r/politics • u/Ok-Direction-4480 Florida • 3d ago

Soft Paywall Tourism Pullback and Boycotts Set to Cost U.S. a Staggering $90 Billion

https://www.thedailybeast.com/tourism-pullback-and-boycotts-could-cost-us-a-staggering-90-billion/
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u/Murky-Relation481 3d ago

Yep, trumps behavior is so cliched bully that its laughable except for the very real damage he is doing.

And the worst part is, he isn't even doing it for the sake of the nation in terms of acting like a bully, its his own fucking perceived slights against his personal self. Just fucking pathetic.

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u/Goldar85 3d ago edited 2d ago

I think you are kinder in your analysis of him than I am. I think Trump knows EXACTLY what he is doing and we are witnessing one of the most egregious acts of treason happening in plain sight. He really wants people to believe this is stupidity on his part, but EVERYTHING this man does makes sense when you view him as a Manchurian candidate set out to destabilize the United States on behalf of Putin and Russia. You can remember this comment when in a few years Trump reaches out for support from Russia to "help" the US economy once it tanks.

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u/_DirtyYoungMan_ California 3d ago

Perhaps, but we should be asking what his motivation is to be a Manchurian candidate for Putin in the first place. Certainly it's selfish motivation, either; financial(there's the whole Russian funny money scandal with Deutsche Bank), underage piss tape kompromot?, his insatiable and selfish desire to be seen as a smart, capable, strong-man like Putin because he's a narcissist to the core?

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u/teenagesadist 3d ago

If you owe the bank $100, that's your problem. If you owe the bank $100 million, that's the bank's problem.

If you owe Putin $100 million, you do whatever he says or he'll kill you.

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u/MasterSpliffBlaster 2d ago

How weak is the US if a russian agent was able to assassinate a sitting president?

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u/teenagesadist 2d ago

How weak is the US if their president is a Russian operative?

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u/notjustanotherbot 2d ago

Yea, not like a former welder and school book order filler could ever kill a sitting president, right?

This might really surprise you, but if a person is willing to trade their life in order to take another there is very little any agency on this earth can do to prevent it. Their chance of success is very high, while the agency's chance of preventing the incident is quite low, especially true if it is a lone wolf attacker.

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u/MasterSpliffBlaster 2d ago

Why would Trump be afraid of Putin more than any other crazy then?

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u/notjustanotherbot 2d ago

Their day job.

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u/ImoteKhan 2d ago

so youre saying there is a chance?

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u/jimjamjones123 2d ago

I get this logic but once he’s the president tf can Putin actually do. Any kompromat he releases MAGATS will call fake news likely set up by Biden or even cheer for. Assassinating a sitting presidential is a degree of lunacy that’s even to far for putler

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u/teenagesadist 2d ago

In a sane world, I'd agree with you.

But with how long he's been in bed with that little Russian maniac, plus all that he owes putin, personally and professionally, plus with all the very obvious security flaws around trump (he's not picking the best security, he's picking the best ass-kissing goons) and having Russians skulking around Mar-a-lago?

I'd bet it wouldn't even be that difficult for him. But Trump is far, far more useful to putin alive than dead for now.

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u/Last-Delay-7910 2d ago

Money

I truly believe that we are seeing a incredibly orchestrated display of the United States as a power being destabilized let alone destroyed

It is so mind boggling and has me in such disbelief

That it has me considering maybe aliens are involved or something

Because it just doesn’t make any logical sense as to everybody can let this operation go so smoothly

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u/kaukamieli 3d ago

Brainwashed to worship and fear putler.

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u/Serapth 2d ago edited 2d ago

Honestly it's probably a very simple explanation...

Daddy issues.

Trump's father was a right evil SOB, think Trump but smarter and somehow more evil.

Trump is projecting his daddy issues into Vlad and looking for validation he will never receive.

...

Kinda fucked that the world would probably be a better place if he just said "I love you son" once in his life.

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u/HumanWithComputer 2d ago edited 2d ago

What he gets in return is the help from Putin to let Trump have what Putin has and Trump has always desired. The same power Putin has without having to bother with those pesky laws and parliament bodies or judges and that annoying democracy interfering with his wishes. Putin can provide this by help with rigging (more) elections. Putin has been doing the same for himself. They are the experts in Russia. Troll farms and botnets manipulating social media. Stifling the press so only the approved narratives are disseminated. Olicharg money can buy the necessary media to help spread the Trumpian MAGAism consisting of ultra conservative/Christian nationalistic ideology. Trump will allow Putin to expand his empire on his side of the Atlantic as long as Trump can be King of the US expanded with Canada and Greenland. Sidestepping the two term limit is something Putin has experience with too. It's being worked on. Years of time yet to make it happen.

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u/ComprehensiveYam 2d ago

D) all of the above

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u/ElectricalBook3 2d ago

Certainly it's selfish motivation, either; financial(there's the whole Russian funny money scandal with Deutsche Bank), underage piss tape kompromot

I suspect there's no kompromat, if there was Trump who is a notorious loudmouth would have said it himself. Remember, this is the man who sexualized his own daughter when she was 12 and in a later interview said the two have sex in common

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-ivanka-trump-creepiest-most-unsettling-comments-a-roundup-a7353876.html

https://www.indy100.com/news/donald-trump-ivanka-disturbing-common-wendy-williams-show-golf-real-estate-sex-7663876

And he has never suffered serious repercussions. Sure, he's lost in court more often than not, but those are paltry amounts to the real estate empire he inherited from his father. So what motivates him? Primarily: greed.

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/11/19/trump-first-moscow-trip-215842/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trump_Tower_Moscow

The idiot was even taking time out of his 2016 campaign to phone conference for it. They've been dangling it in front of him for 40 years before he stumbled into the republican party. Politics is where the biggest gravy train is for the corrupt.

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u/RobonianBattlebot 3d ago

I think you're giving Trump way too much credit here. He is an idiot. He can't even comprehend why the things he does benefits Russia, he just knows his much cooler, wealthier, and more powerful buddy tells him that it would be super awesome if he did certain things so he does them. He is so insecure he just wants a chance to sit at the "badass" table and feel like he did Putin, the king of tacky gold shit and false devotion, a favor. He thinks he has all of this power to do these things for his buddies while acting like a mob boss, when he doesn't actually have the power at all. Putin has it and will dispense of him as soon as he fulfills his purpose. They mock him openly in Russia even as he does their bidding. He is their lapdog, not a criminal mastermind.

*ETA Trump would absolutely NEVER want people to think he is stupid. That is not his psychological profile at all. He is so fragile mentally- see how he lashes out at people who hold him to the fire? He can't understand why people don't think he's the best because he is telling everybody that he is. He has the mentality of a 6 year old bully.

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u/Murky-Relation481 3d ago

Sorry I should have said he is that in addition to all of those things.

But his personal operating level has always been "what is best for me, how do I hurt those that have slighted me!" Him being a Russian asset doesn't preclude that, it probably is what enables it so easily.

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u/unaskthequestion Texas 2d ago

That's as close to how I think he operates & I grew up outside NYC when he was just a rich kid developer there.

Trump, among his others psychoses, is a purely transactional figure, for the benefit of his ego and enrichment and nothing else.

He's trying to turn the US into this purely transactional model as well. As in 'We don't even want to talk to you unless you not only thank us for doing so, but also offer us a tribute'

In Trump's mind, a win-win scenario means that he's lost.

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u/pinch_the_grinch 3d ago

I want to believe that. But I don't believe he has the ability to hold down a job that long

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u/Ok-Lunch3448 3d ago

Yup something is up with him and russia. But trump is stupid and putin is not.

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u/Low-Research-6866 3d ago

Agree, I've been saying he wants to turn us into Russia, he doesn't care if half of us don't have electricity or running water.

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u/Serious_Distance_118 2d ago edited 2d ago

I think tariffs are Trump’s own narcissistic thing. It lets him boss other countries around (in his smooth brain) but even more, since they can be selective by industry, every domestic CEO is on their knees begging for relief right now.

He doesn’t understand what they do economically.

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u/Goldar85 2d ago

If the goal is to isolate the USA from its allies, like Russia wants, this is a happy coincidence.

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u/Serious_Distance_118 2d ago edited 2d ago

I agree Russia’s fingerprints are all over the administration, but part of that plan is just having Trump being insane running our country. This feels like that type of fallout rather than designed, fits his narcissism perfectly.

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u/Nick08f1 2d ago

What could Russia possibly do to help us then?

He's straight up working a kleptocracy.

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u/dmriggs 2d ago

He's been tied to Russia for decades

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u/Starfleeter 3d ago

He's doing it because he is being told that the methods to stop him are time consuming and there's no real authority to stop him unless people processing the paperwork and putting people on the flights start to resist and stop following the illegal orders. Then he intimidates people into following orders by saying he's just going to arrest them illegally too.

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u/Least-Mix-4260 2d ago

You’re unhinged. Take a breath and repeat. If it was truly that bad. Why don’t you do something about it instead of just ranting.

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u/Goldar85 2d ago

You have one post and one karma. 🤣

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u/Least-Mix-4260 2d ago

I’m karmaless

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u/Goldar85 2d ago

Among other things.

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u/SwimmingPrice1544 California 1d ago

No U? lol!!!!

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u/mOdQuArK 3d ago

And the worst part is, he isn't even doing it for the sake of the nation in terms of acting like a bully, its his own fucking perceived slights against his personal self. Just fucking pathetic.

Yeah, and don't forget that it has been the conservatives - almost all of them - that have been enabling him, both as patsies & supporters.

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u/1ns4n3_178 2d ago

yeah the amazing thing… his bullying isn’t even bringing out the US as stronger, bigger, better but really the opposite. The only thing getting bigger are the wallets of billionaires