- cross-posted to:
- world@lemmy.world
- cross-posted to:
- world@lemmy.world
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/23416568
Summary
Donald Trump criticized Panama Canal fees as “ridiculous” and demanded lower costs or the canal’s return to the US.
In a Truth Social post, Trump also expressed concern about potential Chinese influence over the waterway, despite no direct Chinese control of canal operations.
The canal, transferred to Panama in 1999, is vital for global trade, handling 5% of maritime traffic.
Trump’s comments follow record revenues of $5 billion announced by the Panama Canal Authority. Panama has not yet responded to his statements.
The reason it has gotten so expensive is that the lake they use to flood the locks is dangerously low. Thing is that lake is also their main source of drinking water. So there is limited capacity unless you deprive the Panamanian people of drinking water. It is a complex issue, and bluster and threats will not make it any better.
But I thought he wanted to reduce imports from China.
Fun fact: according to the scientific consensus*, The Panama Canal is not located in China
*AKA maps. Geography is a science, after all…
What!? Does the NASA is know about this???
Ignore him, and he will go away. Not immediately, but soon. He thrives on your rage.
This just barely qualifies as not the Onion
Pay attention to me! Ignore Luigi and Elon. I’m the news! I will have order!
Hey Panama, it ain’t right that you’re charging people to use the Panama Canal. Give it to me so I can gouge the fuck out of it, including US shipping companies.
Unless they’re prepared to tickle my saggy balks of course, then they get friends and family discount.
take-backsies as the basis for foreign policy
In other words: he was playing golf with some shipping magnate who complained about the high fees.
Nah, he’s just trying to give Russia and China justifications to take back Taiwan and Alaska
Or there was a segment on Fox News.
Or Elon was trying to sound smart
There’s a theory around that Elon even wrote the post.
https://bsky.app/profile/philco.bsky.social/post/3ldu7wfsr6k2g
Sir, do you have the original receipt?
Probably not, since the US essentially stole it.
US wanted to build a canal. The place they wanted to build it was part of Colombia. US backs a secession of the Central American portion of Columbia, creating the nation of Panama. Panama grants the US a 99-year lease on the Canal Zone. US builds canal.
Panama should respond,
“In response to Trump’s statement, Panama will talk with Putin about the possibility of a Russian military base to be built in Panama to safeguard free trade from interference from President Trump.”
Trump can’t get angry at his daddy Putin.
I hate Putin but God please this happen because it would he so funny
Interesting, the fees can almost be directly compared to his tariffs, as in its a government mandated fee on top of goods/ships crossing the border/canal… and Trump does not like them 😅
Starmer should demand that Trump either drop the proposed tariffs or give New England back 😄
…as a lifelong New Englander, I’m not sure if I want to root for or against that proposal! (pre-Brexit it would have been a no-brainer; I’d love to be part of the EU)
Why should anybody care about what you, a resident of the place thinks? This is how trump operates also: not caring about the residents or the people impacted.
I vote we just give the 13 colonies to Canada. That should be fine.
Can we just give them Washington DC?
If we wait until after Jen 25th, does that mean trump is now president of Canada?
No, we’re taking that back too.
I think it’s time to start blocking news about US politics.
An empty feed, eh?
Would recommend it. Much better than having your brain rot away at a massively increased pace for the next four years.
Burying your head in the sand is technically a strategy
As is consuming news like these, getting frustrated over it but not being able to do anything about it and then wrecking your mental health.
Out of all the things I posted, that I thought you were replying to, I thought you were replying to my post that smith & wesson was about to benefit massively from the brain drain that the USA is about to experience over the next 4 years. With the implication of my joke being suicide. Then I read you reccomending it, and I full on belly laughed until I realized you were replying to a completely different comment. I thought you were going even more dark joke than I was…and I was STARTING the bar at suicide. I was like “GOD DAMN!!! This dude is even more depraved than I am! I love it!”
And for anyone out there getting worried…I mean…
…yeah, I don’t have a comfortable end to that sentence. This world is getting dark. The next 4 years are going to be bad. Real bad.
I hope it’s not going to be horrible for most people and since we already live through 4 years of it we probably will live through another four.
The US has elected Beavis and Butt-Head.
Beavis and Butthead had more charm.
Someone should convince him that it’s a good idea to just build a canal through the US.
Back when the atom bomb was still new, people dreamed how easy it would make earthworks.
The US still has thousands of nuclear warheads…
Ok but can we line them all up in advance and blow them all up at once? Film the whole thing from space.
Yeah, but then he’s going to want to build another wall…
Tell him it’s like some kind of water border, like a moat. Immigrants can’t swim across water.
I just was on youtube watching last nights weekend update. They have a yearly christmas time tradition where Colin Jost and Micheal Che write each others jokes in an attempt to roast each other on air. They don’t show each other the jokes until they’re live on the air.
Micheal Che has a running gag of making Colin say the most offensive racist jokes to make Colin look bad for saying it, then cut to Micheal looking mock offended for saying such outlandish things.
It is EXCEPTIONAL, and this years version may be the most brutal edition yet.
Anyways, this all ties into your comment, because my brain was still in the mentality of that segment when I read your comment, and I instantly read it as Colin Jost.
Tell him it’s like some kind of water border, like a moat. Immigrants can’t swim across water…especially the ones from Africa.
cut to Micheal Che
“Colin! I can’t believe you would write that joke for yourself speaking your own true feelings!”
Last nights version was so brutal, Colin started off by saying “Before we get started, I don’t know what I’m about to say, but I appologize in advance!”
And hooooooboy.
All you have to do is turn the nozzle up their near Canada somewhere and the fresh water will from from coast to coast… You could do it in a day
This seems like something Elon Musk could be manipulated to back.
Hyperloop through the US.