Understanding the US - Again

[A_Gupta]

U.S. scraps deployment of 4,000 troops to Poland
The Pentagon has canceled plans to temporarily deploy 4,000 U.S.-based troops to Poland.
https://www.nbcnews.com/world/europe/us ... rcna345283

[A_Gupta]

AI does not like to weigh in on political matters, but even so:

The statement "Today's Republican Party is the Party of Trump" is one of the most accurate descriptions of modern American political reality, yet it simplifies a complex, multi-layered transformation.

To analyze this statement is to look at how a single figure dismantled decades of political orthodoxy, reshaped a voting coalition, and institutionalized a new ideology. Here is a breakdown of how true this statement is across policy, power dynamics, and the electorate, alongside the caveats that keep it from being a absolute monolith.

1. Ideological Transformation: From Reaganism to Trumpism

For nearly forty years, the GOP was defined by the "three-legged stool" of Reagan conservatism: fiscal conservatism (free trade and small government), social conservatism (traditional values), and peace through strength (hawkish foreign policy interventionism).


Trumpism effectively broke or reshaped every leg of that stool:

Trade and Economics: The party of free trade became the party of mercantilism, protectionism, and aggressive universal tariffs.


Foreign Policy: The party of George W. Bush’s international interventionism shifted dramatically toward "America First" isolationism, skepticism of NATO, and resistance to funding foreign conflicts (such as the war in Ukraine).

The State: While traditional Republicans sought to shrink the federal government, the modern MAGA framework often favors using state and executive power aggressively to combat left-wing cultural influence and enforce conservative values.


2. Institutional Control and the "Purge" of Dissent

Architecturally, the Republican Party infrastructure is completely aligned with Trump.

The Primary Engine: Trump’s endorsement remains the single most powerful currency in Republican primary politics. Candidates who cross him are routinely ousted by primary challengers—evidenced by the systematic defeat or retirement of the House Republicans who voted for his second impeachment, and continuing into down-ballot state-level purges of traditional conservatives.

Party Infrastructure: Leadership at the Republican National Committee (RNC) and within the congressional caucuses is filled with staunch loyalists. Loyalty to the leader has largely superseded loyalty to traditional institutional norms.


3. A Reconfigured Electorate: The Working-Class Shift

The statement is arguably most accurate when looking at who votes Republican. Trump successfully inverted the traditional demographic alignment of the two major parties:

Class Inversion: The GOP was historically the party of suburban, college-educated professionals and corporate America. Today, it has increasingly become a multi-ethnic, working-class, populistic coalition. Non-college-educated white voters form its bedrock, and Trump has made historic inroads with working-class Black and Hispanic men.


The Departure of the Establishment: "Romney Republicans" and suburban, college-educated moderates have increasingly drifted into the Democratic coalition, leaving the GOP base highly concentrated with voters whose primary political identity is tied directly to Trump's populist grievance against cultural and political elites.


The Nuance: Is it Only the Party of Trump?

While the GOP is undeniably his party right now, a complete analysis requires looking at the areas where the traditional conservative apparatus still operates independently:

The Judicial Legacy: Trump appointed three Supreme Court Justices, but the legal philosophy they practice—Originalism and Textualism—is the product of a 50-year-old conservative legal movement (led by organizations like the Federalist Society), not something invented by Trump.

Corporate Policy Disconnects: While the rhetoric of the party is populist and anti-corporate, the actual legislative output of the GOP—such as corporate tax cuts and deregulation—still heavily aligns with traditional corporate conservative goals.

The "Post-Trump" Structural Divide: Data from conservative think tanks (such as the Manhattan Institute) reveals that the coalition is actually split into two segments: a cohesive "Core Republican" wing that likes Trump but remains traditionally conservative on low taxes and hawkish foreign policy, and a "New Entrant" wing that is purely populist, younger, and ideologically fluid.


Conclusion

Ultimately, the statement is highly accurate. Today's GOP is not merely in a temporary alliance with Donald Trump; it has been fundamentally remade in his image. He has redefined what it means to be a Republican, altered the party's platform, and captured its institutional machinery.

The lingering question for political scientists is no longer whether it is the "Party of Trump," but whether the populist, multi-ethnic, working-class infrastructure he built can survive as a coherent political movement once he is no longer at the top of the ticket.

[A_Gupta]

Further:

About half of the Republican Party — and therefore roughly half of the “Party of Trump” — qualifies as Christian nationalist in reputable national surveys.

The most authoritative data comes from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), which directly measures Christian nationalism using a validated five‑question scale.

Key finding: 53% of Republicans are Christian nationalism adherents or sympathizers
PRRI’s 2025 American Values Atlas reports:

20% of Republicans are Christian nationalism adherents
33% of Republicans are Christian nationalism sympathizers

Total: 53% of Republicans fall into one of these two categories

This is the clearest, most rigorously measured answer available.

Why this matters for understanding the “Party of Trump”

Christian nationalism is strongly correlated with:

* Support for Donald Trump
* Republican Party identification
* White evangelical Protestant identity
* Support for political violence
* Belief that the U.S. should be governed according to Christian principles

Vivek R. is a member of the Party of Trump, and the attacks on him are from its Christian nationalist wing.

[Vayutuvan]

AI does not like to weigh in on political matters, but even so:

The statement "Today's Republican Party is the Party of Trump" is one of the most accurate descriptions of modern American political reality, yet it simplifies a complex, multi-layered transformation.

To analyze this statement is to look at how a single figure dismantled decades of political orthodoxy, reshaped a voting coalition, and institutionalized a new ideology. Here is a breakdown of how true this statement is across policy, power dynamics, and the electorate, alongside the caveats that keep it from being a absolute monolith.
...

I don't to want to argue with an CNN that has been coerced into weighing "on political matters".

That "but even so" means you yourself don't take it seriously.

Convolution is used for smoothing out jagged signals, i.e., in this case, CNNs convolute all the nuances away to do some bland, seemingly "neutral" narrative. It is not all that "neutral" because the training data iotself would have been biased.

One cannot do activism part-time. It has to be a full-time effort after building the expertise - JD, MSW/PhD in sociology/social work, or some "bhoosa" humanities major.

Everybody should disabuse themselves of the notion that they can outsource critical thinking and analysis to a CNN. That is nothing but intellectual laziness.

[Manish_Sharma]

https://x.com/md_deepesh/status/2056056 ... 64245?s=20

Trump just left Beijing.
43 hours.
A state banquet.
Temple of Heaven photos.

"Fantastic trade deals," Trump said.

Ask one simple question: where is the signed agreement?

There isn't one.

Washington and Beijing both released statements after the summit.

They don't match each other.

The US claims deals.
China stayed silent on most of them.

What was actually agreed: China will buy 200 Boeing jets.
That is less than half the 500 the markets expected.

Boeing stock fell nearly 4% on the news.

A big show with little to show.

But Why?

America has $38.9 trillion in debt.
Growing at $85,550 per second.

China's real estate investment fell 15.9% last year.
Private investment down 5.3%.
China's real growth at half of what Beijing claims.

Two drowning men don't rescue each other.
They negotiate who gets the life jacket first.

This is not a new world order taking shape.
This is two exhausted powers buying time.

The bipolar world you are being sold is a media product.

The real story is who is left standing when the theatre ends.

[Vayutuvan]

Further:
...
Vivek R. is a member of the Party of Trump, and the attacks on him are from its Christian nationalist wing.

Americans still favor state/church separation despite Christian nationalist push
May 14, 2026

https://ffrf.org/news/releases/american ... list-push/

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is pleased to report that a new Pew Research Center survey offers an encouraging reminder.

Despite the growing noise of Christian nationalism in American politics, most Americans still reject the idea of churches controlling government or politicians using religion to wield power. The findings arrive amid increasingly aggressive efforts by religious nationalists to blur the line between church and state, including a White House-backed Christian nationalist revival in the heart of Washington, D.C., this Sunday calling for a “rededication” of America as “One Nation under God.”

Most notably, Pew found that nearly eight out of 10 Americans say churches and other houses of worship should not endorse political candidates, and two-thirds say religion should stay out of day-to-day political matters altogether.
...

I am not as cynical as some bicoastal BRFites are about all Americans, Xtian or otherwise.

[Vayutuvan]

Just for completeness' sake, here is wikipedia page on FFRF and some relevant excerpts.

Freedom from Religion Foundation

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_f ... Foundation

The Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF) is an American nonprofit organization that advocates for atheists, agnostics, and nontheists.

Formed in 1976, FFRF promotes the separation of church and state, and challenges the legitimacy of federal and state government support for faith-based programs, such as chaplaincy services. It supports groups such as nonreligious students and clergy who want to leave their faith.
...
Prayer in government/schools
Main article: National Day of Prayer § Legal challenge
In October 2008, the FFRF filed suit against the U.S. government over the statute establishing the National Day of Prayer (NDoP). In 2010, Federal judge Barbara Brandriff Crabb ruled it unconstitutional as it is "an inherently religious exercise that serves no secular function".[74] This ruling was appealed by the U.S. government. In April 2011, the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the FFRF's challenge to the NDoP, holding that the FFRF did not have standing to challenge the NDoP statute or proclamations and that only the President was injured enough to challenge the NDoP statute.[75][76]

The FFRF, in January 2013, after receiving a complaint from a resident, asked the city council of Rapid City, South Dakota, to eliminate its practice of beginning each city council meeting with a Christian prayer. After the FFRF sent a second letter in February 2013, the mayor stated at that time that prayers would continue.[77]

Joseph Richardson, of Lake County, Florida, delivered a secular invocation on behalf of "non-religious citizens" at a county commission meeting on Tuesday, December 6, 2022. Following the invocation the director of Lake County Public Works Fred Schneider took the microphone and delivered a prayer at the request of the Lake County Commissioner Sean Parks. Christopher Line, an FFRF attorney, wrote a letter to the Lake County Commission Chairman Kirby Smith stating, "This Christian prayer, delivered because the invocation Mr. Richardson gave was not sufficiently Christian, was discriminatory, unconstitutional, and a slap in the face to all of Lake County's non-Christian citizens. [...] as long as the board continues to allow citizens to deliver invocations to begin its meetings, it must treat all invocations the same, with no ‘corrective’ Christian prayer offered after a non-Christian prayer has finished." Sean Parks stated that he was, "saddened to hear that Mr. Richardson felt he was mistreated during the invocation" and "We would welcome them [the Central FL Freethought Community] back if they wish to lead the invocation in the future."[78]

In 2022, while Samuel Felinton, a Jew, was a high school junior, he was forced to attend a Christian revival while attending Huntington High School.[79] He was obliged to stay and watch the assembly despite attempting to leave.[80][81][82] This assembly would later make international news, by causing a multi-day walkout alongside Max Nibert and himself, including hundreds of their peers.[83] In 2023, Felinton, alongside other parents, students, and the Freedom from Religion Foundation, settled a lawsuit against the Cabell County Board of Education to implement a ban on teacher-run religious events being held within school hours on campus.[84]
...

The Emperor Has No Clothes Award has been awarded by FFRF since 1999 in recognition of what it called "plain speaking" on the shortcomings of religion by public figures.[120][121] Past recipients include:
(I picked out a few from that long list there)

Steven Weinberg (Physics Nobel Laureate)
Jesse Ventura; Ted Turner; Andy Rooney; Janeane Garofalo; George Carlin; Richard Dawkins; Katha Pollitt
Christopher Hitchens
Ron Reagan (twice); Ursula K. Le Guin
Cenk Uygur ; Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Richard Dawkins
Paula Poundstone; Jared Huffman; Salman Rushdie; Adam Savage
John Irving (Author of The World According to Garp - I saw the movie with Robin Williams as Garp. It is total crap whatever the author's religiosity or lack of it is)
Mary L. Trump (Niece of D Trump)

Now, coming to the National Day of Prayer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Day_of_Prayer

In his role as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, General George Washington acknowledged a day of "fasting, humiliation and prayer" proclaimed by the Continental Congress to be held on Thursday, May 6, 1779. To enable his soldiers to observe the day, Washington ordered a one-day cessation of recreation and "unnecessary labor".[13] In March 1780, Congress announced a day of "fasting, humiliation and prayer" to be held on Wednesday, April 26, 1780.[14]

As governor of Virginia, Jefferson enacted a day of prayer and thanksgiving for the state in December 1779.[15]

The practice of calling for national days of fasting and prayer was abandoned from 1784 until 1789, even though thanksgiving days were observed each fall.[16] On October 3, 1789, President Washington called for a national day of prayer and thanksgiving to be observed on Thursday, November 26, 1789; this was an extension of the tradition of thanksgiving which was already customary in New England.[17][18] President Adams continued the practice of proclaiming national days of prayer in the spring and fall,[19] but President Jefferson did not, as he considered prayer to be a matter for personal rather than state involvement.[20][21]

After James Madison, none of the next eleven presidents issued prayer proclamations.[22] Thus, there was a period of 47 years, from 1815 to 1862, with no presidential prayer proclamations.[23] President Abraham Lincoln resumed the practice in 1863, declaring April 30 a national day of humiliation, fasting and prayer in Proclamation 97.
...
Observance[edit]

The National Day of Prayer is celebrated by Americans of many religions, including Christians of many denominations, including Protestants and Catholics, as well as Sikhs, Muslims, Hindus, and Jews,[39][40] reflecting the demographics of the United States.[41] On the National Day of Prayer, many Americans assemble in prayer in front of courthouses, as well as in houses of worship, such as churches, mosques, synagogues, and temples.[42] Luncheons, picnics, and music performances revolving around praying for the nation are also popular observances.[43]
...

[Vayutuvan]

There is another event in DC. Many of you probably remember Obama's dissing of India and Hindus on that day, right on the heels of beingChief Guest for the Jan 26th Republic Day parade in 2015.

Our 2026 National Prayer Breakfast Honorary Co-Chairs

https://npbfoundation.com/

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand ( A democrat whose FB page was open only to those who donated to her campaign)
Senator Roger Marshall (IDK much about this guy, prolly a R).

The purpose of the National Prayer Breakfast Foundation is to facilitate and execute the National Prayer Breakfast under the leadership of the US Congressional Co-Chairs. Founded in 1953, when President Dwight Eisenhower accepted the invitation to join Members of Congress to break bread together, our annual Breakfast is an opportunity for Members of Congress to pray collectively for our nation, the President of the United States, and other national and international leaders in the spirit of love and reconciliation as Jesus of Nazareth taught 2,000 years ago. Every president, regardless of party or religious persuasion, has joined since. All faiths are welcome.

Here is what he said 10+ years ago. He criticized Islamists, ISIL, Xtians, and then how can he stop before doing an equal-equal? He had to diss Hindus too in the name of Gandhi ji.

[youtube]XU7RuilNq4w?t=516[/youtube]

It would be a grave mistake to believe that Hindus would not be under threat when Democrats come to rule the US. In any case, KD Harris is the only one who came close to being the POTUS. She is a democrat alright, but she adopted her absent father's denomination - Baptist - rather than her mother's faith of Hinduism.

We all know how TNT anchors Cenk Uigher and Ana Kasparian went after Tulsi Gabbard. Even KD Harris was not all that happy that she had to drop out of the primaries due to Tulsi G's punches.

[g.sarkar]

https://sundayguardianlive.com/world/ta ... it-193482/
Taiwan Responds As Trump Says US Will Hold Off $14 Billion Arms Sale After China Visit
Following US President Donald Trump's high-stakes Beijing summit and his remarks that he would halt a $14 billion Taiwan arms deal, Taiwan’s top envoy has defended Taipei's defence strategy, countered China's rhetoric, and voiced confidence in American security commitments.
Zaini Majeed, May 18, 2026
Taiwan’s top representative to the United States on Sunday defended the island’s self-defence strategy, pushing back against Chinese narratives and expressing confidence in American security commitments following US President Donald Trump’s high-stakes summit in Beijing.
Appearing on CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” Ambassador Alexander Yui, Taiwan’s representative to the US, reacted directly to statements from President Trump indicating that Washington might temporarily withhold a major, newly requested arms package to use as leverage in negotiations with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
While Trump confirmed to reporters that he discussed arms sales in “great detail” with Xi, a move that challenges decades-old US diplomatic protocol, Yui maintained that an ongoing flow of defensive weapons remains vital to preventing conflict in the Taiwan Strait.
“If we want to prevent a war from happening, I think it’s best that Taiwan is strong, able to defend itself, and therefore we should be able to acquire, to buy the arms that we need to have a stronger defence,” Yui told CBS News moderator Margaret Brennan.
......
Gautam

[vera_k]

The US only imports 2% crude oil from hormuz strait, the rest it produces. Why then are gasoline prices going up in the US. The crude oil produced in the US can be charged at less than going rate of crude price and hence gasoline prices don't need to rise. This increase is confounding to me at least. Who is benefitting from the increase of prices - the likes of Chevron, Exxon, etc in the US. DJT wanted to remove the federal tax on gasoline temporarily but don't know whether it got traction.

Two things -

1. The US is a free market and commodities flow to those willing to pay for it whether domestic or foreign. This affects all states. Oil industry benefits here.

2. There is a political divergence within the US. Some state governments want ever higher fossil fuel prices to discourage consumption. Fossil fuel price increases above what the free market dictates are encouraged by their local governments in addition to any increases due to #1. State governments benefit here due to higher tax income.

[Jay]

Sigh. When did the GOP become "the Party of Trump"? Does this mean that all registered Republicans, those independents who voted for Republican party candidates even once, and Democrats who are moderate, are all racist? That is how HiC snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

Ever since trump came down that elevator in 2015 to announce his presidential run, the “trumpification” of the GOP started in earnest and never really stopped. At this point, there are so few anti-trump republicans left in the GOP that you could fit them all into a minivan and still have empty seats.

For what it’s worth, not all trump voters are racist, but almost all racists seem to end up as trump voters or supporters, and it’s kind of remarkable how consistently true that is. Also, the anger, ruthless selfishness, violence, and mockery as a response to the idea of "noblesse oblige" feel uniquely integral to trumpism and trump supporters. These are some of the only people who get genuinely triggered by the idea of “do good and be good,” and they’ve shown it over and over again through their actions, not just their words.

[bala]

Two things -

1. The US is a free market and commodities flow to those willing to pay for it whether domestic or foreign. This affects all states. Oil industry benefits here.

2. There is a political divergence within the US. Some state governments want ever higher fossil fuel prices to discourage consumption. Fossil fuel price increases above what the free market dictates are encouraged by their local governments in addition to any increases due to #1. State governments benefit here due to higher tax income.

Yes, there are beneficiaries of high price fuel costs. Those state govts that encourage high prices, including Kalifornia, are mostly Dem controlled - and This is part of their agenda and of course hot air propagandu in climate control is another. In Kalifornia for example the clean air formulation requires some refineries to process crude and jacks up prices a lot. All these schemes are done on purpose and it is not about "free market" at all, monopoly rules in many cases. Those states that have true free market are the ones whose price is the lowest but recently the Iran war has made that opposite. Cannot explain it other than there is someone making money - read that as importers, refineries and oil companies. Tax guys are happy since they charge more money on top of everything.

[vera_k]

Refineries and such are a technical matter.
That is different from the economic policy in place that desires to raise fossil fuel prices and drive down emissions.
The money collected goes into a separate fund that the state is allowed to spend.
Note, this is one state, but others have similar programs
California Cap and Trade

[Vayutuvan]

Also, the anger, ruthless selfishness, violence, and mockery as a response to the idea of "noblesse oblige" feel uniquely integral to trumpism and trump supporters.

(added later: Thanks for not letting an AI think for you)

TO WHOM MUCH IS GIVEN MUCH IS REQUIRED!
DANIEL 5:13-23

(The French, mostly catholics, made it Noblesse Oblige).

So you are saying that Trump supporters do not have Christian values, yet they are Christian Nationalists. You cannot have it both ways - pick one.

In any case, I am limiting myself to politicians and unethical business leaders, and company founders.

For the latter case, I present to you

1. Bill Gates (who famously said "Windows ain't done unless Lotus doen't run"), who was born rich - he and his sister each had $1 million deposited when each was born by their maternal grandpa. We all know what kind of monopoly Windows was.

2. Zuckerberg: FB was started as a misogynistic software. It was to rate sorority girls at Harvard.

3. Soros: Enough said, the better.

Since this thread is about understanding the US, I am giving a small sample from US polity and business.

Surely you are not going to defend the European nobility during colonial times, nobility of the recent and recent past - Aurangazeb/Pahlavi/KSA/UAE/Qatar/Kuwait/Bahrain/Brunie/Japanese Emperors/Russian empire.

[Cyrano]

[Vayutuvan]

I wonder how close is the pogressive Democrats to implementing the songbun system of NoKO?!!!
Maybe the GOPers will take the lead, IDK.

Dec 3, 2011
North Korea's new class system
By Andrei Lankov

https://web.archive.org/web/20111203025 ... 3Dg01.html

.

..
One of many significant changes has been the steady decline in the significance attached to family background (known as songbun in North Korean parlance) - once the single most important factor that determined the life of a North Korean.

Family background did matter in other communist countries as well, but to a much lesser extent. For example, in the Soviet Union immediately after the 1917 communist revolution, scions of aristocrats, descendants of priests, and merchants faced many kinds of discrimination. It was more difficult for them to enter a college or to be promoted, and they were more likely to be arrested for alleged political crimes. However, this discrimination had disappeared by the late 1940s, so in the days of my youth, in the 1970s and 1980s, it had become quite normal in the USSR to boast about real or alleged aristocratic family roots.

North Korea is very different. In 1957, the authorities launched a large-scale and ambitious investigation of the family backgrounds of virtually all North Korean citizens. As a result of this and subsequent investigations, by the mid-1960s the entire population was divided into a number of hereditary groups, somewhat akin to the estates of medieval Europe. Career chances and life prospects of every North Korean were determined, to a very large extent, by his membership in one of these strictly defined groups.
The major criteria of classification were quite straightforward: the songbun (origin) of the North Korean was largely defined by what his or her direct male ancestors did in the 1930s and 1940s.

The official songbun structure was quite elaborate and changed over time. However, at the first approximation, there have been three groups in North Korea, usually known as "core", "wavering" and "hostile" classes. Every single North Korean had to belong to one of these groups.

The "hostile class" included people whose ancestors in or around 1945 were engaged in activities that were not to the regime's liking. Among others, this group included descendants of clerks in the Japanese colonial administration, Christian activists, female shamans, entrepreneurs, and defectors to the South. Members of the hostile class faced the greatest number of restrictions: They could not live in Pyongyang or other major cities and they could not be admitted to good colleges or universities. People whose songbun was exceptionally bad would not even be drafted into the military.

Members of the "core class" included those whose direct male ancestors contributed toward the foundation and strengthening of the Kim family regime. They were descendants of anti-Japanese guerrillas, heroes of the Korean War, or party bureaucrats. For all practical purposes, over the past half-century, only these people could be promoted to key positions in the North Korean state and party bureaucracy. They constituted the hereditary elite.

In the days of Kim Il-sung's rule, from the early 1960s to the early 1990s, songbun was of paramount significance. It determined where people lived and worked and even what they ate. Most marriages were also concluded between people of the same or similar songbun.

It was also important that the songbun was, in essence, unchallengeable. It was inherited from one's father and was then bestowed on one's children. The mother's songbun did not matter. I know a couple where the husband's songbun was bad (he was a "landowner's grandson"), but the wife had the best songbun imaginable, being a descendant of a family that once was involved with the anti-Japanese guerrillas of Kim Il-sung. Frankly, such a marriage was rare and unequal - in most cases women of such standing would be as reluctant to marry a man of low origin as, say, a European noble lady from the 17th century. However, in this particular case the marriage did take place, much against the resistance of the girl's parents.

In due time, though, the spouses discovered that the wife's songbun did not really matter. Their daughter, a promising athlete, could not be sent for further training, since her songbun was bad: the great-granddaughter of a minor landlord could not compete on the national level and, for that matter, could be accepted only to a junior college.
...

[A_Gupta]

The 30-year US Treasury yield just hit 5.2%, its highest level since 2007.

[Vayutuvan]

Finally, the inversion is gone.

[Manish_Sharma]

https://x.com/LiuInTheShadows/status/20 ... 88623?s=20

this has happened before..

every president got the same China briefing.. the same leverage.. the same tools on the table..

Nixon opened China in 1972 and the world called it impossible.. Reagan used trade pressure to extract concessions every diplomat said couldn't be done.. Bush, Obama, Biden all flew to Beijing and came home with handshakes and photo ops..

Trump flew to Beijing in 2017 and came home with $250 billion in commitments.. Boeing orders.. energy purchases.. the same playbook nobody believed would work..

and here's the part nobody's connecting..

he requested a full Iran briefing on Day 2 of his second term in January 2025.. 16 months before this summit.. and now China is publicly saying Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.. and buying American oil while the Strait of Hormuz is closed..

that's not luck.. that's a setup that took 16 months to execute..

the Phase One deal in 2019 locked in $200 billion in purchases.. the analysts called it a stunt.. then China paid..

they're showing you the Chinese Army Band playing YMCA..

they're not showing you that no American president has ever extracted a public Chinese statement opposing Iranian nukes in a bilateral summit.. until today..

the same playbook every single time.. and every single time the analysts are surprised.

[A_Gupta]

Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies….,



## The Trump-Xi Summit Discrepancy
A notable diplomatic divergence occurred during the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing:

* The U.S. Narrative: The White House released statements claiming that Donald Trump and Xi Jinping fully agreed "Iran can never have a nuclear weapon". Trump later reiterated that both leaders felt identically about preventing Iranian nuclear armament.

* The Chinese Narrative: The official readout published by China’s Foreign Ministry notably omitted the explicit phrase regarding nuclear weapons restriction. Instead, China focused its rhetoric on stopping the regional conflict, opposing the militarization of shipping lanes like the Strait of Hormuz, and encouraging a comprehensive ceasefire.

[A_Gupta]

More lies:
> Trump flew to Beijing in 2017 and came home with $250 billion in commitments.. Boeing orders.. energy purchases.. the same playbook nobody believed would work..

How many of these commitments were met?


The short answer is **very few of them.**

The $250 billion figure touted during the 2017 Beijing "state visit-plus" was overwhelmingly composed of non-binding **Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs)**, framework agreements, and letters of intent rather than finalized, legally binding contracts. When the U.S. and China pivoted into a full-scale trade war just months later in 2018, the vast majority of these high-profile commitments quietly dissolved or were formally abandoned.

Here is how those specific cornerstone commitments actually panned out:

### 1. Energy Purchases & Mega-Projects

Energy was supposed to be the biggest winner of the 2017 trip, but the largest deals completely evaporated:

* **The West Virginia Coal & Gas Deal ($83.7 billion):** China Energy Investment Corp. signed an MOU to invest massive capital in West Virginia’s shale gas and chemical manufacturing over 20 years. The commitment exceeded the entire state's GDP at the time. It never materialized, and no major projects were built.
* **The Alaska LNG Project ($43 billion):** A joint development agreement was signed involving Sinopec and the Bank of China to build a massive liquefied natural gas pipeline in Alaska. China backed out as the trade war escalated and tariffs made American LNG uncompetitive.

### 2. Boeing Aircraft Orders ($38 billion)

The headline aviation announcement was an agreement for China Aviation Supplies Holding Co. to buy 300 Boeing jets. However, industry analysts quickly pointed out that the vast majority of these were actually older, pre-existing orders that were bundled together and re-announced to inflate the ceremony's total value.

Any remaining fresh commitments for Boeing aircraft were frozen shortly thereafter due to two separate catalysts:

1. The global grounding of the 737 MAX in 2019.
2. Beijing retaliating against U.S. trade pressures by shifting its state-directed airline purchases exclusively to Europe's Airbus for several years.

### 3. Semiconductor Commitments ($12 billion)

Qualcomm signed non-binding MOUs with Chinese smartphone giants Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo to supply them with $12 billion in chips over three years. While Qualcomm did continue selling to these specific consumer brands, the broader relationship shifted dramatically when the U.S. implemented strict export controls and entity-list restrictions on other Chinese tech giants like Huawei.

---

### Why the Playbook Shifted to "Phase One"

Because the 2017 commitments were non-binding and largely failed to move the needle on the trade deficit, the administration shifted strategy, leading to the legally binding **Phase One Trade Agreement** in January 2020.

Under Phase One, China legally committed to buying an *additional* $200 billion of U.S. exports (above 2017 baseline levels) by the end of 2021. According to comprehensive data tracked by the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE), that playbook faced a similar fate:

| Sector | Phase One Target (2020-2021) | Actual Chinese Purchases | % of Target Met |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Agricultural Goods** | $61.1 Billion | $44.9 Billion | **73%** |
| **Manufactured Goods** | $150.3 Billion | $89.0 Billion | **59%** |
| **Energy Products** | $67.1 Billion | $20.2 Billion | **30%** |
| **Total Covered Goods** | **$278.5 Billion** | **$160.3 Billion** | **58%** |

> **The Takeaway:** Due to a mix of the COVID-19 pandemic, structural trade barriers, and retaliatory tariffs from the trade war, China ultimately bought **none** of the *additional* $200 billion it promised in 2020. It did not even buy enough American goods to return to its pre-trade war (2017) baseline import levels.

[Vayutuvan]

>> **The Takeaway:** Due to a mix of the COVID-19 pandemic, structural trade barriers, and retaliatory tariffs from the trade war, China ultimately bought **none** of the *additional* $200 billion it promised in 2020. It did not even buy enough American goods to return to its pre-trade war (2017) baseline import levels.

As per the posted table, 58% of the targets (160 billion) were met. How did the poster reach the above highlighted conclusion?

I may not be reading the data the same way the poster is.

[A_Gupta]

Candace Owens interviews Hunter Biden:
https://youtu.be/Ux1kzgQxkws?si=9fWMoJEnGdynZno0


I heard only three brief excerpts of the interview. I sincerely hope that it makes the heads explode of those who lacking anything meaningful to say keep saying “TDS” .

[uddu]

The last of sane peron in Trump cabinet quit.
Tulsi Gabbard Resigns As Trump's DNI After Husband's Rare Bone Cancer Diagnosis
https://www.timesnownews.com/world/us/u ... -154378598

Tulsi Gabbard has decided to resign as Director of National Intelligence to care for her husband, who has been diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer.

[Vayutuvan]

Candace Owens interviews Hunter Biden:
https://youtu.be/Ux1kzgQxkws?si=9fWMoJEnGdynZno0


I heard only three brief excerpts of the interview. I sincerely hope that it makes the heads explode of those who lacking anything meaningful to say keep saying “TDS” .

Mind your punctuation, sir jee.

[Vayutuvan]

Candace Owens interviews Hunter Biden:
https://youtu.be/Ux1kzgQxkws?si=9fWMoJEnGdynZno0
[youtube…Ux1kzgQxkws[/youtube]

I heard only three brief excerpts of the interview. I sincerely hope that it makes the heads explode of those who lacking anything meaningful to say keep saying “TDS” .

Crickets on the claim that $160 B is double counted. okay. No amount of emojis will hide your incompetence in day trading.

[A_Gupta]

Trump administration to force foreigners in the U.S. to apply for a green card abroad
https://www.npr.org/2026/05/23/nx-s1-58 ... ard-abroad

Foreigners in the U.S. who want a green card will need to leave and apply in their home country, the Trump administration announced Friday, in a surprise change to a longstanding policy that sowed confusion and concern among aid groups, immigration lawyers and immigrants.

[Tanaji]

I wonder how much of these policies will be rolled back by the next admin of whatever party. My guess is that beyond the truly brain dead ones like gutting CDC and shunning renewables , very few will be.

OM for third term!

[A_Gupta]

I keep imagining a mid-level Indian diplomat, let’s call him Luv Dhanil, telling Rubio, if Trump continues in power, it will be very difficult. The Europeans will find so too. All will be forgiven if you 25th amendment him.

[Tanaji]

Looks like Greenland is back on the menu boys!

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrum ... 3611959468

[Vayutuvan]

Looks like Greenland is back on the menu boys!

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrum ... 3611959468

Is it related to Rubio in India to try to wean India away from the Euros? If the Quad gets upgraded to a military alliance and Greenland's control passes to the US, the US doesn't need Euros anymore. The US will exit NATO. Russia will have free run in Eastern Europe.

Trump admin is overplaying its cards. Their game will turn into ashes just like what happened in Iran.

[Vayutuvan]

I wonder how much of these policies will be rolled back by the next admin of whatever party. My guess is that beyond the truly brain dead ones like gutting CDC and shunning renewables , very few will be.

OM for third term!

@Tanaji ji, Immigration reforms are an issue that resonates with the middle and lower-middle class. Democrats' strongholds are cities that require workers at all levels. Both parties talk about immigration reforms, but never act on them. This had been going on as long as I can remember.

What is in it for any politician to reform a system that is serving both parties well?

When Ted Kennedy was in the Senate, circa the 1990s, he proposed a point system. He wanted a huge number of points for English as a mother tongue. Countries that were included were Ireland, the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. All WASP countries. This was coming from the oh so liberal Ted Kennedy. It had some traction, but as usual, since immigration reforms were at the bottom of the list, nothing happened. Dems want to keep the southern borders open so that they can get cheap labor who are beholden to Dems. GOPers want restrictions.

They want to keep high-paying jobs for the educated white. They do not mind a small number of Indians taking away a minuscule number of those high-paying jobs; it is a net positive, as they will create more high-paying jobs.


Other developed countries would welcome the US graduates, but they do not pay as well as their American counterparts.

[Jay]

Immigration reforms are an issue that resonates with the middle and lower-middle class. Democrats' strongholds are cities that require workers at all levels.

I used to think the same but things have changed in the last 10-15 or so years. Every farming town in Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin is filled with farm workers from Mexico and South America. It is not an exaggeration to say that some of these towns schools are more Hispanic than English. I have never visited inland California's farming towns, but it is the same there and for more than a couple of generations longer. Same in the construction sector. All of these factories/data centers that are being built outside of metro areas are built by these same non american workers. It could just be my observation but it's not just the cities, but the entire economic belt is dependent on these kinds of workers.

Dems want to keep the southern borders open so that they can get cheap labor who are beholden to Dems. GOPers want restrictions.

This seems to be a short term trend with dems and their obsession with keeping the southern border open. Hope they learned their lesson. I mean even a decade ago it was the Obama admin who was advocating for deportations and securing the border so much so that some within his own party hated him for that.

https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/is ... -security/

https://homeland.house.gov/2019/02/05/e ... rn-border/

https://www.aclu.org/news/immigrants-ri ... ma-imagine

Democratic party's social justice leadership changed in the wake of social controversies around 2015 and that resulted in open borders during bidens presidency. I think that era is over, at least for a generation.

[Vayutuvan]

I used to think the same but things have changed in the last 10-15 or so years. Every farming town in Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin is filled with farm workers from Mexico and South America. It is not an exaggeration to say that some of these towns schools are more Hispanic than English.

Yes, your observation is right on the dot. They may not know English, but they are quite hardworking. Not only farming, they are good at landscaping, home improvements, decks, fencing, painting, flooring, and even major repairs like jacking up houses and stuff.

My experience with Eastern Europeans and AAs was not all that great.

[Vayutuvan]

The DSC DSA faction of the Democratic Party is on the rise. The Bern is making a lot of noise. Fetterman is being demonized. Newsome is trying to play all sides. Shapiro may not get either funding or a nomination.

[sanjaykumar]

They are good at those things for the same reason that spades dance best from the hip. That is the field of opportunities is restricted.

Hope that allusion to spades is 1 not offensive, 2 too obscure. It is of course Morrison from An American Prayer.

The experiences of Brits and perhaps myself have been mixed with Eastern Europeans. They may try too hard to be white or otherwise aggressive.

[A_Gupta]

Trista Parsi of the Quincy Institute said that the way you can know that the US is actually close to a deal with Iran is that the war hawks in the US will start criticizing the deal and/or Trump.

Sure enough, Senator Ted Cruz is criticizing the proposed deal. Lindsay Graham also is a war hawk, but he is also incapable of being critical of anything Trump does.

—-
Me, I just want a deal that puts India back on track. Trump can have a Nobel Prize a year for all I care.

[uddu]

https://x.com/i/status/2058371921432228125
@republic
White House Shooting Suspect Identified As 21-Year-Old Nasire Best, Believed He Was Jesus


https://x.com/i/status/2058355778365587772
@republic
#BREAKING | White House Shooting: Suspect shot dead after approaching White House checkpoint with Weapon.

Watch as Saurabh Shukla (@isaurabhshukla), Founder, NewsMobile and Chief Consulting Editor, Republic TV brings you the exclusive report: https://youtube.com/watch?v=cFYGwunJEhg

[KL Dubey]

Me, I just want a deal that puts India back on track.

I am not sure what "deal" you are referring to, and why India "needs a deal" to be "back on track".

- Russian oil (regardless of any US sanctions/waivers) and Venezuelan oil are flowing to India. In fact the latter was one of our largest oil suppliers until Trump first-term sanctions. Reliance built its refineries to be able to refine heavy sour Venezuelan crude. GCC and Iran oil flows will resume and prices will resume a downward trend for a while.

- Delcy R will visit India sometime soon and Marco R already showed up with his pitch. Indian leaders did not go to USA or Venezuela to ask for oil supplies. Jaishankar went for Quad meeting. Modi was busy tying up with Europe on semiconductors, AI, defense tech et al, not natural resources.

- Tariff regime has collapsed. No productive work, just issuing refunds. No sign of Ron Vara, Lattu (buri tarah se ludak gaya), Basant (over, its now summer).

- UAE has left OPEC and is striking out on its own with India. Likely in local currency, which seems now even more viable since UAE production is no longer capped. It is possible that other OPEC states may decide to do this as well, which will likely be the end of the petrodollar.

- The thing to understand is that USA is trying to salvage something out of the gulf conflict debacle and get out of the region. Botched trade/foreign/war policy now coming to bite massively. Apart from the military destruction (bases, aircraft etc) and depletion (munitions and missiles), the irretrievable losses are:

- the conflict greatly weakened trust in USA to be a security provider to vassal states, i.e. bluff called to a large extent by Iran's unexpected and surprising effectiveness

- further deepening resolve in India, China, and Europe for rapid renewables deployment, further signalling the fall of the petrodollar. When fossil resources are no longer a critical bargaining chip, the OPEC cartel will be ineffective and it will be each to their own arrangements. Unfortunately people living here in USA would suffer large economic impacts.

[Kanoji]

After Beijing, the World Looks Different - By Prof Robert Pape

Posting this article from Prof Robert Pape's substack with conclusions similar to what KL Dubey ji posted in his post above. It is worth spending a few minutes to read it and digest its conclusions. Posting his final conclusion below for the benefit of interested readers.

4. A More Dangerous Era

The danger is not that the United States suddenly disappears as a “great power.”

The danger is that the world enters a far more uncertain and fragmented strategic era where great power measured as conventional military strength is no longer the ultimate authority.

The post–Cold War order rested on a rare historical condition: one superpower strong enough to dominate escalation almost everywhere while most rivals remained too weak to challenge it directly.

The Iran war suggests that condition may now be ending.

What comes next is likely to be a far more dangerous world: one with more regional challengers, weaker deterrence, more contested military theaters, and growing uncertainty about whether even overwhelming force can still produce political control.

That is why the Iran war may ultimately matter far beyond the Middle East.

It may become remembered as the first war of the post-liberal order.

If you found this analysis useful, please consider sharing it with others trying to understand how the Iran war is reshaping not only the Middle East, but the future balance of global great power politics itself.

I am worried about how China will view this new order wrt to its designs to undermine India to become numero Uno in Asia and the world. Will it become more aggressive or encourage its lapdogs to become aggressive?