Thread by @Stonekettle

It's been twenty-four hours since Donald Trump posted this series of tweets:

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It's a measure of just how much we've normalized this behavior, just how much the Press is failing in its duty, that the coverage 24 hours later is centered on migrant caravans and "Trump threatens to cut off foreign aid..." instead of what Trump's statement actually says.

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"We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely..."

Entirely.

Close the border entirely.

Entirely. What does Trump mean by "entirely?"

Well, first, he means profit -- because profit is ALWAYS the first thing a Republican means. Always.

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"The United States looses soooo much money on Trade with Mexico under NAFTA, over 75 Billion Dollars a year (not including Drug Money which would be many times that amount), that I would consider closing the Southern Border a 'profit making operation.'”

Profit. Right there.

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You see it, right? Not only does Trump consider buying products and services from Mexico losing "soooo much money" but he's outraged that the US isn't likewise making a profit on ... wait, illegals drugs? What?

Buy AMERICAN drugs, kids. It's patriotic!

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Question: Why when we buy things from Mexico it's a loss? (or a "loose" in Trumpspeak), but when we buy oil from Canada that's profit for American business?

I'm just asking here.

Yeah, yeah, I digress.

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The real the joker in the deck is right here, this part:

"...close the Southern Border. Bring our car industry back into the United States where it belongs. Go back to pre-NAFTA, before so many of our companies and jobs were so foolishly sent to Mexico..."

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He's not talking about sealing just the geographic border between the US and Mexico (How? forget it, he's rollin'), but cutting off ALL commerce and interchange.

That's right. That's what he said. Close the border. Bring our car industry back. Pre-NAFTA. No trade.

8/

He's literally talking about breaking the USMCA that his OWN administration just worked out, that he was literally crowing about not two weeks ago, and, again literally, cutting off American industry from their suppliers and foreign manufacturers.

Think about that.

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He suddenly closes the border by fiat -- and it would be sudden, in the next few days or weeks, as extortion to force Democrats to give him the money for his wall -- that's what he's threatening, his comments make no sense otherwise.

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Close the border, cut off automakers from their plants in Mexico. Trump says this will force the "car industry back into the United States where it belongs."

It won't.

It absolutely won't.

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Automakers don't have the capital to suddenly build new plants in the US, to hire new workers, to tool up manufacturing lines in days or weeks or even in the next few years. ESPECIALLY WHEN FACING TARIFFS ON THEIR BASE MATERIALS LIKE STEEL.

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Close the border, American factories sit idle, Asian car makers (Trump isn't talking about cutting THEM off and isn't THAT interesting?) will move to fill the gap.

From foundries to factories to dealerships, the industry will collapse.

US automakers will never recover.

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Of course, Trump doesn't actually have the authority to do any of this, but the fact that he's suggesting he does, and will, and his rhetoric is going unchallenged by Congress, by the Press, by Americans. is a measure of just how much we've normalized this daily insanity.

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Trump makes some outrageous claim. We dismiss it as crazy. As impossible. Won't happen. Then he does it, pulls us out of the Iranian nuclear deal, pulls us out of Syria, appoints lunatics and know-nothing to office, and people are shocked. WHAT? I didn't think he DO it!

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Well, guess what, Chumps, he damned well WILL do it if he can. Haven't you figured this out by now?

He doesn't listen to experts, or reason, or logic, or experience. It's his own bloated gut he listens to and nothing else.

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But, there's more:

"....Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador are doing nothing for the United States but taking our money [...] We will be cutting off all aid to these 3 countries - taking advantage of U.S. for years!"

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This is one of the most morally bankrupt statements ever issued by a sitting president.

And that's saying something given some of morally bankrupt presidents we've had.

The US State Department says this about Foreign Aid:

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"Foreign assistance is aid given by the US to other countries to support global peace, security, and development efforts, and provide humanitarian relief during times of crisis. It is a strategic, economic, and moral imperative for the US and vital to national security."

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To support global peace, security, and development efforts.

To provide humanitarian relief during times of crisis

A strategic, economic, and moral imperative for the United States.

A strategic, economic, and moral imperative.

A MORAL imperative.

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US foreign aid isn't based on what a nation might do for us. There's no quid pro quo. We provide aid to other people because for a wealthy nation that claims the moral high ground, it is our MORAL imperative to help others.

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We provide aid to other nations because it is in our best interests to build up other people, to raise all boats with the tide instead of letting them drown.

Because building a better world for all is OUR moral responsibility as a nation and as a people.

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I mean, isn't THAT the core tenet of conservatives' own religion? I'm looking in the Republican bible here and I can't seem to find the part where Jesus said, "Hey, you sons of bitches, I gave you loaves and fishes, how's about a little sugar for the son of God, eh?"

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Where did Jesus say, Hey, if you damned lepers don't start handing over some shekels, I'm cutting you off! No more salvation for you!

Oh, wait. Ha hah. Yeah. Okay, maybe that IS Christian Conservatism after all.

I digress. Again. As is my wont.

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The thing is, Trump's threat -- and it IS a threat, a threat aimed at an entire industry, a country, millions of people -- has been up for a full day now and we just carry on like that insanity is normal.

Because for America, well, this insanity has become normal.

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