Donald Trump starts attacking Britain

[PostTruthBreakdown]

First off he declares he wants Farage as a US ambassador (causing Farage to start kicking up a storm). Then he starts complaining about windfarms in Scotland. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38064664 and www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-38069605

2 words Mr Trump - and be grateful they are polite. Go. Away. We are not the 51st state of America yet.

I wonder if the Brexiters who complained about Obama's moderate comments as an unacceptable intervention will like Trump telling us what to do. Perhaps we can unite on something?

[WouldHave]

I strongly suspect that he thinks he can use his position as Pres Elect to bully the government into letting him do what he wants with his Scottish golf course. It is entirely in character that one of his first actions is to try to abuse the power he has gained to forward his personal interests, and we can expect to see a hell of a lot more of this.

[whatwouldrondo]

Quintessing That is basically what I have been hearing from other parts of the world. The land that has shot itself in the foot, with an added satisfaction in former colonies or countries that had a negative experience of engagement with our empire, that our sense of entitlement has proved our downfall

[Quintessing]

Norway - who has always had such high regard for Britain. And we are not in the EU.

[Corcory]

Quintessing - where are you writing from?

[Quintessing]

Looking at Theresa May from an overseas perspective: I think she is greatly exaggerating Britains importance in the world, and indeed Europe. You are a small island, with a mahoosive population (living in relative poverty), very small landmass, a small % of wealthy people, litte earning potential from your own resources, and now you have decided to make your country LESS viable for business rather than more. You are a Christmas gift to the likes of Putin and Trump. You have made yourselves not just unimportant, but irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.
The shift in the news here is very telling. Before news papers and tv news would look to Britain, wanting to hear Britains take on things. Now you have not been mentioned since a few weeks after Brexit.

[Peregrina]

Yes but in the US the lowest paid tend to be blacks and Hispanics, single parents are more usually women. So that explains his policy.

[BertrandRussell]

"Why on earth would the UK government sacrum to his tack ticks?"

I have no idea what it means, but this is my new favourite sentence.

[Corcory]

Have you seen how his tax ideas are supposed to be only helping the top 1% and will mean that the lowest paid and single parent will pay more!
Making America Great Again. Ye right!

[Peregrina]

If this were just a banana republic or some despotic regime in south Asia we would be shaking our heads in despair but saying what did we expect?But the country which won the Cold War and thinks it leads the World?

[birdybirdywoofwoof]

everything he does is a joke, isn't it - fun times

[Peregrina]

Well the UK isn't going to unite with the rest of the world against Trump, is it? It's so up his arse, pardon the crudeness, with the "Special Relationship" i.e. which war do you want us to help you with?

[appalachianwalzing]

I think this highlights how little Trump cares about any form of diplomacy or taking advice; and how few people will be prepared to stop him.

Ambassadors in the US are political appointments: they don't work in the dept of foreign affairs for years, training, they get the appointments for being some kind of political ally like a reward. Then I guess the civil servants around them do most of the work. In the U.K., being an ambassador requires years and years of work and understanding. Trump either didn't know that difference, or had no respect for it.

I'm really concerned there might be an 'enemy of my enemy is my friend' approach from a minority of leave supporters thinking the UK should give in to some of Trumps demands. He has so little respect for anyone else, the implications in the long run are frightening.

He's already said he thinking his son in law could help bring about peace between Israel and Palestine, presumably because he's Jewish (he certainly has no other qualification). It's all quite terrifying, and I don't know why more isn't being done to slap him down. America is powerful, but this really is something the rest of the world needs to unite behind.

[OhWhatFuckeryIsThisNow]

From the man who owns golf courses-bio diversally sterile playgrounds for the rich-in Scotland, that's pretty rich.

[Peregrina]

The rules of politics seem to have been ripped up over the last six months so who knows what is a joke any more? It's unbelievable that the Republicans could even go an select Trump as a candidate, never mind see him elected.

[Corcory]

What was a joke?

[TheHoneyBadger]

it was a joke fgs

[Corcory]

birdy - couldn't agree more.

[birdybirdywoofwoof]

I heard a discussion on the radio, where it was implied that the UK government might have given in to his demand for Farage to be ambassador, if he'd asked it privately. By tweeting it he put them in the position where they had to refuse.

I think that's rubbish. Regardless of Farage's character (he's a twat) ambassadors aren't appointed like that, plus even more importantly, there's no vacancy...

[Corcory]

Squishy - The conservative hate Farage and I think will do everything they can to dissociate themselves from him.
Also I know nothing of Farage's thoughts on relaxing gun controls here but I very much doubt he would get anywhere at all with that in the UK. We have a very different idea of the rules for the use of guns and our culture is very different from the USA in that regard.

[squishysquirmy]

I heard a discussion on the radio, where it was implied that the UK government might have given in to his demand for Farage to be ambassador, if he'd asked it privately. By tweeting it he put them in the position where they had to refuse.

[Corcory]

Loku - Trump and Le Pen can say all they like about Brexit but it doesn't make it true.

Trump has tried his bullying tack ticks with Scotland, threatening to take away his proposed development of a hotel etc. at his Aberdeenshire golf course if they agreed to an off shore wind farm opposite. He took the Scottish government to the high court and lost. He is notorious for trying bullying of the 'little man' and has tried it with his neighbours in Scotland.

Why on earth would the UK government sacrum to his tack ticks. As was seen yesterday Boris was having none of it.

[Spudlet]

^So this is how it feels to be lonely
This is how it feels to be small
This is how it feels when your word means nothing at all...^

Perhaps the new national anthem?

[PostTruthBreakdown]

Corcory it is great to see that there are some points (some?) people on both sides of the referendum can agree on. The extremes on both side are... well, extreme.

I have seen somewhere that India is perfectly willing to discuss trade deals - as long as it comes with loosened immigration controls. We'll hear more of that kind of 'negotiation' I imagine. Our trade deficit imo makes us very vulnerable, for all that some people seem to think it's a strength with Europe.

[Peregrina]

this is what being a little island in a big world looks like.
And there will be a lot of countries which don't mind us having a taste of our own medicine.

[Lokumotion]

Not a millimeter gap between Brexit, Trumpism and Le Pen. According to Trump and Le Pen.

It's very sad, but the entire world knows the UK government still has no feasible brexit plan and is desperate for trade deals with anyone. That's why Trump thinks the UK can be bullied and quite frankly he's right.

Not condoning it, obviously, but the UK has made its bed and now has to lie on it. Beggars can't be choosers....this is what being a little island in a big world looks like.