Michelle Goldberg managed to get a pre-publication copy of John Bolton's new book. And, having read it, she writes that the book
describes a conversation Trump had with Xi at the opening dinner of the Group of 20 meeting in Osaka, Japan, with only their interpreters present: “Xi explained to Trump why he was basically building concentration camps in Xinjiang. According to our interpreter, Trump said that Xi should go ahead with building the camps, which he thought was exactly the right thing to do.”
It is impossible, at this late date, to be shocked by the behavior of our depraved president. Nor is it surprising, given Trump’s treatment of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, that he is pro-concentration camp.
But Americans should know that China’s detention of over a million people largely on religious grounds — a project that reports say includes torture, sterilization and forcing Uighur women to sleep with members of China’s Han majority to promote “ethnic unity” — is happening with our president’s behind-the-scenes approval. (In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Trump denied the account in Bolton’s book.)
The book contains other revelations:
Bolton provides, albeit belatedly, firsthand confirmation that Trump did exactly what he was impeached for — leveraging American military aid in exchange for Ukraine’s help in smearing Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden: “Aug. 20, I took Trump’s temperature on the Ukraine security assistance, and he said he wasn’t in favor of sending them anything until the Russia-investigation materials related to Clinton and Biden had been turned over,” Bolton writes.
Earlier Bolton describes him “pleading with Xi” for help in the 2020 election by making agricultural purchases from farm states. Though Bolton writes that the government’s pre-publication reviewers prevented him from using Trump’s exact words, Vanity Fair saw an unredacted version of the passage: “Make sure I win. I will probably win anyway, so don’t hurt my farms. … Buy a lot of soybeans and wheat and make sure we win.”
While all of this is meant to paint Trump in the darkest of hues, it does nothing to enhance Bolton's reputation. He had the opportunity to testify to all of this but chose not to. He deserves no red badge of courage. But he does confirm that, in Trump World, it's ugliness all around.
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12 comments:
Goldberg writes about China "forcing Uighur women to sleep with members of China’s Han majority." There's no sleeping going on, this is called rape. Why not just call it what it is?
As for Trump, he's so far been reported to have asked three countries for election assistance: Russia, Ukraine and China. I bet he does this with all countries at every meeting, which is why Merkel is refusing to attend his G7 summit. Of course, the Canadian government and media are too "discrete" to report the demands Trump made on Trudeau.
Cap
Canada is being typically Canadian, Cap -- discrete. But no amount of discretion can hide who and what Trump is.
Diplomacy , to be sucessful, has to be discreet Cap.
We're not "discrete." Never confuse discretion with moral weakness. There was a time when Liberals would have roundly rejected what, today, passes for that very same party. The continuum has been lost, broken at least as far back as Ignatieff's reign and continued under Trudeau the Lesser. The party of Laurier, St. Laurent, Pearson and Pierre Trudeau has been extinguished. I think the last progressive Liberal was Lloyd Axworthy and we'll probably not see his like return to the Liberal front benches for a long time.
And with Trump, rumley, discretion -- unfortunately -- is the better part of valour.
What you say about Lloyd Axworthy is probably true, Mound. However, Mike Pearson also knew something about discretion.
Discrete? Surely you jest.
Discreet is the word you're looking for, Owen.
BM
I take your point, BM. Hard to believe I were an English teacher.
Bolton was finished with it all. why would he want to put himself through the ringer at those hearings. The Republicans weren't going to change their minds in the Senate, so why go ahead with it. Bolton, did his job, for many years and saw a way to make some real money on his way out. Its the good old American way. I personally do not blame him for how he handled any of it. One could say Bolton was simply "getting even" with all of them.
Reports have been out on what was going on In china with the Muslim minority. the rest of the world knew about the human rights violations and the concentration camps. who is even surprised Trump was O.K. with it. I'm not. He just fine with the concentration camps he built for Latin people and the children. why dump on Bolton. Some of what he writes, people already knew and no one did anything about or even said anything about. It was all about the profits they make.
The raping of the women is due also to the extreme shortage of women in China due to their former one child policy. these women are being used as unwilling sex trade workers. We all recall Japan during WW II used Korean women as "comfort" women, well China is doing it now. Its an attempt by China to destroy families of the muslim faith. Its not like Canada has said anything much about it either. So why blame Bolton for keeping his mouth shut and trying to make some money. As I write, its the American way an we in Canada aren't that different. Its not like we've opened the doors to allow them refugee status if they manage to get here, now have we.
There are sins of omission all around, e.a.f. Bolton is one of many who have committed them. Sometimes you have to speak out -- even when you know it will make no difference.
Yes, Owen you are correct. It is better if we speak out even if it makes no difference except to perhaps ourselves, but my take on Bolton is in the end, he didn't care about any of them in politics because he was just a "hired gun" and being one, he took care of himself. No one else was going to.
There are people who will work for one side of the table and then the other, its whomever pays them the most money. Some people won't do it ever. I've seen it so even if I don't agree, I understand it.
It's pretty clear that Bolton is very good at feathering his own nest, e.a.f -- like Trump himself.
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