Traitor Watch - The 45 & 47 Thread

[wonko the sane?]

Some tyrants do dissolve their legislatures, some don't as having a political body underneath them (mentally imagery provided free of charge.) can provide easy scapegoats and a veneer of legitimacy that the civilized world will tolerate.

Every dictator needs stooges, and eventually sacrificial lambs. But hey: they knew the odds when they agreed to the job.

I'm having a strange urge to install "just cause 3" again...

 

[Dekafox]

Meanwhile, China continues to build trade alliances to replace the US:

President XI Signing Deals to Strengthen Regional Trade

China’s President Xi Jinping visited Vietnam Monday, signing dozens of agreements to strengthen trade between the two countries. Most of the deals were not publicly disclosed, but they are known to focus on trade, artificial intelligence, strengthening supply chains, and greater railway cooperation.

President Xi will travel to Malaysia and Cambodia later this week to sign similar deals as China continues to expand its cooperation with regional partners in light of US tariffs and the ongoing trade war.

Related to the ongoing campaign among regional trading partners, China is issuing statements against US tariffs.

China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement to media that "China is a responsible major country. We stand up against hegemony, not only to safeguard our own rightful interests, but also to uphold the common interests of the international community. This trade war was started by the U.S. and imposed on China... If the U.S. really wants to resolve the issue through dialogue and negotiations, it should stop applying extreme pressure. Any dialogue should be established on the basis of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit."

Knightsbridge Research, Ltd. (@[email protected])

Attached: 1 image President XI Signing Deals to Strengthen Regional Trade China’s President Xi Jinping visited Vietnam Monday, signing dozens of agreements to strengthen trade between the two countries. Most of the deals were not publicly disclosed, but they are known to focus on trade...

infosec.exchange

Tired: Nuyen
Wired: Nuyuan

And in regards to the rare earth minerals China is now witholding:

FT: Executive Order on Stockpiling of Critical Materials Coming

Per the Financial Times, the Trump Administration is readying an executive order to allow the mining and stockpiling of rare earth minerals from deep sea areas. The FT wrote the stockpile would "create large quantities ready and available on U.S. territory to be used in the future.”

The move is partially in response to China’s recent reduction of some rare earth exports due to the ongoing trade war with the US.

China’s Foreign Ministry pushed back on the move in a statement, writing “Exploration and exploitation of mineral resources in the international seabed area must be conducted in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and within the framework of the International Seabed Authority.”

Lastly, so far the US hasn't pissed off Iran:

Initial Discussions Between US and Iran

Delegations from the United States and Iran held talks Saturday in Oman, which were most indirect in nature. Oman’s Foreign Minister Said Badr Al Busaidi hosted the meetings at his home, and served as an intermediary.

Messages were taken from the US room to the Iranian, and the two delegations did speak briefly after the meetings concluded.

Iran’s state-run news agency IRNA reported the meetings were held “in a constructive atmosphere based on mutual respect.” It also reported “After more than two and a half hours of indirect negotiations, the heads of the Iranian and American delegations spoke for a few minutes in the presence of the Omani foreign minister as they left the talks.”

A statement from the White House largely agreed, saying the talks were “positive and constructive” and represented a “step forward in achieving a mutually beneficial outcome.”

US President Donald Trump told media on Air Force One “Nothing matters until you get it done. So, I don’t like talking about it. But it’s going OK. The Iran situation is going pretty good, I think.”

Additional discussions are already scheduled for 19 April. According to the AP, they will be held in Rome.

Both also via Knightsbridge, but referencing Financial times for the first, and AP for the second.

 

[CoffeeHorse]

When's Kim coming to the White House? He's been strangely absent in all this.

 

[Dekafox]

Full article, unpaywalled: https://archive.is/EGcj7

 

[Paladin]

JD Vance drops Ohio State's national championship trophy at White House celebration

Vice President JD Vance fumbled the college football National Championship Trophy as he tried to hoist it up during Monday's White House celebration

www.usatoday.com

Vance is just as fascist as Donald or Musk but also somehow an even bigger loser.

 

[KidTDragon]

Just imagine how great it would've been if the guy working the music changed it from "We Are The Champions" to the Curb Your Enthusiasm theme as soon as he saw the trophy break.