Trump vows to improve relations with Russia, China if elected U.S. president

[onehandle]

Source: Reuters

Republican front-runner Donald Trump vowed on Wednesday to seek better relations with Russia and China if elected president in November and said he would make U.S. allies bear more of the financial burden for their defense.

In a major speech, Trump delivered a withering critique of Barack Obama's foreign policy, saying the Democratic president has let China take advantage of the United States and has failed to defeat Islamic State militants. He pledged to "shake the rust off America's foreign policy."

The New York billionaire spoke the day after victories in five Northeastern states that moved him closer to capturing the Republican Party presidential nomination for the Nov. 8 election.

With U.S.-Russian relations strained over numerous issues including Moscow's support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Trump said "an easing of tensions with Russia from a position of strength" is possible.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-idUSKCN0XO10R

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We are in the General Election.

Trump is effectively playing a new character: Competent

[salinsky]

1. For someone attempting to portray competency ...

... he sure did a poor job with the teleprompter.

The guy just does not read well.

[Journeyman]

2. In 8th grade, Bobby Nunkle promised no homework & free ice cream for all . . .

Absent specifics, and a credible scenario for success, Trump's promises are no different than Bobby's (with the exception we all liked Bobby -- he wasn't a contemptible jerkwad).

[yellowcanine]

6. Student Council and Class Officer campaigns were the best!

I remember one Student Council candidate promising a "Coke machine in the cafeteria" only to be one-upped by another candidate promising "popsicles in the cafeteria!"

[Journeyman]

10. 8th grade council campaigns are the closest analogy I've had for this cycle's Republican slate . . .

All they've seemed to do is try to one-up each other with increasingly grandiose and irrational promises -- all amid the clatter of Trump's insults and petulance.

Yeah, Bobby Nunkle. That's the only apropos analogy.

[elleng]

3. Donald Trump Foreign Policy Speech: Highlights

Donald J. Trump called for an “America First” foreign policy in his address in Washington on Wednesday.

David E. Sanger

'Mr. Trump ends with a Reagan-like bit of optimism: that the United States can enter a new era of prosperity and power.

That’s an appealing theme at the end of a populist and nationalist speech — but he left questions on the table. Many questions.

Mr., Trump said that the U.S. would do no nation-building but that it would build stability around the world. Hard to know how you do one without the other

He said there were too many weapons in the world, but he talked about developing new nuclear and cyberweapons.

And he talked about rebuilding NATO, and changing its mission, but did not square that with his previous threat to pull out of the organization.

In short, many big, Trump-like themes — but they are in need of fleshing out.'>>>

http://www.nytimes.com/live/donald-trump-foreign-policy/?

[The_Casual_Observer]

4. How does this cheap sleazy son of a landlord asshole come off making claims

like this? How is it that anyone would take anything the jerk says seriously?

[braddy]

5. His dad was more than a landlord, he was famous as a slumlord, his tenant Woody Guthrie

even wrote about him.

[The_Casual_Observer]

8. Trump banters on as if he were pontificating to his Limo Driver

[braddy]

11. He was truly to the manor born, but his 'manor' was the wealth of a slumlord with

thousands and thousands of slummy NYC rentals, and Donald helped collect those rents from those people, and then would return to his 23 room 9 bath home of his fathers's.

I can see a guy like Trump having a comfortable and condescending attitude of how to pander to the people that he sees so far below him.

Trump's grandfather actually owned whore houses, the Trump men seem to not be bothered with introspection or morality, they just do, and then count the money.

[world wide wally]

7. A typical Trump move

Merge the 3 strongest elements and divvy up the spoils

[sofa king]

9. Yeah, by being their bitch.

He'll be an amateur in statecraft but too narcissistic to take good advice, and the first thing China and Russia will do is force him into permanent Hobson's Choice decisions that will cost us no matter what.

It will be easy to do because both nations have mechanisms of control over us--oil, production, loans--that they can use to force predetermined solutions. Trump will gladly give away whatever it takes under the table to come away with some dignity on the surface. We all know it, and it's their job to try to use it against us.

If Trump becomes President I won't have to leave America because it will no longer exist within four years.

[Blue_Tires]

12. What is he going to do, wave a wand?

Besides, it takes two to tango, and we aren't going to magically have improved relations with Moscow and Beijing if THEY don't want it...

[HeartoftheMidwest]

13. "Trump vowed on Wednesday to seek better relations with Russia and China.."

Maybe he should start with Scotland.

"He'll Take the Low Road: Trump's Tortured History With Scotland."
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/12/donald-trump-scotland-golf/421065/

"It’s the latest in a series of recent slights, including losing his status as an honorary ambassador for Scottish business and being stripped of an honorary degree from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen. Trump lashed out at the decision, accusing the Scottish government of a “foolish, small-minded, and parochial mentality.” But he hasn’t always felt that way, and has long courted Scots."

[ck4829]

14. "This Putin guy must be doing something right, he's getting 105% of the vote in Chechen territory...

That MUST mean people love him, right?"

[nyabingi]

15. Trump is sounding less hawkish than Hillary

and this is why arch-neocon Robert Kagan supports her over Trump.

I think we are seeing some serious splitting among both of the dominant political parties in this countries, and it's a long time coming.

[bjo59]

17. Would have to agree with you.

[David__77]

18. Toward the general election, I'll take a look at that.

I'm highly interested in what the nominated candidates will say about Syria, Russia, and other countries. I'm hopeful that the Democratic candidate will not espouse "regime change" or Cold War-type relations.

[Yo_Mama]

19. Yes, he isn't hawkish. This is why I think he should not be discounted

I will seek a foreign policy that all Americans, whatever their party, can support, so important, and which our friends and allies will respect and totally welcome. The world must know that we do not go abroad in search of enemies, that we are always happy when old enemies become friends and when old friends become allies, that’s what we want. We want them to be our allies.

and

However, unlike other candidates for the presidency, war and aggression will not be my first instinct. You cannot have a foreign policy without diplomacy. A superpower understands that caution and restraint are really truly signs of strength. Although not in government service, I was totally against the war in Iraq, very proudly, saying for many years that it would destabilize the Middle East.

We’re getting out of the nation-building business and instead focusing on creating stability in the world. Our moments of greatest strength came when politics ended at the water’s edge. We need a new rational American foreign policy, informed by the best minds and supported by both parties, and it will be by both parties — Democrats, Republicans, independents, everybody, as well as by our close allies.

I agree with those who say this is a general election campaign speech. It is.

[bjo59]

16. I don't like Trump one bit; however, I still appreciate the fact that his comments about improving

relations with Russia got into the mainstream press (because of its penchant for reporting on everything that guy does or says). The current US foreign policy of vilifying "Russia" (in the form of its leader, Putin) morning, noon, and night is the height of arrogance and, ultimately, stupidity.