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Trump starts fight with Colombia over nothing

Colombia turned away a military jet full of deportees yesterday. Today Donald Trump went ballistic:

There are two critically important points here. First, Colombia turned away the flights solely because they were military. The US normally uses civilian jets operated by ICE for deportation flights and Colombia has made it clear that those are fine. Trump is deliberately provoking a showdown for no reason.

Second, Trump is finally making it clear that he's willing to do a lot more than just threaten tariffs to get his way. The US all but controls the international banking system, and there's nothing to stop Trump from, say, cutting off Colombia from American banks, freezing assets, or levying a wide array of other sanctions. The rest of the world has long been wary of America's unique ability to throw its economic weight around, but it's always been a bit of a hypothetical concern because US presidents have generally moved only against bad actors and after broad consultation. But this takes on a whole new significance with Trump as president. What was once a sort of theoretical concern is now very, very real.

What if Trump seriously tries some of this same stuff against Denmark or Panama or whoever else catches his ire? It's hard to believe we need to take this seriously, but now we do.

46 thoughts on “Trump starts fight with Colombia over nothing

  1. FrankM

    If Trump tries using maximum economic leverage to get his way, the backlash among other countries would be immediate, because they all know they could be next. Remember the EU GDP is about $20 trillion. If they band together, they could seriously threaten US hegemony in the banking system. I'm skeptical they'd go to the mat to protect Columbia, but one of their own would be a different story.

    1. Art Eclectic

      They may do that anyway just to nip it in the bud. His negotiating tactics are well known - all bluster and bombast. If he senses weakness he hones in on it.

    2. Altoid

      Just the other day there was a headline in in my google news feed about progress on a clearing system that doesn't involve the US. I have to think that's been an elevated priority since November 6.

      Amazing kind of idiocy in trump taking for granted all the leverage we've built up since WWI and especially WWII and not recognizing that it comes largely from institutions and relationships he's dead-set on busting up. So I guess if all you care about is breaking things you don't bother asking how the sledgehammer came to be.

      1. Art Eclectic

        I would lay large odds that things are already in motion to mitigate any BS the US decides to pull. The Felon is a known quantity at this point and they know exactly what they are dealing with.

        Most of those countries are dealing with their own right wing uprisings, they know the enemy.

        The US has moved out of the friend category.

      1. TheMelancholyDonkey

        It's the purpose of the EU, yes. Sometimes, they even manage to fulfill that purpose, though you're counting on Viktor Orban playing along.

    3. cmayo

      These are the kinds of things that most concern me when it comes to Trump and long term harm. Yes, there will be lasting, long term harm from everything else he's doing, but destroying the US's standing in the world order may be irreparable. At least we can fight to return rights to everyone who's not a white male, but undermining the unique power and security that we have as the world's financial center is not something you can just undo.

      Do things like this enough and eventually you'll have provided enough nudges and forced enough workarounds that US economic power will be completely eroded. Driving other countries into the arms of alternative financiers, such as the EU and China, is exactly how that happens.

      It's almost like every accusation from Trump is just a confession of what he's going to do.

  2. cld

    If he completely ruins the US and the US economy as an international force the people who voted for him and who vote for Republicans will never know it even happened.

    That's the real issue. It's no longer 'how do you reach the unreachable', it's how do we defend ourselves from the unreachable?

  3. cheweydelt

    What’s with the insistence on not accepting the flights because they’re on military planes, though? Why die on that hill?

        1. rick_jones

          Civilian planes wouldn’t be using the military to deport people and Trump promised he would send the military. Nothing quite like a big military transport plane to make that visible.

          And while I suspect Trump hasn’t costed it out, even if civilian aircraft would be cheaper, it is money being spent “externally”

          Still, it might take some convincing by his “advisors” but Trump might come around to the idea of civilian planes, taking the Colombian leader’s word at face value and start sending deportees of any nationality to Columbia on civilian planes.

    1. Altoid

      Just a guess, but I'd have to think there's a fairly strict protocol for a foreign military anything to be present in any country, and which would apply even to mere overflights, let alone actually *landing* a military plane. Remember Kash Patel fibbing about having gotten cleared for overflight by an African country and putting an entire operation at risk of getting shot down.

      Ironically, one place that wouldn't apply is Greenland, where our military apparently has freedom to go around pretty much at will.

      1. cheweydelt

        You’re probably right on that. God, this is all absolute idiocy. I can’t believe we have to deal with another four years of this dumb fucking bullshit.

  4. Heysus

    Wake up folks, it has arrived. The idiot didn’t destroy the US the first time. This time he is even more bound and determined, along with his syncophantic tribe.

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  6. Honeyboy Wilson

    Trump just raised the price of coffee by 25% to 50% to go along with the price of eggs and bacon. We'll almost immediately see if people are really concerned with such price increases.

    1. Traveller

      Yes, Quaker...I am about to use that very word on a right.ish travel site...I have to return a call to Colombia at this moment....will there be any anti-american backlash for ex-pats? Damned if I know. But insane is the perfect word.

  7. MindGame

    Assuming what I read on Bluesky is true, the flights with military planes also cost 10x more than chartered flights. So it's lunacy all the way down.

    1. KJK

      The Orange Felon also puts these folks in shackles for the flight, just for added thrill of imposing additional discomfort and humiliation on whom he considers to be subhuman.

    2. Five Parrots in a Shoe

      The people who maintain military aircraft are mostly enlisted military personnel, supplemented by a few civilians. They do a good job, but they are not at all efficient, because the workforce in a given location turns over every two years. Training is a major, constant effort.

      Parts for military aircraft are obtained through the military procurement process. The less said about that, the better.

      Pilots and crews are military personnel. Their salaries are not impressive, but the cost to the government of having them there is enormous (recruiting, training, housing, etc.).

      So, while I'm not sure military aviation actually costs 10X more than commercial, it is going to be way, way higher.

  8. Altoid

    Not sure I'd agree it's "over nothing." Doesn't the herr trump have a track record of picking fights with leftist Latin American countries and leaders? This one wasn't yet in office the last time trump was.

    1. Art Eclectic

      I plugged that into ChatGPT but haven't verified the information.

      ChatGPT
      If the world were to shift from using the US dollar to the euro as the primary reserve currency, it would have several significant effects on the US economy:

      Reduced Demand for Dollars: The US dollar's status as the world’s primary reserve currency means that there's consistent demand for it, especially for international trade and as foreign governments hold reserves in dollars. If the euro took its place, demand for the dollar would decline, leading to a decrease in its value relative to other currencies.

      Higher Borrowing Costs: As the dollar loses its dominance, the US might face higher interest rates because foreign countries would hold fewer US assets (like Treasury bonds). This could increase borrowing costs for both the government and American consumers.

      Weaker Dollar: A reduction in demand for the dollar would likely cause its value to depreciate. While this might benefit US exporters (making American goods cheaper for foreign buyers), it could also lead to higher import costs, contributing to inflation in the US.

      Inflationary Pressures: The shift away from the dollar could lead to inflation. A weaker dollar means more expensive imports, which would increase the cost of goods and services in the US. If the dollar continues to lose value, the Fed might need to raise interest rates to control inflation, which could further slow down economic growth.

      Geopolitical Consequences: The US would lose some of its global economic influence. The dollar’s dominance allows the US to have a strong role in international trade and finance. Losing this would reduce Washington's leverage in global economic and political matters.

      Shift in Financial Markets: The US financial markets could also see a decline in foreign investments if the dollar is no longer the primary reserve currency. This could affect stock markets, real estate, and other financial assets as foreign investors would seek alternatives.

      Overall, such a shift would likely be destabilizing in the short term and could result in a period of economic adjustment for the US. However, the long-term effects would depend on the specific circumstances, including the stability of the euro and how the US adapts to the new financial landscape.

      1. FrankM

        This has been a frequent topic for Paul Krugman. He doesn't see it as being a disaster, but there will be some effects along those lines.

        1. ScentOfViolets

          Yes. I decided to kick in $7/month for the extra content. He was half my reason for subscribing to the NYT as long as I did; Jamelle Bouie was the other half.

  9. D_Ohrk_E1

    IDK bruh, I'm really fucking loving this tsunami of chaos that the convicted felon Trump is bringing. The bigger and faster the wave hits, the shorter his stay in the White House.

      1. Art Eclectic

        By the Grim Reaper most likely, lord knows the Republicans won't do it (MAGA would hunt them down if they dared).

    1. Larry Jones

      @ D_Ohrk_E1

      Trump is going to do at least his full four years in the White House. Republicans in Congress won't vote to remove him, and his supporters among the rabble think he can do no wrong. And, said "supporters" now know they have a get out of jail free card should they threaten or physically attack anyone who goes against their god-king.

  10. kenalovell

    So in less than a week, the Peacemaker President has provoked pointless hostility from Denmark, the EU, other NATO members, Panama, Mexico, Canada, Jordan, Egypt and now Colombia. Domestically, he's picked pointless fights with California, Illinois, the Pentagon, the civil service and the Reserve Bank.

    Like his fans excitedly say, he's done more in a week than Biden did in four years.

  11. jdubs

    The reality show president delivers. The writing, story arcs and characters may seem poorly developed and unoriginal, but this is what people wanted. Short bursts of entertainment and drama that serve no purpose other than a few minutes of drama.

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