Subject: Re: Some great reporting on the 'new' Trump
bighairymike: The Middle East is on fire...

Well, lessee, between 2006 and 2013, the US imposed waves of sanctions for the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, support for terrorism, and human rights abuses and weeks after his election president Hassan Rouhani signaled an interest in a nuclear deal with the world. After two years of negotiations with the world’s six major powers, Iran agreed to a deal limiting its program in exchange for the UN, US, and European Union lifting the sanctions related to its nuclear advances.

Then in 2018 at the urging of the Saudis (who, coincidentally have filled the Trump and Kushner family pockets with billions of dollars) Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal and imposed a “maximum pressure” campaign that included more than 1,500 economic sanctions to force new negotiations. Iran replied: “Even if we ever — impossible as it is — negotiated with the US, it would never ever be with the current US administration.”

Trump ordered the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani, the Quds Force commander.

Iran responded by launching 11 ballistic missiles — each with a 1,000-pound warhead — on US forces based at Al Asad airbase in Iraq. More than 100 suffered traumatic brain injuries.

But, yeah, sure, this is all Biden's fault.


bighairymike: ...China is eating our lunch...

China is suffering from persistent deflation, an ongoing crisis in its real estate market, high youth unemployment, long-term population decline, local government debt, a stock market rout and a decline in exports and foreign direct investment.


bighairymike: ...the Southern border is a massive security exposure...

And Trump killed legislation that would have had an immediate positive effect on the situation because he wants chaos on the border for a 2024 campaign issue.


bighairymike: ...chaos on our college campuses...

Mostly peaceful protests but, yeah, sure, idealistic young people are inclined to protest. Violence has been met with arrests. But there were much more massive protests all across the country during the reign of Orange Jesus.


bighairymike: ...crime (not murder) is rampant in many of our major cities.

In fact, the opposite is true.

Crime is down significantly in almost every category -- the violent crime rate fell 49% between 1993 and 2022, with large decreases in the rates of robbery (-74%), aggravated assault (-39%) murder/nonnegligent manslaughter (-34%), a 59% reduction in the U.S. property crime rate, a huge decline in burglary (-75%), larceny/theft (-54%) and even motor vehicle theft (-53%).

And the trend has continued through the first part of 2024.


https://www.nbcnews.com/news/w...

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/c...

https://www.pewresearch.org/sh...