A.M. Links: Trump Says He Won't Terminate NAFTA, GOP Obamacare Bill Still in Doubt, Arkansas Plans Another Execution

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  Gage Skidmore / Flickr.com

  "President Trump told the leaders of Mexico and Canada on Wednesday that he would not immediately move to terminate the North American Free Trade Agreement, only hours after an administration official said he was likely to sign an order that would begin the process of pulling the United States out of the deal."

• The House Freedom Caucus is prepared to support a new revised version of the Republican health care bill, but GOP moderates remain unconvinced.
• Arkansas is planning to execute another death-row inmate tonight.
• The suspect in the killing of a Delaware state trooper is now in an armed stand-off with police.
• Syrian state media claims that an Israeli missile strike hit near the Damascus airport.
• Venezuela is going to withdraw from the Organization of American States.

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Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Venezuela is going to withdraw from the Organization of American States.

And they're taking all the toilet paper that they can fit in their luggage with them.

[Rufus The Monocled]

Hello.

I have no idea, admittedly, what the ramifications of pulling out of NAFTA would where Canada/USA are concerned.

[HazelMeade]

It would cause an immediate recession.
Prices of anything made in Mexico would suddenly increase, which would impact consumer spending. The Mexican economy would take a steep dive, so our export markets in Mexico would collapse. Domestic production of formerly Mexican produced goods would have to increase, but that would take time and require large capital investments. Eventually a new equilibrium would be achieved, but it would be one with generally higher prices for consumer goods, including food, clothing and automobiles. I'm sure the white working class union douchbags in Michgan will love that last one. But don't we know that working class white people deserve the best of the best? Because they're AMERICANS. We owe it to them for being the volk.

[Bee Tagger]

Venezuela is going to withdraw from the Organization of American States.

How will this made-up organization ever recover?

[Zeb]

Are there non-made-up oganizations?

[Zeb]

Or organizations, for that matter.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Syrian state media claims that an Israeli missile strike hit near the Damascus airport.

You know who else blamed the Jews for everything? (Go ahead, Erdogan, tell them.)

[Citizen X - #6]

Tony?

[Memory Hole]

Breitbart Republicans, Russian conservatives, Hungarian conservatives, Iranians, the Sheriff of Iberia Parish to name a few.

[Zeb]

Isn't Breitbart pretty heavily pro-Israel?

[Memory Hole]

It's complicated over there. I was referencing the people who leave conspiratorial comments fixated on "globalist international bankers" which is a euphemism for a certain kind of antisemitism.

[American Memer]

Antifa?

[Anomalous]

Mel Gibson?

[Chipper Mourning LackOfSerifs]

Ooh, good one.

[Conchfritters]

Mel Gibson?

[yet another dave]

Nixon

[yet another dave]

Nixon

[Citizen X - #6]

Mel Gibson?

[$park? leftist poser]

Pontius Pilate?

[Scarecrow Repair & Chippering]

Ramses?

[Scarecrow Repair & Chippering]

I should have answered "Yul Brynner" but it's so late anyway, no one will notice.

[Bee Tagger]

The House Freedom Caucus is prepared to support a new revised version of the Republican health care bill, but GOP moderates remain unconvinced.

One downside of generally rooting for gridlock is that its unlikely reverse anything a non-gridlocked government has done in the past.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Arkansas is planning to execute another death-row inmate tonight.

You'd think they would have their plans finalized by now.

[Citizen X - #6]

Venezuela is going to withdraw from the Organization of American States.

In more surprising news, the "Organization of American States" is a thing that exists and which some folk think is relevant.

[Bee Tagger]

"President Trump told the leaders of Mexico and Canada on Wednesday that he would not immediately move to terminate the North American Free Trade Agreement, only hours after an administration official said he was likely to sign an order that would begin the process of pulling the United States out of the deal."

This is The Art of the Deal.... of buying a WAFFLE house.

this has been dedicated to the memory of John Kerry's ill-fated presidential run.

[Citizen X - #6]

He said he wouldn't IMMEDIATELY do it. He's gonna wait till Monday.

[Fist of Etiquette]

"President Trump told the leaders of Mexico and Canada on Wednesday that he would not immediately move to terminate the North American Free Trade Agreement, only hours after an administration official said he was likely to sign an order that would begin the process of pulling the United States out of the deal."

But not immediately, as he's likely to walk out of the room without it.

[Bee Tagger]

Classic Root links: daring people to make jokes about tragic situations.

[Citizen X - #6]

He does know his audience.

[Chipper Mourning LackOfSerifs]

It's how we deal with the pain. We care too much.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The House Freedom Caucus is prepared to support a new revised version of the Republican health care bill, but GOP moderates remain unconvinced.

If they Freedom Caucus likes it now but the moderates don't, does that mean the revision jumped from far left to far right?

[Bee Tagger]

Either way, it's totalitarian

[Fist of Etiquette]

The suspect in the killing of a Delaware state trooper is now in an armed stand-off with police.

I wonder if there's any doubt on either side how this will end.

[Citizen X - #6]

He fixes the cable?

[Chipper Mourning LackOfSerifs]

Sparky signal lit.

[$park? leftist poser]

I don't get it.

[Citizen X - #6]

Don't be fatuous, Jeffrey.

[Fist of Etiquette]

There are a lot of ins and outs.

[American Memer]

Interrupted by alien abduction?

[Citizen X - #6]

Oh wait, i know this. Dance fight.

[Zeb]

In honor of Prince.

[creech]

Still holed up according to the tv. How does one guy standoff a shit-ton of cops that can, say, cause a commotion out front while a SWAT team goes in the back door? Oh, they don't want to hurt him. But what if he "makes a furtive move toward his waistband?"

[Conchfritters]

If I were the guy being executed in Arkansas today, I would raise up a shitstorm about the other two dudes eating up all the potato logs for their last suppers a couple of days ago. Clemency Mr. Governor?

[Zeb]

There is no such thing as peak potato log.

[Citizen X - #6]

Peak Potato Log is my nickname on the rodeo circuit.

[Chipper Mourning LackOfSerifs]

That's funny. That is the nickname the cleaning crew at the office gave me.

[Ken Shultz]

"The House Freedom Caucus is prepared to support a new revised version of the Republican health care bill, but GOP moderates remain unconvinced."

I don't know what "moderates" means here.

Are they willing to kill an Obamacare reform deal because it's insufficiently moderate?

That might make them moderate extremists.

[Zeb]

I think it means "unwilling to rock the boat".

[Conchfritters]

Moderate Republican = socially conservative, fiscally liberal. Basically a pro-life democrat.

[Aloysious]

'Moderate' in this case means that those clowns in the House Freedom Caucus are a bunch of white hood wearing militant lunatics who are willing to burn down the House by denying valuable services to their innocent constituents.

You can tell they are dangerous out of the mainstream extremists radical militants because they have the word Freedom in their title. Who likes freedom in modern America? Freedom is icky, and you don't get free shit from other people.

[Ken Shultz]

So, when a Freedom Caucus member eats a slice of pizza, it becomes an extremist slice of pizza?

[Aloysious]

Well, it depends if if it's thin crust or deep dish

Is that slice of pizza regulated for safety? Is the eevil company that made the pizza taxed at appropriately high levels so they don't have windfall profits? Does that pizza company follow all the mandated socially accepted business practices? That was a trick question. You can tell this pizza company is illegitimate because they voluntarily sold pizza to extremist out of the mainstream members of the House Freedom Caucus.

[Mickey Rat]

Moderate neans here too afraid to tell their constituents that guaranteed issue and controlling premium inflation are mutually exclusive goals.

[Ken Shultz]

"President Trump told the leaders of Mexico and Canada on Wednesday that he would not immediately move to terminate the North American Free Trade Agreement, only hours after an administration official said he was likely to sign an order that would begin the process of pulling the United States out of the deal."

It isn't hard when Trump makes you choose between condemning him for withdrawing from NAFTA and condemning him for saying he would withdraw from NAFTA. When in doubt, just do both--condemn him for saying he'd withdraw from NAFTA and then condemn him for changing his mind.

[Citizen X - #6]

Americans want leaders who maintain a rigid, manly firmness in their chosen position, not this soft floppy bullshit!

[Chipper Mourning LackOfSerifs]

It's like pushing on a rope!

[Ken Shultz]

Yes, they want a President that will keep his stupid promises--no matter how stupid.

Doing stupid things because you promised to be stupid, that's what being a great president is all about.

[$park? leftist poser]

President Trump told the leaders of Mexico and Canada on Wednesday that he would not immediately move to terminate the North American Free Trade Agreement, only hours after an administration official said he was likely to sign an order that would begin the process of pulling the United States out of the deal

Trump is turning out to be like the Willy Wonka of presidents. And I mean the cool Gene Wilder Wonka not the retarded Johhny Depp Wonka.

[Citizen X - #6]

But what do his snozberries taste like?

[$park? leftist poser]

Dicks, duh.

[Conchfritters]

His country club does serve the most beautiful chocolate cake I hear.

[Griffin3]

Under the airline's new customer-first policy, travelers who voluntarily give up their seats will be eligible to receive up to $10,000 in travel certificates.
United Airlines has publicly taken full responsibility for passenger dragged of airplane, introduced a raft of policy changes in desperate attempt to restore public image. Notice how this NEVER happens in any stories of government agencies that maim, kill or steal from their "customers".

[creech]

That's what greedy profiteers will do; not like our public "servants" who have little or no incentive to change policies.

[HazelMeade]

"President Trump told the leaders of Mexico and Canada on Wednesday that he would not immediately move to terminate the North American Free Trade Agreement, only hours after an administration official said he was likely to sign an order that would begin the process of pulling the United States out of the deal."

Thanks god for the Deep State. Someone must have some blackmail on him. Good for them.

[Citizen X - #6]

Or it could just be that the man's plans are entirely negotiable, rather than having any basis in fixed principle. But conspiracy theories are fun too.

[HazelMeade]

No, he was complaining about Japanese cars back in the 1980s, the first time he wanted to run for President. So I'm pretty sure his anti-trade beliefs are genuine.
I think someone beat or blackmailed some sense into him.

JTFR, I don't believe in the Deep State. I think it's a ridiculous conspiracy theory. But to the extent that the shadowy forces of vested interests stop Trump from implementinghis most retarded policy ideas, I can only applaud them.

[Citizen X - #6]

Yeah, but i don't think "long held" and "negotiable" are mutually exclusive when it comes to Trump's beliefs. Blackmail is probably not gonna be necessary.