Panama pledges to end key canal deal with China,

This. Let's say everything the Trump admin is trying to do regarding foreign policy actually somehow works. We've still alienated one of our closest allies in Canada and our two closest neighbors in Mexico and Canada. They're not going to trust the US going forward when hundreds of years of alliance means zero.

 

Thank you, I was thinking of pointing this out. I was wondering if, among those now suddenly so sure the Panama Canal was an existential military threat, were aware China has extremely large port operations in the U.S? I’m guessing no. If we are going to demand Panama, a sovereign nation, expel any Chinese investment perhaps we should get our own house in order on that?

This is not “sovereign Chinese territory” and I assume dockworkers are from the U.S. and have to abide by U.S. Customs and Border protection. Just as in Panama that govt controls the canal and is treaty obligated to let shipping traffic through. So in practical terms I don’t think China having a port gets them too much of an “in”. It’s not a military installation. Although if the relationship with China continues to deteriorate then it’s something to keep an eye on. Obviously if China invaded Taiwan, for example, those ports would be taken by U.S. authorities immediately.

 

Maybe you can help me understand this. What is the strategic value to the canal if it can be taken out in a matter of seconds in a bombing attack?

 

Trump threatened to end NAFTA. He ended NAFTA then signed NAFTA 1.01.

I think markets believe this is similarly for show more than substance.

Little Rocket Man often saber rattles and launches test missiles for attention and slight concessions. So I think that’s the prism this all has to be looked through.

 

I think we all would like to believe any of Dementia Don’s actions might work, but he keeps dashing those hopes with one off-the-rails truth social post after another. The one thing he did get right IMHO is in picking Rubio who was qualified for the job. Sort of like a blind squirrel finding a nut.

 

I'll answer with a question: Who has the ability to launch a strike like that?

That's out of CCP missile range and we'll see any kind of naval force days if not weeks before it could do a thing. The CCP can't project power beyond the first island chain. That's why this is a lot of nothing. Anything the CCP builds in this hemisphere becomes ours (or the country where it's located) the second we decide to take it. And, outside of stamping their feet to the international community, there isn't a damn thing they can do about it.

But we CAN project power and protect our overseas assets and that's one of the things the CCP really envies (and gets mad about).

 

Thanks for your response. How about a cyber attack?

 

IDK. We have that too. Also, not sure what that would really do. Screw up operations for a while? I guess that would suck, but I'm not sure what's stopping them from doing that anyway since you don't have to be on the ground, plant charges, etc.

 

China is far and beyond the port operator technolgy leader. Trump at one point was all over this. I recall he was upset about port automation and longshoremen job impact.

again, why is China allowed to have these contracts on US ports? Maybe DOGE will go after port authorities around the country.

 

Did we figure out yet if Little Marco did a good thing or a bad thing?

Is Rape Daddy happy, or angry?

MAGA? What are marching orders?

 

Depends on what replaces MAGA. They know about the nature of our system and the fact that major changes can happen every 4 years, so I'm not sure you destroy those relationships, but there will be some repair work for whoever follows these fools. Also, we don't know what follows MAGA, probably some kind of wacked-out liberal version of MAGA. At that point, it's just the general volatility that will be a problem rather than one party.

 

I'll say this, if this was POTUS Marco we'd get a lot more, like the start to the relationship change we need with Mexico to insure a bright century for the both of us and North America generally. It would start with a comprehensive immigration/border strategy to deal with this on both borders and create a workable system for controlling immigration flows to North America generally.

On a larger scale, just start expanding that south and your immigration problem disappears. El Salvador looks really interesting now and Columbia has been on board for over a decade. Not to mention, demographic numbers tell us that immigration from Central and South America will dry up within a decade.

 

No disagreement here.

MR is far from my first choice, but I took a crap this morning that would do a better job than Trump. And would steal less.

 

this. none of the talking heads recognize this. so easy to sink one ship and muck up the whole thing. blow up one set of locks.. it does not seem to be a defendable asset

 

Panama Gives In To Trump, Will Let U.S. Navy Ships Pass Canal For Free



The move will save the United States between $2.5 million and $3 million a year. Reducing the cost of using the canal has been a priority for President Donald Trump, who in December slammed the “exorbitant” rates Panama charged the Navy for passage.

According to State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce, Rubio informed Mulino that Trump has made a preliminary determination that the Chinese Communist Party’s “position of influence and control” over the Panama Canal is a violation of the Treaty Concerning the Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the Panama Canal.

“Secretary Rubio made clear that this status quo is unacceptable and that absent immediate changes, it would require the United States to take measures necessary to protect its rights under the Treaty,” the statement said.

On Sunday night, Mulino announced that his country would not be renewing its agreement with China’s Belt and Road Initiative, and would look into ending the agreement earlier than the set end date.

 

We threatened to invade a country, so that our military could save {checks article again}…. $2.5 - $3 million per year in tolls?

 

This is one of those moves that seems so obvious. U.S. doesn’t need to annex Panama when we already have the treaty in place that accomplishes our goals there. We simply asked Panama to honor the treaty.

 

You’re not a brilliant person if you think asserting dominance at the Panama Canal is saving America only $3 million a year.