Be kinde to folk. This changeth the whole habitat.
- Manlobbi
Halls of Shrewd'm / US Policy❤
No. of Recommendations: 7
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/22/tr...Donald Trump has demanded that the Panama Canal be given back to the US if Panama did not manage the waterway in a fashion that was acceptable to him – and he accused the central American country of charging excessive rates for use of the ocean-connecting ship passage.
“The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, especially knowing the extraordinary generosity that has been bestowed to Panama by the US,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform late Saturday, a little more than a month before the start of his second US presidency. “This complete ‘rip-off’ of our Country will immediately stop….”
No. of Recommendations: 4
What's wrong with not wanting to be charged for something that was GIVEN to them?
Pretend Panama is run by "PUTIN!" - that'll help.
No. of Recommendations: 14
I wonder if there is a connection here. What do you think?
https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-companies...The owners of a 70-story Panama City hotel tower formerly managed by President Donald Trump’s companies are accusing them of stiffing the Panamanian government.
In a legal filing Monday in an ongoing lawsuit in Manhattan federal court, private equity manager Orestes Fintiklis and the company he leads, Ithaca Capital Partners, claimed that two Trump companies failed to pay Panamanian taxes equal to 12.5% of the management fees they drew from the hotel.
The Trump entities were allegedly supposed to withhold those fees in advance and pay them to the government regardless of whether the property was profitable or not. Instead, the Trump companies simply kept the money, the suit claims, “thus intentionally evading taxes.” That and other financial irregularities exposed Fintiklis and the companies he represents “to millions of dollars in liability,” according to the suit, which also claims Trump companies sought to cover up their actions. The filing does not say whether a tax penalty has been levied by Panamanian authorities.
No. of Recommendations: 3
You understand what the Panama Canal means to the US strategically, right?
And who is putting lots of resources into it right now, yes?
No. of Recommendations: 2
Sigh.
No. of Recommendations: 5
silly Panamanian's, Trump don't do taxes, lol.
Wouldn't be surprised if Panama gave Trump all kinds of tax breaks on that property as well.
Trump's Dad made a fortune by squirming out of paying taxes, after receiving highly
favorable tax breaks in the initial real estate deals. And I don't want to hear that
Trump and his Dad just paid the legal amount due. They jobbed the government and the
tax payers with their legion of lawyers and plethora of law suits. They got away with stuff
NONE of us could dream of getting away with. No surprise though, the rich own the courts and the judges. Michael Corleone was 100% correct when he told the Nevada Senator in Godfather II:
" We are all part of the same hypocrisy, Senator "
No. of Recommendations: 3
You understand what the Panama Canal means to the US strategically, right?
Oh, the left knows. They need to bellyache about every little thing Trump does.
It’s all they have now that Trump has turned them into the whiney nobody cares about Party.
I won’t be surprised if Panama joins other World Leaders kissing the Don’s ring.
No. of Recommendations: 6
“The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, especially knowing the extraordinary generosity that has been bestowed to Panama by the US,
Trump is ignorant of history as he has demonstrated many times.
No. of Recommendations: 18
You understand what the Panama Canal means to the US strategically, right?
Yes.
And who is putting lots of resources into it right now, yes?
Yes, we do. You apparently don’t. The improvements in the canal are being paid by Panama, out of the tolls collected by users of the canal. The US is not involved, except as a customer.
From Google:
No, the United States is not rebuilding the Panama Canal, but the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) is making improvements to the canal's transit management system. The ACP is also managing the canal's operations, administration, and maintenance
On the off chance you think this is another heroic American project, here is a list of the companies involved in the construction of the new, larger locks:
The engineering companies that worked on the Panama Canal expansion include:
Grupo Unidos por el Canal (GUPC): An international consortium led by Sacyr of Spain, which also included Impregilo of Italy, Jan de Nul of Belgium, and CUSA of Panama. GUPC was responsible for designing and building the new locks.
Simem S.p.A: Supplied plants for the production of concrete for the new locks and water recycling basins.
Cimolai: Fabricated the 16 gates for the new locks in Italy
.
Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries: Fabricated 158 valves, 84 bulkheads, and 328 trash racks for the new locks in South Korea.
Eaton: Provided power management solutions and products for the expansion, including arc-resistant medium voltage switchgear, pad-mounted transformers, and FlashGard motor control centers.
WSP: Facilitated the Panama Canal expansion project.
No. of Recommendations: 3
Oh, the left knows.
Do they? I don’t think they understand - or have any inkling of - what China’s strategy is or of what control of the PC means.
Because if they did they’d agree with Trump.
No. of Recommendations: 3
China is a Blue State.
Liberals have kinship with the Communist Party of China.
No different than the Soviets in the 80s.
No. of Recommendations: 11
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/b-c-man-found-stick-2005...I think so. I lived in Ancon, Panama Canal Zone for four years. We have a neutrality treaty with Panama, that it will remain neutral, and that we can do things if that neutrality appears diminished.
And who is putting lots of resources into it right now, yes? China manages two ports, but not the canal. The Panamanian government scaled back on projects using Chinese firms and has indicated it wants to be on good terms with the US and maintain its neutrality, which is why Trump's message seems out of step. No need to threaten them, most of what's shipped through the canal is for the US. It's better to use a little caution and talk to them quietly first - not in a threatening tweet.
The scaling back of China's influence has already happened, but China *is* good at managing ports, and the big Chinese families are crafty. We have been devising a strategy to maintain our influence by making investments to maintain security, increase transparency, and help fight corruption. That tweet was ill advised.
No. of Recommendations: 5
What's wrong with not wanting to be charged for something that was GIVEN to them?
In the era of gunboat diplomacy the US wanted the canal which was part of Colombia. We fostered and assisted a breakout of Panama from Colombia to get the Canal Zone - it worked. We then made small annual payments and built the Canal.
Modernly, the canal would be the equivalent of a 150 mile strip of land centered on the Mississippi River, running from New Orleans all the way up to Canada. So it's easy to see how the Panamanians might view it, as they pass through the Zone to go to the other side of their country. Then imagine communist rebel influence. In any case by relinquishing claims to the Zone, the USA closed out part of our Imperialist history and interference in Latin America, which has been substantial.
We can get lower prices without antagonizing their government. Make it into a win-win situation, instead of Panama loses.
No. of Recommendations: 1
We can get lower prices without antagonizing their government. Make it into a win-win situation, instead of Panama loses. - Lapsody
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In my NSHO, it is too late to salvage a win-win. With so many vastly more impactful problems to address, why put any energy into picking a public fight with Panama. Work on the issue in the background but don't let it distract from the winning issues you campaigned on. Panama was never mentioned as one of the many concerns expressed by voters. Completely unforced error by Trump, but still not Hitler.
No. of Recommendations: 1
In my NSHO, it is too late to salvage a win-win
That's my opinion, apparently it wasn't clear.
