Earlier this week, Donald Trump tweeted the following with regard to the UCLA basketball players who were arrested in China for shoplifting:
Ok, now we’re going to politely ask you to recall what we said about that. To wit:
First, that is wildly inappropriate under these circumstances. This is an international incident (albeit a trivial one). The important part here is that you got the Americans home, not whether they “thank you” for basically doing your job.
If you’re the President of the United States and three college freshmen are headed for a possible jail sentence in China for stealing sunglasses, you bring their asses home. End of story. It is not a “favor” you have done for the college students. Sure, you expect them to express their gratitude and no, they should not have been stealing sunglasses, but the idea that this was something that Trump didn’t have to do is laughable. Also, he refers to himself in the third person there, just for a little extra dose of absurdity.
Additionally, you’re reminded that contrary to Trump’s assertion that he was instrumental in bringing them home, this wasn’t going to amount to anything in the first place because the Ball family is famous. If you missed it, here’s a bit of background color from the Washington Post that underscores the contention that at least one of the players did not in fact need Trump’s assistance:
The story also eclipsed the Ball family’s entry into the Chinese market. In concert with the middle son’s expected participation in the game, the family’s shoe and apparel business, Big Baller Brand, opened the first of two pop-up stores in Shanghai on Friday. At the event, LaVar Ball declined to answer questions about the incident, which came after he had canceled a news conference to promote the opening. The father appeared to get himself in hot water last week after telling ESPN he didn’t think the incident was a big deal.
While LiAngelo Ball remains in custody in Hangzhou, his older brother continues to suit up for his NBA team. Speaking to reporters in Phoenix Monday morning ahead of a game against the Suns, Lonzo Ball said in speaking to both his youngest brother, LaMelo, and father over the past few days, that it seems like the situation is moving closer to a resolution.
[…]
Meanwhile, the rest of the family – LaVar Ball, his wife and youngest son – have traveled to Hong Kong, where its second pop-up store is set to open Tuesday. UCLA’s next game is at home Wednesday against the University of Central Arkansas.
Just to drive that home, here’s what LaVar ball had to say about his son’s predicament when the whole thing started in Hangzhou:
I’m going to wait until I get more intel on what’s going on. He’ll be fine. Everyone’s making it a big deal. It ain’t that big a deal.
Right. That’s not to say that famous people who are making inroads into the Chinese sports merchandise market and whose global brand is becoming more recognizable virtually by the week should be above the law, it’s just to say that the reality of this situation is there was zero chance that LiAngelo Ball was going to end up rotting in a Chinese prison with or without Trump’s help. Again: that’s not a defense of shoplifting, it’s just reality.
Realizing that, LaVar ball said the following when asked by ESPN about Trump’s role in the incident:
Who? What was he over there for? Don’t tell me nothing. Everybody wants to make it seem like he helped me out.
Trump being Trump, he chose to take the high road, noting in a carefully worded statement that regardless of why the young men are back in America, the important part is that they are safe and have hopefully learned a valuable lesson they can carry with them going forward.
I’m just kidding.
Donald Trump just got on Twitter and said he should have left all three of the college freshmen in a Chinese jail.
A quick note for the President: if the media “sins of the father” are enough to warrant harsh prison sentences for minor infractions committed by the son, well then we should throw Eric and Jr. in prison for the rest of their lives.
Is it proper for Americans to pray for this:
1. That a bottomless sinkhole not open beneath the White House bedroom that Trump sleeps in at a time that he is fast asleep in it?
On the other hand, is it equally proper for Americans to pray for this:
2. That a bottomless sinkhole opens beneath the White House bedroom that Trump sleeps in at a time that he is fast asleep in it?
I do not encourage prayer in either instance. I’m agnostic to the use of prayer in this regard.
I’m simply asking benign questions about the power of prayer, and secondaraly, about the kind of things that Americans pray about and the propriety of same.
Is it proper for me to ask?
Quite the opposite of how Obama helped the Marine in Mexico , Hey ?
I am already tired of your Trump bashing and leaving because of it. If you were really fair and logical you would have mentioned this, but instead you go deeper on the partisan garbage ! Sounding almost like Phil Davis the Hillary/Obama pumper extreme. How many crimes did they commit that are verifiable and how many for Trump ? Some fucking common sense might work and yes I know Trump is not the perfect guy by any stretch ! I call bullshit on you own partisan BS !
LOL! clearly, a fool has fallen into the wrong column!
H’s blog, he can write what he wants.
I read this blog and comments because:
I believe that the interplay of USA politics and the global economy are tied together.
I also believe that a common low-life elected to be the Chief Executive of the largest Corporation in the history of man – is going to fuck it up big time.
WE, as the board of directors of this corporation called the USA, have been asleep at the wheel for a few decades.
I pray that the future Board of Directors of this country learn from our mistakes.
I got more curious so I did some research – easy Google. And the best I read that had the answers is this link. If you want to know more, my Google request was ‘obama help marine in mexico?’ So, this link is a Q&A with great information. If not enough for you, follow my Google suggestion – but the answers are all about the same as this link provides.
https://www.quora.com/Why-didnt-Pres-Obama-or-then-Sec-Clinton-support-Marine-Sgt-Andrew-Tahmooressi-during-his-incarceration-in-a-Mexican-jail-for-214-days
Dear DTET.com – take it easy now. End of the day, Barry was/is no different than Donald – same thing, different package. Trump did little or nothing substantive about the shoplifters but said he did and Barry probably did little or nothing substantive about the gun runner and never claimed to have done so. Fact is, nobody should have done anything for any of them except to be sure they got what they deserved.
The fact is that Americans seem to have this sense of global entitlement that they go anywhere and take a crap on other people’s front lawns around the country and get away with it. Well, we’d be a lot better off if everyone were disabused of that ill-conceived sense of false superiority. I go back a while, have been around the globe, and enjoyed some degree of privilege knowing that, at the end of the day, I would probably be rescued from a worst case scenario. That said, however, it was made perfectly clear to me from a very early age that: A) I had better damned well be on my best behavior overseas and, if not, B) the punishment/consequences on returning from some foreign escapade unscathed could be worse than what may have befallen me over there. More importantly, it was drilled into me to never, ever take it for granted that privilege would automatically entitle me to a free pass.
Trump, in this case, may have been right the second time, in his follow up remark, when he suggested maybe he should have just let them go to jail over there. There would have been plenty of time to work out something quietly but, in the meantime, a lesson would have been learned. I seem to recall a situation in Singapore or somewhere similar where an American graffiti “artist” was caned and I saw absolutely nothing wrong with that (the caning) and no reason for the US Government to intervene.
Marty, I pray you find the answers you seek. Me? My prays and thoughts keep going out to those families who have lost loved ones in mindless shootings “allowed” by an 18th century document and falsely bastardized by a group of gun company lobbyists. Pray is so powerful.
Yeah that damned worthless old document and its Amendments, like 1, 4, 5, and 6. Oh, yeah let’s not forget 2. You don’t get to pick and choose just because you don’t like speech or oh say, guns.
Stick to your economic and financial analysis which is good and do yourself a favor.
Thinking does not seem to be your strong suit. Maybe DowntoEarthStrikingOutRandomly.com would be better.
Rather than me repeat myself in almost every column that contains the word trump…may I ask that you please read my comment in Heisenberg’s column:
https://heisenbergreport.com/2017/11/19/so-theyll-bleed-here-are-the-winners-and-losers-from-trumps-middle-class-tax-cut/
Marty and Dan, I am in complete agreement with both of you! Marty, I am working on prayer #2.
My two cents worth (not that anyone cares).
I don’t think he should have intervened (assuming he did; I haven’t followed the details) for these reasons:
1) if I am a Chinese, it pisses me off that some foreigner gets off from paying for a crime I would go to jail for.
2) I don’t think they were sincere in their public apology.
3) it teaches and confirms once again that even minor fame gets you a pass for being assholes.
4) it’s not helping our image that we demand special treatment for Americans in foreign countries.
As for his tweets, yes, he’s an idiot . . . but, why pay attention to him in the first place in these matters. OK, if he talks about starting WW III, but this? Just ignore it, already.
I care enough to tell you I agree with all 4 of your reasons. I will also say I think that trump highly exaggerates every word out of his mouth. I doubt he had any or not much influence but of course he thinks but not for him, they would have been executed. And the audacity to demand a thank you. HA! Just continues to show what a self absorbed jerk he is.
The young men certainly did not seem to be sincere and they read their letters completely monotone and I doubt they even wrote 3 words of it! That one guy’s father bragged about the expensive tennis shoes that are manufactured in China that apparently he felt sure the young men would be sent home quickly once China figured out who they had arrested. Whatever.
If trump was the man he thinks he is or if he wanted to take credit for doing something right, he could have made a ruckus about the shoes not being Made In America!
So, my take on the whole story is that the 3 guys, the arrogant father and trump and all assholes.
Murphy – that’s by far the best take on this situation that I have read. Hopefully the prospective customers of the lousy shoes they peddle will wake up and make another selection.
Ball and his pathetic Father are punk asses..It’s NOT any President’s job to rescue any over entitled Basketball player from prosecution for stealing in another Country. No..not “whatever…” Murphy.. But it all works out because the knee jerk Trump addicts got their little fixes for the day and can now sleep it off til the pusher comes y again tomorrow and reminds them they are due.
So where are the stories about the whining, lying Hillary? And here lying, sexual predator husband?? Oh..my bd..I forgot..we have an agenda here.
Hello Pinelli — my Whatever comment was a shrug and eye roll to the dad who thinks he is so important that China would have rushed to send his precious son home. You just are not as smart as you think you are.
It shows in many ways – in particular when you trumpturds think the way to defend him is to throw out a hillary slander. btw, she wasn’t the predator so you just look weak for dragging her into your comment.
Perhaps if all the News Networks, legit print media and reliable online news sources stopped covering Trump, his tweets and his White House for a week. Recall the Wicked Witch of West when she comes in contact with water?
What alternate fantasy self stimulating world do you live in??? Where would good old Heisy be without Donald’s ass to kick several times a week? What would talk shows talk about? Maybe they should also stop covering Clinton???
That’s a funny take.
Perhaps you hold a black belt in missing the point?!
See Pin head – you gotta throw out a hillary card because you have no way to defend your fucking moron from the gazillion reporters and citizens who see him as he really is — and your crowd is either blind or stupid or blind and stupid. And if you want to talk about a fantasy self stimulating world, you are the one living in it.
H spends more than half his time and column space on financial conversations – his trump columns are simply for his amusement.