Rocky Start
The Wall Street Journal reports G-7 Summit Off to Rocky Start as U.S. Officials Assail France.
The Group of Seven summit got off to a turbulent start Saturday as U.S. officials privately criticized President Emmanuel Macron for his handling of the meeting after the French leader invited President Trump to an impromptu lunch to press him on issues ranging from Iran to the fires in the Amazon.
Hours after Mr. Trump arrived in France, U.S. officials privately accused Mr. Macron of ignoring Washington’s input ahead of the event and of focusing its agenda on “niche” issues, such as climate change and development in Africa, to appeal to the French president’s political base.
Climate change was a major focus of last year’s G-7, too, and other world leaders said the issue was a priority ahead of this year’s summit, particularly as fires raging in the Amazon have prompted concerns about damage to the region’s ecosystem and the global environment.
The flurry of criticism came after Mr. Macron intercepted Mr. Trump moments after his arrival in Biarritz, inviting him to a tête-à-tête lunch without any of their aides at the table. The two hadn’t been scheduled to meet one-on-one.
On Saturday, U.S. officials accused the French of privately blaming the White House in conversations with other countries for not wanting to reach a consensus ahead of the summit—a notion U.S. officials rejected. The U.S. does, however, support not issuing a joint communiqué this year, saying such statements have become a “catchall,” officials said.
Smiling Faces
Good or Bad?
Yesterday morning, many media outlets posted the above image hinting at intense cooperation.
Surprise not.
But, is this open feuding good or bad?
As I started writing this post my inclination was neither. This is more meaningless nonsense.
Every year the G-7 gets together and puts out some fluff rah-rah let’s have more trade rah-rah.
Every year it’s meaningless chatter. France will not move on free trade. And now Trump won’t either.
Different Isn’t Bad
Different isn’t bad, but it may not be any good.
I suspect more meaningless nonsense.
But if I had to choose between good and bad, I would take good.
Let the fists fly.
Mike “Mish” Shedlock
النجاح ستون لديكورات الحجر الهاشمي
link to elnagahstone.com“مقاول حجر هاشمي النجاح ستون
اسعار مقاول حجر هاشمي 2021 – اسعار حجر هاشمي هيصم 2021- مقاول حجر هاشمي كريمي 2021.
link to elnagahstone.com
اسعار تشطيبات الحجر الهاشمي 2021 واحدث شغل حجر هاشمي بالتجمع الخامس
تركيب دبش مجفف على الناشف بالسلك 2021 مع شركة النجاح ستون للاحجار المصرية
اسعار الحجر الهاشمي النجاح ستون
حجر هاشمي النجاح ستون
توريد وتركيب حجر هاشمي
مميزات وعيوب الحجر الهاشمي
واجهات فلل وقصور
تشطيب واجهات حجر هاشمي
حجر هاشمي هيصم وكريمي
انواع الحجر الهاشمي واشكال مختلفة للحجر الهاشمي
ديكورات وواجهات حجر هاشمي النجاح ستون
تصميمات حديثة لواجهات الحجر الهاشمي
ديكورات فلل وقصور وعماير
احدث ديكورات الحجر الهاشمي
مهندسين حجر هاشمي ومقاولين حجر هاشمي
النجاح ستون لديكورات الحجر الهاشمي
link to elnagahstone.com“مقاول حجر هاشمي النجاح ستون
اسعار مقاول حجر هاشمي 2021 – اسعار حجر هاشمي هيصم 2021- مقاول حجر هاشمي كريمي 2021.
link to elnagahstone.com
اسعار تشطيبات الحجر الهاشمي 2021 واحدث شغل حجر هاشمي بالتجمع الخامس
تركيب دبش مجفف على الناشف بالسلك 2021 مع شركة النجاح ستون للاحجار المصرية
اسعار الحجر الهاشمي النجاح ستون
حجر هاشمي النجاح ستون
توريد وتركيب حجر هاشمي
مميزات وعيوب الحجر الهاشمي
واجهات فلل وقصور
تشطيب واجهات حجر هاشمي
حجر هاشمي هيصم وكريمي
انواع الحجر الهاشمي واشكال مختلفة للحجر الهاشمي
ديكورات وواجهات حجر هاشمي النجاح ستون
تصميمات حديثة لواجهات الحجر الهاشمي
ديكورات فلل وقصور وعماير
احدث ديكورات الحجر الهاشمي
مهندسين حجر هاشمي ومقاولين حجر هاشمي
….Champagne and kaviar always tend to create a jolly atmosphere…. and when it comes to it we can print some more money… and the amazon….bwah, who still needs an ecosystem these days as long as we have an ipad and (private) planes….and kaviar and champagne, of course ….
croissants, pate, fromage…..
I wonder what is discussed behind closed doors. I suppose we may never know. The public banter may be just a smoke screen.
Wouldn’t it be nice to decide the China/US trade tiff, by putting Xi/Trump in a boxing pen and have 10 rounds? The winner gets to set the rules. Similarly for the Nordstream gas line . It will be Trump/Merkel 🙂 in the boxing ring. If Trump wins, Germany buys American gas.
“Our house is burning. Literally. The Amazon rain forest – the lungs which produces 20% of our planet’s oxygen – is on fire. It is an international crisis,” Macron tweeted.
Had he done this about Angola or Congo, nobody would have cared. It is all posturing and winning votes.
Besides, the Amazon rain forest, while nice and a valuable resource, is not “the lungs of the planet”. According to Dan Nepstad, reportedly one of the world’s leading experts on the Amazon rain forest: “There’s no science behind that. The Amazon produces a lot of oxygen but it uses the same amount of oxygen through respiration so it’s a wash.”
“Climate change was a major focus of last year’s G-7, too, and other world leaders said the issue was a priority ahead of this year’s summit, particularly as fires raging in the Amazon have prompted concerns about damage to the region’s ecosystem and the global environment.”
Didn’t see anything about this on the local “news.” link to zerohedge.com
After this weekend’s reports of the President’s comments among our allies, I wonder how much longer it will be before serious influential citizens (read the people with money and power) begin to quietly discuss and deal with the President’s apparently failing mental health. Was this quietly discussed at JH? It is inconceivable that it’s not being considered. Prudent citizens in power will remain silent until they are united in principle.
I read it as a sign of progress that Trump agreed to attend at all, versus sending Pence, as I expected. I’m optimistic that he can, and is learning, but nothing useful is likely to result. G7 meetings are what’s known in business as “Sniff-in” meetings: None attending either expect or want change and are there to sniff out threats. Such was Macron’s lunch meeting with Trump.
An optimist could also imagine a ray of hope that, in the wake of yet another G7 nothing burger meeting, someone will eventually float the idea of the need for a functional GX/WTO equivalent forum providing an opportunity for fair and impartial arbitration of trade disputes. I don’t anticipate real progress on the following difficult issues without such a forum:
Germany dominates european trade and finance via the ECU and is keenly sensitive to any threat to her export engine.
China has grown up economically in 40 years through mercantilism and disregard of IP rights. She’s having a difficult time dealing with rising demands that she now play by the big boy trade rules and Trump’s Tweet negotiation tactics provide ample fodder for demagogues everywhere.
Overall, progress maybe…in the sense of having to go through Gettysburg to get to Appomattox.
Something is needed but it’s not G7.
The thought of every larger trading blocks battling it out is depressing and leads to where we are now and finally to full conflict. Only a matter of time.
Isn’t G6+1 outdated? What can they achieve? G20 is more meaningful
Feuding is part of patterned human behavior. The rapid and intense change from cooperation to disagreement means Western civilization is entering an economic slowdown of large scale proportions.
If Trump gets his way, it would be all about China. And why ain’t you free loading Euro trash buying more defective U.S. military for NATO and aiming it at Russia? (hope Euros don’t awake from their coma and realize they have more in common with Russia than Outlaw American Evil Empire…jut like Putin told them so…and start buying better made Russian arms and aim at U.S.).
But back to Trump:
If he had his way, he’d have China join G-whatever just so he could kick the out too, then he’d kick out France, Germany, England, Spain and the rest of the yapping poodles…etc, have Russia join as he imposed more sanctions on her because Seth Rich leaking Hillary and Podesta’s emails.
Make sense? Of course not. It’s the Trumpeter.
G-7 is a lot of pretending. The autocrats have more impact on the global stage which isnt surprisingly. While the G-7 is busy booking a conference room, the autocrats are executing their next move.
I never said Trump wasnt an autocrat. It’s easy to tell who is and isnt. Most members of the G-7 are the conference room bookers. Trump is the albino there.
Lastly. Body language on that photo.
Macron face off to Johnson, Merkel looks worried in between.
It says something.
Conte looks furtive and towards the back, perhaps wondering if he should be there at all, with Macron turning away as if Conte is unimportant and Tusk looks like Tusk, as photogenic as ever.
I might have some very little respect for Trump if he didn’t bother to turn up. Same for Johnson.
Didn’t Macron want to go into the theatre?
That’s all it is on a big stage.
Theatre.
On the group picture of 5, at least 3 are closer to exit stage left than entrance stage right. You might say it’s true of all of them.
At least it is of Tusk. Conte. Merkel and probably Johnson.
Macron unpopular but grins like an idiot.
What a waste of time and money, talking crap. Waiting to finish the role on a juicy index linked pension courtesy of the pleb tax drones.
All a-holes playing a part.
Meanwhile…the UK Brexit Secretary has signed an order to end all EU law in the UK.
Now, that’s doing something!