BACKSTORY: A little more than a week ago President Trump identified former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Tom Homan, as a likely candidate for the position of border czar. “He’ll be a border czar, he’ll be very much involved in the border, he’ll be reporting directly to me,” Mr. Trump said.
However, in a follow up interview with Lou Dobbs, Tom Homan said there were discussions, and he wants to support the president, but he would only take the position if certain “structural changes” within the internal DHS system were made. In essence, Homan appeared to be saying he’d only take the job if chain-of-authority was changed, and all the hurdles to doing the job were removed.
Today, Mr. Homan seemed to clearly identify Acting DHS Secretary Kevin McAleenan as the person working against the interests of the President; leaking information to impede the immigration policy of President Trump; and likely the reason why Homan would only consider entering back into the administration if the process was changed to allow him to work around a corrupt Acting DHS Secretary, McAleenan.
Suffice to day, after this interview Tom Homan and Acting DHS Secretary Kevin McAleenan will likely never work together. It would appear if President Trump wants Homan as border czar, he’s going to have to fire McAleenan…. or change something.
With tensions rising in the middle east — in the wake of Iran shooting down a U.S. drone — Bill Whittle addresses the conspiracy theories about the potential of U.S. war with Iran. From false flag attacks, to neocon or Jewish saber-rattling, to war-for-profit by the military industrial complex, Bill addresses the accusations of Progressives, and even of Trump supporters. Bill Whittle Now comes to you five times each week, thanks to the Members at BillWhittle.com who value truth, timeless principles, individual liberty and the opportunity to pursue happiness. If that sounds like you, join us at https://BillWhittle.com/register/
To the hatred of the neocons, including Bolton, Trump has explained that it was inappropriate to retaliate against Iran when 150 people would be killed for the downing of a drone. This not merely shows the nature of Trump, but clearly displays the efforts behind the curtain to get rid of him to wage another war.
The money quote from Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping in the role of magnanimous panda as he departs Chairman Kim:
“This visit has achieved complete success in reinforcing the traditional friendship between China and North Korea”..
Kim remains hostage, and Xi highlights his captive capabilities in advance of the G20 ‘expanded’ meeting with President Trump in Osaka, Japan. Magnanimous panda thinks he’s created leverage for hostage release negotiations with Trump in exchange for economic and trade concessions… except he hasn’t.
Beijing has fallen into a trap created by a combination of their cultural approach toward geopolitical confrontation and an echo-chamber that does not allow -or consider- warnings from dissenting voices. In essence, it might sound goofy considering the magnitude of the issues at hand, but Beijing doesn’t know President Trump.
One of the reasons for the miscalculation is likely due to Beijing weighing their analysis and strategy based on typical Western reporting similar to THIS ARTICLE in the New York Times.
NYT […] Before Mr. Xi landed in Pyongyang on Thursday, American officials said they expected him to try to secure Mr. Kim’s promise to take steps on nuclear weapons that might appeal to Mr. Trump, in hopes of gaining leverage for China in the trade dispute.
Mr. Xi signaled as much in a televised session with Mr. Kim on his first afternoon in Pyongyang, when he emphasized the need for the North and the United States to revive talks that broke down in Vietnam in February, when Mr. Kim and Mr. Trump last met.
“The international community hopes that North Korea and the United States can talk and for the talks to get results,” Mr. Xi said, sitting across a table from Mr. Kim. (read more)
That Western outlook is what has led to the miscalculation by Chairman Xi.
It would appear that former ‘special envoy’ and Chinese negotiator, Vice-Premier Liu He, did have a solid understanding of President Trump. However, after working closely with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Beijing summarily rejected the deal and removed the status of Liu He as a direct representative voice of Chairman Xi.
With that, everything collapsed. Hence, the current status.
The ongoing miscalculation is really quite simple. Thinking that he can leverage the stability of the DPRK (his proxy province) in a trade discussion with President Trump, Chairman Xi has positioned himself as the arbiter of a denuclearized North Korea. However, in doing so Xi has taken public ownership of any future DPRK hostilities.
China has always held control over North Korea as a hedge against Western interests; however, Beijing has always strategically denied their influence. This dynamic is the center of the issue. This is what President Trump needed to change.
From the perspective of President Trump engaging with Chairman Xi, the removal of the curtain hiding the control is just as valuable as removal of the control itself.
A withdrawal by China (hostage released), or the public appearance of the control by China (captive admission) serves the same purpose. The DPRK cannot mount hostile action. Chairman Xi now owns the problem of any North Korean hostilities.
That connection was all President Trump needed strategically in order to confront China and remove the worry of hostile actions coordinated by Beijing through Chairman Kim.
Chairman Xi walks into the G20 to negotiate with President Trump, but selling influence over the DPRK to gain a better trade outcome no longer has value.
SCMP – […] In a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un before returning to Beijing, Xi also said China was determined to support the country’s new “strategic path”, Chinese state-run newspaper People’s Dailyreported.
“This visit … has achieved complete success in reinforcing the traditional friendship between China and North Korea,” Xi was quoted as saying.
“It has laid down the direction of future development of China-North Korean relations in the new era, and also shown to the outside world the firm determination of China and North Korea in achieving a political resolution to the Korean peninsula problem and delivering long-lasting peace in the region.”
North Korea’s state media quoted Kim as emphasising Beijing’s rock solid relationship with Pyongyang. According to Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim told Xi that his visit was “decisive” in showing the unchanging friendship between the two countries to the world. (read more)
With the DPRK retaliatory threat removed; and with Chairman Xi now owning any hostile action from inside North Korea; President Trump can now take more aggressive action toward China on global trade and economic influence.
The magnanimous panda has walked into a geopolitical trap. President Trump now controls the bamboo forest….
BenTallmadge@BenKTallmadge
U.S. Commerce Department bars China supercomputer firms and a government-owned institute from buying American parts and components without govt approval – Reuters
U.S. bars China supercomputer firms, institute from buying American…
The U.S. Commerce Department said on Friday it was adding several Chinese companies and a government-owned institute involved in supercomputing with military applications to its national security…
Lots of differing opinion on the decision by POTUS to cancel a retaliatory strike against Iran. Some praise and some criticize. Here’s President Trump’s reason for cancelling the strike against Iran:
As it relates to the Trump doctrine, CTH would note any current ally of the U.S; and/or any entity engaged with significant economic interests attached to the U.S; including any EU entity who might have previously been skirting the sanctions against Iran (think Turkey); would now be very cautious about appearing on President Trump and Secretary Mnuchin’s proverbial radar.
President Trump announced on Twitter last week about an enhanced immigration enforcement action to remove illegal aliens. National Border Patrol Council president Brandon Judd appears on Fox Business to discuss the upcoming program.
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Interestingly, no-one has wondered why there would be such advanced and public notification of the upcoming enhanced enforcement. Curiouser and curiouser…
QUESTION: Mr. Armstrong; you are the only person who forecasts gold without bias. How will gold respond to the war rattling with Iran?
PD
ANSWER: They will always paint gold as the a never ending bull market in the face of war. Perhaps us old-time traders learned the hard way – buy the rumor but sell the news. If we look at gold’s performance during the first Gulf War in 1990, it rallied upon the Iraq invasion on August 2nd, pulled back on the 3rd testing $377, and then rallied peaking on a closing basis on August 24th, but it hit $420 in just 7 trading days. When it appeared that the West would invade, gold declined and eventually it made its 19-year low in 1999.
It does not yet appear that we are looking at World War III. However, that may change by 2020/2021. We have to see how this interacts with our numbers. We must always approach this from a plain black and white perspective. Trump does not want to send in troops. The problem has been that the Democrats in bashing Trump have used Russia to the point that 70% of Democrats believe Russia is our moral enemy. They have demonized Russia so from a strategic perspective, Russia must back Iran. There will be no choice. Continued confrontation with China risks restoring the Russia-China bond that Richard Nixon broke.
Chairman Xi Jinping arrives in North Korea to support the “correct thinking” within his proxy province and hostage Kim Jong-Un. Magnanimous Panda, and defender of all enlightened Asian progress, exhibited great smiles as nervous Kim worries over the dust on the military shoestrings. WATCH:
(Reuters) BEIJING (Reuters) – The world hopes North Korea and the United States can talk to each other and for those talks to be successful, Chinese President Xi Jinping told North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday, praising Pyongyang’s efforts toward denuclearization.
Xi is visiting China’s reclusive neighbor North Korea, seeking to bolster a longtime ally hit by U.N. sanctions over its nuclear and missile programs, a week before Xi and U.S. President Donald Trump meet amid a bitter trade dispute.
Xi, whose entourage includes the head of China’s state economic planner, will be in North Korea for two days, the first Chinese leader to visit in 14 years, and could bring fresh support measures for its floundering, sanctions-bound economy.
Kim Jong Un and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, greeted Xi at the airport, Chinese state TV said. Kim’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, and officials who played prominent roles in recent nuclear talks with the United States were also on hand.
Xi was driven through Pyongyang in a convertible car, standing with Kim at his side, and greeted warmly by massed, cheering crowds on his way to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, a complex that serves as the mausoleum for North Korea’s founder, Kim Il Sung, the report said.
Xi told Kim he had come to consolidate a traditional friendship and to promote the political process for a resolution of the Korean peninsula issue, it added.
Xi “positively appraised” North Korea’s efforts to safeguard peace and stability on the peninsula and promote denuclearization, state television said.
“The situation on the Korean peninsula concerns regional peace and stability,” the report paraphrased Xi as telling Kim at their formal meeting.
“The international community hopes that North Korea and the United States can talk and for the talks to get results.” (read more)
Magnanimous Panda Chairman Xi appreciates the welcome, and will now show the world the brilliant and purposeful peace that can only be achieved by following the Chinese model of great guidance and enlightenment.
Thank you Magnanimous Panda. The world can never be worthy of your consideration, guidance and great leadership. Peace for the Korean people will be achieved because Magnanimous Panda raises the collective responsibility of all human consciousness.
Thus, we enter a phase of great nuance and subtle signaling where we will need to carefully evaluate the scale of hostage release. Obviously western media -writ large- are oblivious to the multidimensional hostage dynamic; heck, most major western media don’t even acknowledge that China controls North Korea… So we have a front row seat to review the generally coded signals.
In the dynamic of the denuclearization of North Korea, the most likely scenario is Chairman Xi playing the role of magnanimous panda and *guiding* Chairman Kim Jong Un into the world of nations. Hence the op-ed outlined yesterday.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in will be positioned as the hero so that Xi doesn’t look like he lost Kim to Trump. However, what we don’t know is how much autonomy Chairman Xi will allow Chairman Kim. It’s the “guiding” part we need to watch closely.
Beijing isn’t going to let Kim go fully antonymous and independent; not when they share a border; and certainly not after generations of strategic influence and control over the DPRK as a proxy province and hedge against the West.
Unfortunately, South Korean President Moon Jae-in will be useless as a counter wedge against the cunning of Xi Jinping in this very important aspect. Moon is essentially the Asian Obama; and has about as much strategic intelligence, foresight and usefulness, as a bag-of-rocks being used as a weather vane.
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Chairman Xi now owns any actions taken by North Korea. Whether Xi releases his hostage, or the more likely scenario, he retains control but the nuclear threat is removed, matters not.
The open engagement by Xi now transfers all DPRK behavior openly to Beijing. North Korea is no more a nuclear threat than China. Technically, this has always been the reality; however, now things are public. China cannot hide or deny their involvement.
Chairman Kim may never be freed, but for U.S. interests the Nuclear threat is gone.
Remember, generally speaking President trump held two connected objectives: (1) removing the threat posed by North Korea by severing the ability of Beijing to use the proxy province as a weapon; and (2) deconstructing the growing economic influence of China.
The first objective has been achieved. President Trump can now go into full economic war against China without the worry of Beijing using Pyongyang to launch rockets.
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This is a library of News Events not reported by the Main Stream Media documenting & connecting the dots on How the Obama Marxist Liberal agenda is destroying America
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