Trump, Afghanistan and his deals

It is hard to follow what is happening with international politics when it comes to the USA.  But we can see how things are not going to be good for a while when we look at the deal Trump negotiated in Afghanistan.  

While Biden got the blame for the chaos that resulted, Biden had two poor choices.  Stick to the agreement made by Trump, or break it.  He took the long view in the best interests of America and stuck to the bad deal that his predecessor had negotiated.  

While we can mention how the Abraham Accords were negotiated by Trump, again a great deal for him, one which was terrible for the Palestinians, I think that it is important to remember the consequences of his deal in Afghanistan.

In the years before Trump, I would disagree with my mother about the issue of Afghanistan.  She argued that the west should leave it.  My view was that by staying, human rights in Afghanistan were better and we could help the nation move towards a more tolerant society.  But she got her way, the west pulled out of the nation and now the country is sliding backwards again.  Women's rights are being trampled on, but at least there is 'peace' in the country.  

So do I trust Trump to make a good deal?  For him yes, but his deals trample on the rights of those he considers beneath him. 

Trump and fixing his trade issues

People are trying to make sense of Trump and the tariffs he has imposed.  Basically, he has a government which is not known for intelligence.  Not just with the debacle with the Signal App, but other examples include who he has sent to negotiate with Russia.  

He has imposed a tariff on an island of penguins.  Some are talking about negotiating with him, but this is the man who renegotiated a deal with Mexico and Canada in 2020 and now has decided that they are taking advantage of the USA due to his deal!  

As you can see from the first video, there may be method in the madness that he has unleashed, but anyone who thinks that they can trust him to stick to his own deals is a fool.

In summary, I do not think that Trump realises the consequences of what he is imposing on the people of the USA.  After all, the USA is not able to produce its own coffee, tea or bananas. Even though many things are assembled in the USA, they still rely on components from abroad which means that the price of electrical goods such as mobile phones will increase.  

Free speech, the White House correspondents' dinner, Amber Ruffin and deportations

Free speech was going to be the topic of one of my posts, but today I found out that Amber Ruffin, a comedian, I like listening to (who I prefer to Seth Meyers) has been dropped from hosting White House correspondents' dinner.  She is hilarious and despite what those who support Trump may say, would have been a great choice to present it. This is an interesting (or alarming) development in a nation where people are being deported for having improper views.  

While free speech is being discouraged in the USA, we, in the UK are under increased scrutiny and it is rumoured that any free trade deal will be dependent on the UK implementing free speech in a manner deemed suitable to Trump and his supporters.  

At this rate, it will be interesting to see if late night shows which are critical of Trump will be allowed to continue to be so. 

One Day

This film is good, but not anywhere near as good as the series.  I both liked and disliked Anne Hathaway in it however.  At the beginning, she is able to hide her looks as she portrays Emma really well.  But, towards the end of the film, her looks are apparent.  While a similar transformation took place with Ambika Mod, I am sorry to say this, but the end result is different.  I have not read the book, but I think that both acted the part of Emma really well, but the character was best played by Ambika Mod.  I do not think that it is as bad as the reviews of the time, but it is not as good as the series.  But comparisons are unfair, as the series was produced and acted brilliantly, but also had more time than the film can offer.  

Bridget Jones's Baby

After watching the latest instalment in the film series, I realised that I could not remember much about the second and third films. So I have watched them.  You know my views on the second film and this is about the same.  An enjoyable film, which warms my heart as it features London.  But in essence, it is a feel good film.  If you are after intricate plots, beautiful cinematography and the like, this is not the film to watch.  Basically, if you like the other films, you will like this one.  I love the characters and am glad that I watched it again.  Would I watch it again?  I guess so, if it was on TV, but I doubt that I would go out of my way to watch it again, not unless they produce a fifth film!

The Best People

Sorry, I do try to ignore the Orangutan in The White House, but this story has to be commented on. Top Trump cabinet members added The Atlantic editor to a chat discussing strikes on Houthis and did not seem to realise until he shared the story.  The person who added the Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor of the Atlantic magazine, may have been Michael Waltz, Trump’s national security adviser.  Though Pete Hegseth is being touted by some as the moron who did so.

In the last Trump administration, many of The Best People went to jail.  The incompetence of this administration was to be expected considering the backgrounds of the people he has appointed, but this level of stupidity may be hard to beat.  But I suspect that they will do their best.  And we have almost four more years of this for them to do so. 

Mississippi Burning

Before my daughter left for her travels we watched films together. My son tends not to watch films with me, instead we watched TV shows and are watching Fresh of the Boat. Anyway, she is back and we watched a film together.

We had been for a walk earlier in the morning, taking the dog to Gosbecks (Leia gets very impatient if we do not park quickly) on a different route to normal. During the walk, she talked about her time travelling and one of the topics discussed was The Vietnam War. So when we got back I suggested we watched Platoon before it leaves Amazon Prime. While searching for it, I noted that Mississippi Burning is also due to leave and mentioned that it was a film worth watching. So she decided to watch that instead. I have watched this many years before. Watching it now has a special relevance considering what is happening in the USA. So many of the issues it brings up could be issues faced today with the resurgence of racism and white nationalism as well as the way Trump has views on how the law should be.