

Such a well balanced grown-up response.  The brain dead bully thinks that threats and money will get him his way over everything.  The American people must be so proud of him!

[Andaman Al]

3 hours ago, KarenBravo said:

And the name of your company is?

Well as my middle name is not stupid, I will leave it to your googleilligence skills to discover.

 

Meanwhile back on topic, I think Trump really should stop the international aid. Even more, by many accounts the US is in dire need of being on the receiving end of international aid itself, there is so much dire poverty in the US that Trump really needs to send that money to the states that need it. But Oh! there is no political or military advantage to the US in helping its own people. Nothing will change.

 

https://topdocumentaryfilms.com/poor-america/

 

 

[Morch]

10 hours ago, stevenl said:

Wrong. It is standard behaviour, but normally done through diplomatic channels. Just Trump is dumb enough to put it out in the open.

 

The only thing misleading here is your post.

 

Wrong how? Did any POTUS issue such direct threats at the entire international community? As for you other nonsense, diplomacy is diplomacy, and it's acceptable. Acting like a schoolyard bully isn't. Hence the the OP, the headlines and the media attention it generates. There was nothing "misleading" about my post, you just do this auto-contrarian thing thinking it's smart. 

[Morch]

9 hours ago, chuang said:

Why is the world crying about Jerusalem...China claims almost all the South China Sea and the world keep numb...

 

Because it's China. Being a superpower comes with perks. That is, if you're China - because had the USA tried something along these lines, the good folks here would be up in arms. Or at least, punching their keyboards to death.

[Morch]

8 hours ago, connda said:

Considering the US is $20 Trillion USD in debt, all foreign aid should be cut to all foreign countries and those funds invested back into  US infrastructure. 
Pretty funny 'eh?  Never happen will it?   

 

8 hours ago, ilostmypassword said:

Or the US could repeal the tax reform bill. That would save over a trillion dollars. Far more than cutting foreign aid. Enough to fully fund infrastructure repair and upgrade.

 

And of course, if foreign aid was cut entirely, the biggest loser would be Israel.

 

Quite a bit of US Aid is given with caveats funds will be used buying US made products and services. While Israel would lose if the foreign aid it received would be canceled, so would them US Firms (and the workplaces they represent). Its not a huge surprise much of the support and lobbying for various US aid programs comes from relevant players in the US, and their political representatives.

 

Same goes for comments by other posters advocating the US stop hosting the UN, without considering its presence also represents significant economic gains and for the US.

[stevenl]

40 minutes ago, Morch said:

 

Wrong how? Did any POTUS issue such direct threats at the entire international community? As for you other nonsense, diplomacy is diplomacy, and it's acceptable. Acting like a schoolyard bully isn't. Hence the the OP, the headlines and the media attention it generates. There was nothing "misleading" about my post, you just do this auto-contrarian thing thinking it's smart. 

Yes, your post was misleading, and now you're twisting and turning.

 

I have said enough.

[Scott]

Off-topic, troll posts reported and removed.  

[Morch]

6 hours ago, TKDfella said:

I'm not sure how this one goes. I understood that Jerusalem was a key issue in Israel-Palestine  peace talks which I thought were still on going. Is this wrong? If this is right then what Pres. D.T. has done is to preempt any decision from such talks. Like to hear from someone who keeps track of the Israel-Palestine  peace talks.

 

There are no ongoing peace talks. There were meeting held by Trump's negotiation team with both sides and regional players, as preparation for formulating and presenting a peace plan. Not a whole lot of details as to actual outcomes of these meetings or the supposed peace plan.

 

Trump's announcement did nothing good for relations with the Palestinians or regional players. Whether or not the outrage and the Palestinian response were merited, can be debated. What is sure is that it was no bright diplomatic move, even if some try to portray is as such (along the lines of shock and awe).

 

There are a whole lot of fiery words tossed about, and as usual, Trump is mostly making things worse with his responses. That said, I do not think that there is another game in town at this point, no acceptable alternative sponsor, and not as much actual interest getting into this quagmire. So unless things change dramatically (and considering it is the Middle East and it is Trump...so not impossible), everyone will vent while waiting for the Trump administration to present its peace plan.

 

Doubt it would lead to a productive result, but that's not saying much considering nothing much was going on anyway.

 

[Morch]

15 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Yes, your post was misleading, and now you're twisting and turning.

 

I have said enough.

 

No, it was just you saying it was "misleading" without sound reasoning, and now adding "twisting and turning" without much to back it up. That's becoming a standard with your replies to my posts. I agree that you have said enough.

[observer90210]

Nothing positive will outcome in maintaining such a climate....in today's challenging global market, everybody needs to deal with the neighbour.

 

But let's be positive, nobody is stupid and things will surely chill down,  no matter what the issue of the vote may be. Business always ends up with the upper hand, no matter which part of the world or who is in charge.....hopefully !!

[tonray]

5 hours ago, Beats56 said:

Bring America to their knees..Ya right the US has found more oil on their turf than they  can use not mention Canada sending oil to the refineries.

They don't need  Arab oil anymore.

 

But we still can't make our own falafel or hummus worth a damn so I'm a bit worried