Trump removed art from American ambassador's house

[jgarden]

Donald Trump stayed in Paris with the U.S. ambassador to France, and then returned to Washington with three works of art taken from the residence, it has emerged.
...
The president had the artworks removed from the residence by staffers who loaded them on to Air Force One before his entourage left France.

Trump's time in Paris has been in the news this week after the Atlantic reported that he had described U.S. soldiers who died in World War I and in Vietnam as 'losers' and 'suckers', for not finding a way to dodge the draft.

The Atlantic also claimed he canceled a visit to a second cemetery, the Belleau Wood cemetery, because he was worried the rain would affect his hair.
...
The White House defended the president's actions.

Judd Deere, a White House spokesman, said he had proudly brought the pieces back to the U.S. for the nation.

'The President brought these beautiful, historical pieces, which belong to the American people, back to the United States to be prominently displayed in the People's House,' he said.
Trump takes home art from US ambassador's residence in Paris

Ironically, they are fakes, copies of real masterpieces, and the figurines are actually tacky copies of copies. But they looked good to Trump whose New York apartment looks like Dolly Parton's trailer, and he wanted them. So he sent his staff to go take them.

Apparently, they're in the Oval Office, which few Americans will actually visit.

Not knocking Dolly; she knows her public persona is tacky, it's just theater for her.

1) This President is quite capable of issuing an "Executive Order" declaring these "fakes" to be "original masterpieces," given his repeated efforts to replace "fake news" with his own versions of reality!

2) Given the recent revelations concerning Trump's disdain for the nation's fallen heroes, the American "suckers" and "losers" buried in Belleau Wood Centenary outside Paris can rest secure in the knowledge that their Commander-in-Chief wasn't forced to make the supreme sacrifice of having "a bad hair day!"

3) The word has gone out to American Embassies around the world that while this President is still in the White House, they should keep all their works of art out of sight should he "honor" them with a visit!

 

[The Barbarian]

A spokesperson for the WH said that it's common for such things be borrowed from one government building and sent to another.

Show us another case wherein a president took art items from an embassy and brought them to his office. I can't think of one. And I'm guessing that's why the "spokesman" didn't mention any.

I am sure right wing media would have totally ignored if Obama had made a blunder like that.

C'mon. You know they would have been shrieking in outrage and calling it "theft." Everyone knows it's true.

 

[jgarden]

..... C'mon. You know they would have been shrieking in outrage and calling it "theft." Everyone knows it's true.

Obviously this President was oblivious to the fact that news of this incident in Europe would immediately resurrect the specter of Herman Goering who made a career of looting the art of those countries that the Germans had conquered in WW2!

The situations may be different but the intent was the same!

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Show us another case wherein a president took art items from an embassy and brought them to his office. I can't think of one. And I'm guessing that's why the "spokesman" didn't mention any.

See post #60, I already explained what I posted.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Obviously this President was oblivious to the fact that news of this incident in Europe would immediately resurrect the specter of Herman Goering who made a career of looting the art of those countries that the Germans Obviously had conquered in WW2!

The situations may be different but the intent was the same!

So you know what the president was thinking and what his motive was ?

 

[The Barbarian]

Show us another case wherein a president took art items from an embassy and brought them to his office. I can't think of one. And I'm guessing that's why the "spokesman" didn't mention any.

See post #60, I already explained what I posted.

Yeah, no one else can find any, either. For reasons we've already covered.

 

[The Barbarian]

So you know what the president was thinking and what his motive was ?

Let's see...
Trump see something in an embassy he wants to take.
He sends his people to take it.
He puts it in his office.

I'm thinking the motive is pretty clear.

 

[jgarden]

So you know what the president was thinking and what his motive was ?

Like Goering, this President assumed that he was "entitled" to possess artworks that were in the possession of their rightful owners and took advantage of his political power to take it!

Unlike Goering, this President is not a connoisseur of fine art and was content in confiscating "fakes" - given the adverse publicity, one can only question as to why Trump
refused to conduct himself as any good guest by requested either that his advisers or the embassy have copies made and sent to the White House!

This episode is just another reminder of the impulsiveness of this President , and his wiliness to abuse his powers to gratify his immediate needs!

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Let's see...
Trump see something in an embassy he wants to take.
He sends his people to take it.
He puts it in his office.

I'm thinking the motive is pretty clear.

No, you're judging him without knowing the reasons.

 

[The Barbarian]

Let's see...
Trump see something in an embassy he wants to take.
He sends his people to take it.
He puts it in his office.

No, you're judging him without knowing the reasons.

I'm just remarking on what he did. I didn't say what his motives were, but I don't think it's that hard to figure out. Apparently, you agree, because you call it "judging."

 

[Jonathan Walkerin]

No, you're judging him without knowing the reasons.

That is just silly if you are being honest even to yourself.

Trump wasn’t even interested enough to find out if they were original pieces of art.

He didn’t even give any consideration how this would look like in media.

Yes, perhaps he just saved the planet because space aliens told him they would use death beam from the sun to fry us all up if Trump didn’t grab that fake art he liked.

We don’t know do we ?

The most useless platitude that exists. We don’t know anything at all of why any person does anything.

Which is why we form our opinion of someone by following their actions over period of time then drawing our conclusions based on that behavior.

Nothing in this action is out of character for Trump. Same callous misuse of power he has done through his entire career. Same disregard for others. Same belief that his base will support him no matter what he does because by now they are too deep in to back out without looking like idiots which they are not willing to do.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Let's see...
Trump see something in an embassy he wants to take.
He sends his people to take it.
He puts it in his office.



I'm just remarking on what he did. I didn't say what his motives were, but I don't think it's that hard to figure out. Apparently, you agree, because you call it "judging."

You're remarking on what the media told you he did.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

That is just silly if you are being honest even to yourself.

Trump wasn’t even interested enough to find out if they were original pieces of art.

He didn’t even give any consideration how this would look like in media.

Yes, perhaps he just saved the planet because space aliens told him they would use death beam from the sun to fry us all up if Trump didn’t grab that fake art he liked.

We don’t know do we ?

The most useless platitude that exists. We don’t know anything at all of why any person does anything.

Which is why we form our opinion of someone by following their actions over period of time then drawing our conclusions based on that behavior.

Nothing in this action is out of character for Trump. Same callous misuse of power he has done through his entire career. Same disregard for others. Same belief that his base will support him no matter what he does because by now they are too deep in to back out without looking like idiots which they are not willing to do.

In general, he has been successful in his career. Yes, he had some bankruptcies, but most businessmen who buy many types of businesses at that level, will have some bankrupt. It's how they work within the law.

Yeah, as president, he says some pretty dumb things. But one the he does that politicians in general fail at, is he gets things done.

Despite what the media has said, Trump did handle the pandemic as quick as it was possible. I won't bother getting into the details, for at this point in time, people have made up their minds and will have a mental block when anything is said about either candidate that they don't agree with.

I find both candidates a pathetic choice we have. But I believe there's a new world coming that only Divine intervention can help us with. However, most of the world hasn't turned to God yet, especially in our own country.

 

[The Barbarian]

You're remarking on what the media told you he did.

And the final retreat: "THEY ARE LYING!!!! ALL OF THEM ARE LYING!!!"

 

[Jonathan Walkerin]

Trump did handle the pandemic as quick as it was possible. I won't bother getting into the details

That is the usual occurrence with most of the stuff Trump says he has handled better than anyone. Wonder why....

From this recent link US is at 9th place on Covid deaths per million out of 150 spots while the epidemic in US is by no means over.

COVID-19 deaths per capita by country | Statista

Considering the resources US has this is pretty abysmal. If you think that the richest country on earth couldn’t have done any better.....well......many people disagree.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

That is the usual occurrence with most of the stuff Trump says he has handled better than anyone. Wonder why....

From this recent link US is at 9th place on Covid deaths per million out of 150 spots while the epidemic in US is by no means over.

COVID-19 deaths per capita by country | Statista

Considering the resources US has this is pretty abysmal. If you think that the richest country on earth couldn’t have done any better.....well......many people disagree.

The US rate is higher because we tests more. Other nations, especially in Europe, were only testing when the person ended up in the ER with symptoms.

Also, we have 350 million people and we're an open society.

Don't bother trying to compare with nations like Sweden which has just 10 million people, or even Canada, which has 35 million people. We have ten times the number of people than Canada has, and far larger cities and congested areas.

 

[Jonathan Walkerin]

Also, we have 350 million people and we're an open society.

Don't bother trying to compare with nations like Sweden which has just 10 million people, or even Canada, which has 35 million people. We have ten times the number of people than Canada has, and far larger cities and congested areas.

That is why the deaths were x / million people. It is called per capita. US also has around 328 million people but who cares if their own country population estimate is off by 22 million.

You don’t test dead people any more than other countries do for that to be statistically relevant. Everyone tests their dead people.

As for having huge cities .....well Singapore is basically a city nation of 5 million and their deaths per million were 100 times less than yours.

I also believe they are quite “open society” as far as human rights go.

Trump doesn’t understand this epidemic, nor numbers so listening to him doesn’t really make your own understanding of the issue any clearer.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

That is why the deaths were x / million people. It is called per capita. US also has around 328 million people but who cares if their own country population estimate is off by 22 million.

You don’t test dead people any more than other countries do for that to be statistically relevant. Everyone tests their dead people.

As for having huge cities .....well Singapore is basically a city nation of 5 million and their deaths per million were 100 times less than yours.

I also believe they are quite “open society” as far as human rights go.

Trump doesn’t understand this epidemic, nor numbers so listening to him doesn’t really make your own understanding of the issue any clearer.

Actually we test people far more than other nations as in Europe

It was reported that they were only testing people for COVID-19, when they ended up in the ER with symptoms

Also, here in the US, hospitals were caught reporting people who died from COVID, who actually died from other issues like car accidents or heart disease.

FYI, New York City alone has 9 million people

Singapore has 5 million, but it's also a very restrictive nation. The company I worked for had a facility there and although being a tightly run nation, the people are not as free as here in the USA

 

[Jonathan Walkerin]

Actually we test people far more than other nations as in Europe

Sure, do provide a link that you are testing more people who have been suspected of dying from Covid 19 then other countries.

Unless, perhaps, you do not want to get in to details , an option we discussed previously.

Since most people who die from Covid have some underlying illnesses that explain their actually dying from the virus or are present due to their advanced age exact classification is of course not 100% sure for anyone.

Do you have any credible source that says those irregularities are somehow more evident in US than other countries and why that would be the case ?

 

[The Barbarian]

In general, he has been successful in his career.

In fact, he would have done better if he had just taken the billions he got from Daddy and invested it in a good fund...

Fortune Magazine comments:
Donald Trump Would Be Richer If He’d Have Invested in Index Funds
Donald Trump’s net worth has grown about 300% to an estimated $4 billion since 1987, according to a report by the Associated Press. But the real estate mogul would have made even more money if he had just invested in index funds. The AP says that, if Trump had invested in an index fund in 1988, his net worth would be as much as $13 billion.

The S&P 500 has grown 1,336% since 1988.
What's More Lucrative: "The Apprentice" or the S&P 500?

I did much better with my money, than Trump has, as a percent of increase in wealth.

Yes, he had some bankruptcies,

Fortunately for him, his 6 bankruptcies were using other people's money. That's why he can't get any American banks to lend him money. He had to resort to Deutsche Bank, which for some reason, lent him money in spite of the objections of some of its officers:

Deutsche Bank’s private wealth unit loaned Trump $48 million — after he had defaulted on his $640 million loan and the bank’s commercial unit didn’t want to lend him any further funds — so that Trump could pay back another unit of Deutsche Bank. “No one has ever seen anything like it,” said David Enrich, finance editor of The New York Times, who is writing a book about the bank and spoke to “Trump, Inc.”
Deutsche Bank loaned Trump’s company $125 million as part of the overall $150 million purchase of the ailing Doral golf resort in Miami in 2012. The loans’ primary collateral was land and buildings that he paid only $105 million for, county land records show. The apparent favorable terms raise questions about whether the bank’s loan was unusually risky.
To widespread alarm, and at least one protest that Trump would not be able to pay his lease obligations, Deutsche Bank’s private wealth group loaned the Trump Organization an additional $175 million to renovate the Old Post Office Building in Washington and turn it into a luxury hotel.
Why Did Deutsche Bank Keep Lending to Donald Trump? — “Trump, Inc.” Podcast — ProPublica

Deutsche Bank faces action over $20bn Russian money-laundering
https://www.theguardian.com/busines...-over-20bn-russian-money-laundering-schemeeme

Yeah, as president, he says some pretty dumb things.

The problem is that he does some really stupid things. The one real crisis he had, he bungled it, and tens of thousands of Americans died because of his incompetence.

But one the he does that politicians in general fail at, is he gets things done.

The wall? Some of his own supporters have turned on him because he failed to do that. And the few bits of wall he did get built are falling apart because the contractor he chose was an idiot whose big advantage is he gave Trump a lot of money.

Obamacare? He promised to remove it as soon as he got into office, and would give us something even better. He failed both promises.

Pay off the debt? He gave us a record deficit by giving himself and his patrons a lavish tax cut, while raising spending. He acts like this is one of his phony corporations that can just go bankrupt after he's drained all the money from his investors.

Restore respect for the United States? The world is laughing at us. They laughed in his face at the United Nations. Our enemies treat us like a joke, and our allies no longer trust us.

If you think that's "getting things done", then we've located the problem.

Despite what the media has said, Trump did handle the pandemic as quick as it was possible.

Well, let's see what doctors and scientists say...

We find significant reductions of the basic reproductive numbers in major metropolitan areas in association with social distancing and other control measures. Counterfactual simulations indicate that, had these same control measures been implemented just 1-2 weeks earlier, a substantial number of cases and deaths could have been averted. Specifically, nationwide, 61.6% of reported infections and 55.0% of reported deaths as of May 3, 2020, could have been avoided if the same control measures had been implemented just one week earlier.
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.15.20103655v1.full.pdf

That's about 36,000 Americans dead,who wouldn't have died, if Trump had acted even a little sooner.

I won't bother getting into the details

That's O.K. I did it for you.

The key is that we need Biden for precisely the reason extremists of both sides hate him; he knows how to reach across the aisle and work with people with whom he disagrees. Trump has dedicated his administration to dividing and weakening America. We need a president who knows how to unite and strengthen the country.