Understanding the US - Again

[bala]

Continuing with DNI Tulsi Gabbard's charges on Russia Hoax, this dude James Clapper is protecting his ass by getting lawyers for the impending lawsuit naming him co-conspirator of the hoax.

BTW there was letter signed by 51 criminals during Bidenwa era to claim that the Hunter Biden laptop issue was Russia hoax inspired. And guess who was amongst the 51 - Former Sec of State Anthony Blinken. This guy is the perfect smiling snake in the former admin who seemed like a pal with EAM Jaisankar, yet stabbed him in the back.

Former FBI James Comey used to take his notes with DJT V1.0 and leak it to the NYT and other news outlets, another scumbag.

Tulsi Gabbard Responds To James Clapper’s Denial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vVKPdrS1hY

The DOJ and FBI will be saying Mahalo (this is a Hawaian saying) to the criminals who infest the highest echelons of power in the US. Many of them lied to US Congress under oath during testimony. I hope Sri Krishna protects DNI Tulsi Gabbard, you never know what these scumbags will be upto, they are seasoned criminals who will stoop to anything.

[bala]

BTW AOC is a pipsqueak in DNC not worthy of any discussion as far as it pertains to understanding the US. She is effectively an empty headed person who does not inspire anyone when she opens her mouth to speak.

[Rudradev]

... a third Trump Presidency (or one fronted by a nominated minion ruling on his behalf).

Would you consider JD VAnce to be that if he were to get the GOP nomination and win in 2028? He will surely seek nomination among others in Trump cabinet. The other is ofc SDOTUS who did run in the GOP primaries before.

Originally I would not have thought not, and considered Vance to be his own man with his own ideas. Now, I am not so sure. One will have to wait and observe what he actually does over the next 3 years.

Rubio has always been a creature of the Neocon Blob and I doubt his diligent service as SD to Trump will change that about him. He walks (as many in the Trump administration do) a tightrope between retaining the favour of his long-time lobbyist backers and demonstrating the "loyalty" Trump demands with every capricious twist or turn of policy direction.

[Rudradev]

BTW AOC is a pipsqueak in DNC not worthy of any discussion as far as it pertains to understanding the US. She is effectively an empty headed person who does not inspire anyone when she opens her mouth to speak.

Unfortunately, that is incorrect.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/worl ... 19118.html

She is 2nd most likely to win the nomination per this survey, meaning a very strong chance of at least getting the VP spot if things don't change very considerably by 2027.

https://www.newsweek.com/aoc-zohran-mam ... ls-2101197

[bala]

Unfortunately, that is incorrect.

So a UK paper knows more about US, geez! No one in their right mind will elect a Bernie Sanders in the US who is a confirmed commy leaning person. The rest of US states don't give two hoots to AOC and Bernie Sanders.

[Rudradev]

I deliberately quoted a UK paper because it clearly lacks any bias towards either Dems or GOP that a US source could be accused of having. Not that you actually read the article, of course.

BTW, did you notice the survey results I also posted?

[A_Gupta]

Sanjay Dixit opines that "Modi Shows Middle Finger to Trump |"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUf5SzAeIA0&t=189s

A key point he makes is that PM Modi conveys his message to Trump mostly outside of public view.

(Trump finds it difficult to throw his headline-grabbing tantrums in such situations.)

[Rudradev]

Sanjay Dixit opines that "Modi Shows Middle Finger to Trump |"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUf5SzAeIA0&t=189s

A key point he makes is that PM Modi conveys his message to Trump mostly outside of public view.

(Trump finds it difficult to throw his headline-grabbing tantrums in such situations.)

Interesting, but isn't this generally true of communications by most national leaders? I would think the occasions when a leader takes panga with Trump in full public view are relatively few, and always driven by other (often domestic) political compulsions & calculus of that leader.

Mark Carney, for example, profited handsomely from his open defiance of Trump. Lula da Silva is betting on this as well. In India's case, there is no such political incentive to take the spat public (however desperately the Pappu Opposition is trying to create one for its own reasons).

Still, it is interesting that one of Trump's key negotiating tactics... the loudmouthed public brawl... is completely deflated by Modi's approach. They are stuck (1) trying to bait Modi (such as by inviting Chowkidar Munir to lunch, thereby degrading themselves and curtailing their own future options for dealing with TSP) and (2) delegating the panga to lower rungs of the two administrations, like Howard Lutnick vs Piyush Goyal, where it commands very little public attention.

[A_Gupta]

Interesting, but isn't this generally true of communications by most national leaders?

It should be, but e.g., remember Trudeau and his "credible allegations" about Nijjar issue.

[Rudradev]

I'll always wonder what it was the Chinese had on Trudeau that made him self-immolate so spectacularly. No way Pakistan by itself (let alone the Khalistanis) could have exercised THAT much influence on a Canadian government.

[saip]

BTW guys Trump has claimed super powers and promised he would decrease the drug prices by (I am not kidding) 1000% or even 1500% - he beats even the Mushy guy. New maths perhaps - along with the Nobel a Fields medal too (that he is over 40 years old makes him ineligible but who is counting?)

[bala]

Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark current chairman of intelligence committee of US Congress says that previously during the Devin Nunes and Adam Schiff handling the post of Chairman Intelligence committee, the Russia Hoax collusion investigation was going no where since there were selective leaks to the media preventing any decent in depth investigation. Adam Schiff would blatantly lie to everyone and most people in Congress know that he is a pathological liar par excellence. This guy Adam lied on his mortgage application and there is a parallel investigation on him.

The Department of Justice is expected to form a 'strike force' to probe former President Barack Obama and his minions in CIA Brennan, FBI Comey, National Intelligence James Clapper. People need to be held accountable within the law.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nu_OPXdBAs

[Vayutuvan]

BTW guys Trump has claimed super powers and promised he would decrease the drug prices by (I am not kidding) 1000% or even 1500% - he beats even the Mushy guy. New maths perhaps - along with the Nobel a Fields medal too (that he is over 40 years old makes him ineligible but who is counting?)

Why are you worried? You have gold-plated healthcare in PRCA. That state has the maximum number of doctors per 100K people. Also you sip single malt in your house on the hills in a gated community. And consider 350K house in Yorktown Hts to be cheap.

Aah, I get it. DJT is pushing up construction labor/service labor costs while your gov goes to French Laundry and his aunt eats expensive ice cream.

[saip]

Adam Schiff always lies and what Trump says is gospel truth. And we find that sun rises in the east.

[saip]

Is there a Nobel for TROLLS? If it is not there we should have one may be like the igNOBEL.

[saip]

.

[Vayutuvan]

Is there a Nobel for TROLLS? If it is not there we should have one may be like the igNOBEL.

What some people call Trolling is nothing but BRF Judo. IOW hoist one by their own petard (their previous pronouncements).

[A_Gupta]

Ft.com tells us the Japanese do not agree that anything was agreed to on that $550 billion investment fund.

https://www.ft.com/content/c1183b13-913 ... 52af66f0a5

[bala]

Lt. Gen Michael Flynn was a former US National Security Advisor and he was deliberately targeted by the Obama administration and made him go through hell. One of the templates Obama and the deep deep state operatives used was the Color revolution against Russia in Ukraine. This was adopted by Obama and he turned the tables using a wrap around smear on DJT V1.0 claiming that there was Russian collusion with DJT V1.0. The US media was hand in hand with the narrative.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbcPDF_Had0

[A_Gupta]

Google Gemini tells me:

General Michael Flynn's direct influence on US relations with India has been limited, primarily due to the brevity of his tenure as National Security Advisor (NSA) in the Trump administration (January-February 2017). However, some points of interaction and potential influence can be noted:

Initial Meetings and Optimism: Before assuming the NSA role, Michael Flynn met with India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in Washington in December 2016. Reports indicated that Flynn expressed "high respect" for India's growth and leadership and was optimistic about strengthening Indo-US ties. This initial engagement suggested a positive outlook for the relationship under the new administration.

Focus on Counter-Terrorism: As a former intelligence official with extensive experience in counter-terrorism, Flynn's overall foreign policy views emphasized combating radical Islam. While not specifically focused on India, this general stance aligned with India's long-standing concerns about terrorism and could have potentially fostered greater cooperation on this front.

Broader Geopolitical Context: While India-specific policies were not a central theme for Flynn, his broader foreign policy vision, including concerns about China and a desire for "US global dominance," indirectly positioned India as a potentially important partner in the Indo-Pacific region.

Limited Direct Policy Impact: Due to his short time as NSA and subsequent legal issues, Flynn did not have the opportunity to implement or significantly shape specific US foreign policy towards India. The broad bipartisan support for India in the US government also meant that any drastic shifts in policy were unlikely to be solely driven by one individual.

In summary, while there was an initial positive engagement and an alignment of some general security interests, General Michael Flynn's actual, sustained influence on US-India relations was ultimately minimal due to the short duration of his official capacity.

and

General Michael Flynn's tenure as National Security Advisor was cut short primarily due to lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) about his conversations with then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

Here's a breakdown of the key legal issues:

False Statements to the FBI: The central issue was that Flynn, as incoming National Security Advisor, had conversations with Kislyak in December 2016. These conversations included discussions about U.S. sanctions against Russia and a UN Security Council resolution.When interviewed by FBI agents in January 2017 (after he became NSA), Flynn denied or misrepresented the nature and content of these conversations.

Misleading Vice President Pence: The FBI interviews became critical because Flynn had also reportedly misled Vice President Mike Pence and other White House officials about his interactions with the Russian ambassador. Pence had publicly stated that Flynn had not discussed sanctions with Kislyak, which later proved to be false based on intelligence intercepts. This created a situation where the NSA was seen as vulnerable to blackmail by Russia.

Plea Agreement and Cooperation: In December 2017, as part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, Flynn pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements to the FBI. As part of his plea deal, he agreed to cooperate with the Special Counsel's investigation.

Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) Issues: While not the direct cause of his resignation from the NSA role, Flynn also faced issues related to his lobbying work for the government of Turkey in 2016. He retroactively registered as a foreign agent in March 2017, acknowledging that his firm had conducted paid lobbying work that could have benefited Turkey's government and that he had made "materially false statements and omissions" in earlier FARA filings.

Withdrawal of Plea and Pardon: Over time, Flynn changed his legal team and attempted to withdraw his guilty plea, claiming government misconduct and abuse. In May 2020, the Justice Department moved to drop the charges against him. Ultimately, in November 2020, President Donald Trump granted Flynn a full presidential pardon, which led to the dismissal of his criminal case.

The immediate catalyst for his resignation in February 2017 was the surfacing of information that he had misled Vice President Pence about his conversations with Kislyak, which then opened the door to the broader investigation into his interactions and subsequent false statements.

and

After Flynn's resignation in February 2017 and later, as more details of the investigation came out, Pence stated that he had been misled by General Flynn. For example, in December 2017, Pence told CBS News that he "knew that he [Flynn] lied to me" by the time Flynn was fired.

In essence, Pence initially vouched for Flynn's account of the calls, which turned out to be false. This created a significant issue because it meant the Vice President of the United States had unknowingly made inaccurate statements based on information provided by his National Security Advisor, raising concerns about transparency and the potential for a compromised official.

[bala]

Bah humbug, ex Vice President Pence is a RINO and the fact that DJT ignored him in V2.0 should tell you what a snake he is. Robert Mueller is FBI and they subverted the narrative on Russian Hoax. This is called as, "fox in charge of the chicken coup" to use an Ameriki phrase. So you have a bunch of crooks trying to investigate a person like General Flynn who was upright and knew the con game of Obama et al. What is wrong with talking to the Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. This is just understanding the other nations. In legal terms things like Flynn pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements to the FBI are part of a plea deal which are pre-arranged by lawyers. The f?ng judicial system is one corny mofo system created by lawyers and judges to boss over common aadhmi. Anyways who cares, President Donald Trump granted Flynn a full presidential pardon, which led to the dismissal of the entire charade of a criminal case. F?ng BS rubbish and a waste of time and money. If ever there is criminality it is the DNC chaps who created an elaborate con game using a Britshit shyster called Michael Steel. The rest is water under the bridge.

[bala]

BTW EU and US have clinched a trade deal. President Donald Trump announces a trade deal between the United States and the European Union with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

$750 B of energy from US. EU to invest additional $600 B into the US. 0 % tariff of US goods into EU. Agreed to buy military goods ( > $100 B ) from US. Automobiles into US will be 15% tariff. US automobiles into EU is 0%! All EU goods into US is 15% tariff.

youtube.com/watch?v=F9UJeT0CkP4

// don't know when India can conclude the trade deal with US.

[Vayutuvan]

Bah humbug, ex Vice President Pence is a RINO ...

Not just RINO, he was also planning to backstab Trump after Bush tape was made public. NPR had a report where the reporter was saying that Pence reached out to several donors to garner support for the presidential nominee in case Trump was forced to drop out. The it did take place for Dems when Biden dropped out after his debate debacle (my copyright on this portmanteau term debatacle). KD was the Pence of DNC 2024.

[Vayutuvan]

$750 B of energy from US. EU to invest additional $600 B into the US. 0 % tariff of US goods into EU. Agreed to buy military goods ( > $100 B ) from US. Automobiles into US will be 15% tariff. US automobiles into EU is 0%! All EU goods into US is 15% tariff.
youtube.com/watch?v=F9UJeT0CkP4

EU got the raw end of the deal.

[A_Gupta]

Bill introduced in the New Hampshire legislature.
Not clear to me what happened to it.
Please see the sponsors, etc.; for Indian-Americans in the area to respond appropriately.
https://legiscan.com/NH/text/HR11/id/3043969

Bill Title: Urging the United States government to investigate allegations of abuse of minorities, especially Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and other religious minorities by the interim government of Bangladesh.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 10-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2025-02-13 - Ought to Pass: Motion Adopted DV 328-41 02/13/2025 House Journal 5 P. 37 [HR11 Detail]

Download: https://legiscan.com/NH/text/HR11/id/30 ... duced.html

[A_Gupta]

US Blocked Taiwan President From NY Stopover After China Intervened: Report
https://www.newsweek.com/taiwan-preside ... de-2105405

The United States blocked Taiwan's president from making a stopover in New York en route to Central America, The Financial Times reported, citing three people familiar with the matter.

Three unnamed sources, so look for further confirmation.

and
July 25th, Taiwan News:
https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/6166461

Lai canceled a diplomatic trip to Central and South America on Tuesday after Trump rejected his request for a stopover in New York.

Still a little fishy, because why would one go from Taiwan to New York to get to Central America; but it is what it is.

[gakakkad]

My suspicion is that djt is a ccp agent . Whatever he has done so far has benefited chicoms

[Rudradev]

My suspicion is that djt is a ccp agent . Whatever he has done so far has benefited chicoms

The Chinese have made a $300 mil "investment" into his family-owned WLF crypto fund.
The Pakis have made an additional $60 mil investment into the same.

For $60 million the Pakis got "rehyphenation" between India and Pakistan at the Presidential level, a public demonstration of Trump's willingness to throw India under the bus (with repeated claims about stopping the Op Sindoor conflict), multiple threats of sanctions against India, actual sanctions against an Indian refinery at Nayara, threats against tech giants (Apple, Google, Microsoft so far) to not manufacture products in India or even hire Indians, a dinner invitation for their tinpot military dictator to the White House, and almost certainly new military aid to compensate for much of what they lost or that was proved to be useless during Op Sindoor.

Imagine what the Chinese are getting for five times that much.

[Rudradev]

To really understand the US, we have to go beyond its centre-stage political drama.



There is a new social movement starting up. White Americans are purchasing land in rural areas and building communities where membership and residency is restricted to White Americans only.

There are several dimensions to this, including the economic aspect; as I referred to in my posts about AOC, home ownership (a REALLY major marker of social fulfillment and self-esteem in American society) is now out of the reach of many millennial and Gen Z Americans. Co-operative communities like this offer an affordable pathway to owning your own home, according to one resident.

[Vayutuvan]

...actual sanctions against an Indian refinery at Nayara, ...

We should stop lionizing PIO CEOs of American multinationals. Satya Nadella's hands are tied by the EU. M$ does a lot of business with EU and probably that revenue stream was at risk if they did not cut off nayara. Question is whether this is Trump's doing or EU's? Now that EU gave into Trump on tariffs, Trump is not interfering.

India has vulnerabilities in lots of areas - data centers/cloud computing getting outsourced to US companies like AMZ/GOOG/MSFT, weapons platforms, collaboration in space (NISAR), cancer "moonshot", letting US talk about subnationalism, and such. US has many levers on Bharat. For India it is TINA.

[drnayar]

https://www.cato.org/human-freedom-index/2024

Look at where the land of the "free" stands

[drnayar]

My suspicion is that djt is a ccp agent . Whatever he has done so far has benefited chicoms

The Chinese have made a $300 mil "investment" into his family-owned WLF crypto fund.
The Pakis have made an additional $60 mil investment into the same.

For $60 million the Pakis got "rehyphenation" between India and Pakistan at the Presidential level, a public demonstration of Trump's willingness to throw India under the bus (with repeated claims about stopping the Op Sindoor conflict), multiple threats of sanctions against India, actual sanctions against an Indian refinery at Nayara, threats against tech giants (Apple, Google, Microsoft so far) to not manufacture products in India or even hire Indians, a dinner invitation for their tinpot military dictator to the White House, and almost certainly new military aid to compensate for much of what they lost or that was proved to be useless during Op Sindoor.

Imagine what the Chinese are getting for five times that much.

If trump can be bought for 100 million or 500 million it's still a steal if we can make billions

[A_Gupta]

Just to confirm, the Taiwan President was planning a trip as mentioned above.
This from Reuters, July 15th 2025.
Taiwan president to visit Paraguay next month, likely to make US transits
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/par ... 025-07-15/

Summary

• Taiwan president to visit Paraguay, Belize

• US says transits in line with past practice

• Visits to Central, South America could include US transit stops

• Taiwan has formal diplomatic ties with only 12 countries

• China reiterates opposition to 'sneaky visits' to US

...
Asked about the plans, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department said that "transits of the United States by high-level Taiwan officials, including presidents, are in line with past practice, and fully consistent with our longstanding policy."

Trump either TACOed or remained bribed.
I suspect it was the former, and it is indicative that he has a weaker hand wrt China on trade than he admits in public.

This from July 28th.
Lawmakers, former officials press Commerce over NVIDIA’s chip sales to China
https://www.nextgov.com/artificial-inte ... na/407044/

In a July 28 letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, twenty national security experts — including former Trump 1.0 Deputy National Security Advisor Matt Pottinger and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Diana Banks Thompson, who served during the Obama administration — said the move “represents a strategic misstep that endangers the United States’ economic and military edge in artificial intelligence.”

They warned, in part, that the H20 chip “is a potent accelerator of China’s frontier AI capabilities” and that “by supplying China with these chips, we are fueling the very infrastructure that will be used to modernize and expand the Chinese military.”

The Washington Post also reported on Monday that Democratic lawmakers sent separate letters to Lutnick expressing concerns about the reversal of export controls on the H20 chips, including one led by Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., ranking member of the House Select Committee on China.

Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., who chairs the House China panel, similarly warned in two speeches last week that the sale of H20 chips to Chinese firms would allow Beijing to enhance its development of AI technologies. He added that chip-focused export controls should use Chinese firms’ current semiconductor capabilities as a benchmark, rather than comparing chips to the capabilities of other U.S.-made semiconductors.

[bala]

This is another interesting development into the US - smartphones imported from India is 44%, china 25% and Vietnam 30% as of Apr-June 2025. 27.1 million phones imported.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GxA0SDcbUAA ... name=small

[Rudradev]

...actual sanctions against an Indian refinery at Nayara, ...

Question is whether this is Trump's doing or EU's?
.

EU is angling for a trade deal with India. Also, sudden disruption of operations at Nayara shoots them directly in the foot.

I've no doubt that it's either Trump, or US-based Ukraine-pasand Neocons trying to impress Trump-- expecting India to blink because of shutting down contracted digital services to the refinery is a move that reeks of his short-sightedness and presumption.

There is a camp within EU-- the abysmally wretched NATO leadership of Mark Rutte and others, who are desperate to win "Daddy" Trump's approval for their own continuing survival. They might have pulled something like this, if they were capable of influencing Microsoft, but I doubt they are.

[Rudradev]

If trump can be bought for 100 million or 500 million it's still a steal if we can make billions

Cheeni maal model. Payments work for a short time but have to be replenished continuously.

Notice how Trump's administration also designated the Pakistani group TRF as a terrorist organization, even while ample services were being provided to Islamabad for the initial $60 million investment. That's a warning that the account is getting depleted, so deposit more money for more favours.

This is not a good investment strategy for anyone in the medium-to-long term. Also, engaging in it once gets your hands dirty and equips the other party with leverage against you.

[A_Gupta]

Trump says India will likely face a 20% to 25% tariff
https://www.axios.com/2025/07/29/trump- ... fs-economy

[drnayar]

If trump can be bought for 100 million or 500 million it's still a steal if we can make billions

Cheeni maal model. Payments work for a short time but have to be replenished continuously.

Notice how Trump's administration also designated the Pakistani group TRF as a terrorist organization, even while ample services were being provided to Islamabad for the initial $60 million investment. That's a warning that the account is getting depleted, so deposit more money for more favours.

This is not a good investment strategy for anyone in the medium-to-long term. Also, engaging in it once gets your hands dirty and equips the other party with leverage against you.

international diplomacy includes hafta [ covert ] ., it always has been a "tool" to "ease" diplomacy . Dont think bharat is really averse to that. Mind you., flip that money to "building infrastructure/ hospitals" etc .. do you think all that money goes to just that ?

[Rudradev]

I don't think India is averse to it at all. It is the very essence of Kautilya's "daam".

But it has to be used wisely with maximum return on investment. With Trump's Cheeni-maal model the return is poor, and payers get roped into a subscription racket.

[Dilbu]

We need to ride out Trump's term without getting into any traps. Promise him something and send a delegation of babus to do chai biskoot sessions and just before signing any deal ask everything to be filed again in triplicates. Hang the purchase of F35 as a carrot and threaten how we will be forced to look for alternatives if we are sanctioned on oil deals. Defer the sanctions by another 6 months until we do another chai biskoot on trade deal etc. Who can beat our babus at this game?