Pompeo ‘There will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration’

[thekev]

Just because the US trashes generally recognised (and adhered to) standards of international diplomacy is no reason for EU and other governments to follow suit.

Keep in mind I'm not saying they should respond with "fuck off". Civility here means declining the meeting if it's arguably pointless without making excuses or embedding insults in the response. I would not personally have the patience for meeting just for the purpose of meeting.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Keep in mind I'm not saying they should respond with "fuck off". Civility here means declining the meeting if it's arguably pointless without making excuses or embedding insults in the response. I would not personally have the patience for meeting just for the purpose of meeting.

Actually, no.

If I were serving in an advisory capacity, I'd advise, counsel, and recommend that these meetings take place.

Partly because that is the way things have been done, partly because you wish to maintain your own diplomatic standards, - even if by holding these meetings you may be only going through the motions, nevertheless, it may be a good opportunity to ascertain just how recklessly destructive and nihilistic theTrump administration's dying agonies will be - partly because you know that this awful administration will have (one hopes) departed from office by January, (I don't doubt that stop-watches across Europe are counting down the seconds), and partly because this administration is so ready to identify insult and offence and humiliation (and loves nothing more than to be in a position to administer them) in encounters that there is no need to add to a already fraught atmosphere, and poison further what will be a testing political environment for Mr Biden and his administration when they are finally permitted to take office in January.

 

[thekev]

Actually, no.

If I were serving in an advisory capacity, I'd advise, counsel, and recommend that these meetings take place.

Partly because that is the way things have been done, partly because you wish to maintain your own diplomatic standards, - even if by holding these meetings you may be only going through the motions, nevertheless, it may be a good opportunity to ascertain just how recklessly destructive and nihilistic theTrump administration's dying agonies will be - partly because you know that this awful administration will have (one hopes) departed from office by January, (I don't doubt that stop-watches across Europe are counting down the seconds), and partly because this administration is so ready to identify insult and offence and humiliation (and loves nothing more than to be in a position to administer them) in encounters that there is no need to add to a already fraught atmosphere, and poison further what will be a testing political environment for Mr Biden and his administration when they are finally permitted to take office in January.

The general process aspect of this sounds like such a headache to me. I could countries wanting to maintain standards which facilitate good communication and don't alienate administrations, but much of this sounds like certain people expect everyone's lips to grace their ass as soon as they make their presence known. To me, this differs from maintaining cordial standards with representatives of other states.

In this case, I guess I could see them hedging on Trump, as it's possible that he will flip enough electors. The fight over Michigan and Georgia are issues. A complete flip would bring it to the point where Trump would merely need to flip a few potential faithless electors past that point. As you might have noticed, I hold Republicans who are behind Trump on this in extremely low regard. I would like to see all of them made into social pariahs, simply because they are now pushing for actions, which reflect the dysfunctional form of government that Republicans have classically railed against.

 

[lizkat]

Of course the counterparts abroad are doing the expected thing and seeing the meetings through, but it's just grotesque that Trump has Pompeo doing this in a transition period after it's clear Trump has not been re-elected President. Every one of the counterparts (and career service officers at State in the USA) all know this is for US domestic consumption by Trump's base, urged on by a narcissist who's put a religious zealot atop the State Department.

Meanwhile people are dying in ICUs in hospitals all over the country from covid-19 and Trump's watching TV or sulking.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Just learned that Mr Trump hasn't attended a meeting of the Covid-19 (federal) task force response group in over five months; in the US, responses to Covid have - de facto - have been delegated almost entirely to state level.

 

[Alli]

Just learned that Mr Trump hasn't attended a meeting of the Covid-19 (federal) task force response group in over five months; in the US, responses to Covid have - de facto - have been delegated almost entirely to state level.

He never understood it, and he doesn’t care!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

He never understood it, and he doesn’t care!

Agreed.

But, it is extraordinarily irresponsible, and a breath-taking - jaw-dropping - dereliction of duty; a quarter of a million people have already died from this condition, countless millions have contracted it, (in the United Sates alone), yet, yet, yet, he fails to take responsibility (or want to take responsibility), to give leadership, but contests the outcome of the election, attempts to hobble his successor by denying access to transition support and resources, suppress ballots, fires officials with a soupçon of integrity, and nihilistically destroys what he hasn't yet torched or trashed on his way out of office.

What a cruel, disgusting, repellent, petty human being; an absolute moral monster.

 

[lizkat]

Yeah if he actually managed to overturn election results, he'd likely be impeached again in a hot minute over failure to execute our laws faithfully... and maybe this time get enough Republican votes at trial in the Senate to effect his immediate removal? Even some in his own party grow more than weary now of Trump and his enablers.

Well but enough of my daydreams. That GOP-led Senate is hopelessly corrupted by its own past fealty to Trump in the face of lawbreaking and stunning breaches of presidential norms. Republicans have become experts at weasel words to the public and still caving in to fear of Trump's cult --even now when the man has been defeated handily at the polls. I likely delude myself that this Senate would actually remove from office a man they practically crowned King last winter. The American people have spoken and still Trump tells his followers he has won an election he lost. And still from most Senators on the Republican side of the aisle we hear either weasel-words or... crickets.