Verräter Donald Trump

Jul 28, 2016 Bernard-Henri Lévy

PARIS: Sollte Donald Trump Präsident werden, hätten die USA ein vielschichtiges Problem. Und die Welt auch.

Zunächst einmal wäre seine unfassbare Vulgarität problematisch. Amerika hat schon viel erlebt, aber noch keinen potenziellen Präsidenten, der in einer Fernsehdebatte die Größe seines Penis diskutiert.

Problematisch wäre auch sein krankhafter Frauenhass. In einem Gespräch im Jahre 1992 mit dem Architekten Philip Johnson, über das in der Zeitschrift New York berichtet wurde, äußerte er: „Man muss sie wie Scheiße behandeln.“ Trump betrachtet Frauen auch heute noch als ekelerregende Wesen, bei denen – wie er über die bei Fox News tätige Journalistin Megyn Kelly äußerte – „Blut wer weiß wo rauskommt.“

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The Great Kazoo Sep 20, 2016

The only ones who should be afraid of Trump are the globalists.
There has been no consent from the people to discard the constitution in favor of globalism.
It's the globalists who are the traitors, not Trump.
We are still after all, a country of laws.
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Enrique Woll Battistini Sep 1, 2016

A CRYSTAL BALL READING: "The implications of Trump’s election would be truly terrifying. The problem would not only be his vulgarity, sexism, racism, and defiant ignorance. It would be his possible infidelity to America itself. The party of Eisenhower and Reagan has been commandeered by a corrupt demagogue who betrays not only his country’s ideals, but also its fundamental national interest."
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Manu Oquendo Aug 5, 2016

Funny how the elite of useless pseudointelectuals screams at the thought of an outsider taking over the reins of their livelihood.
Since 1970 the average werstern citizen is sinking into the spreading lumpen.
And M. Lévy is terrified of someone who recalls the fact?

Also remarkable is Mrs. Clinton's loss of face with Elizabeth Warren. A voice to silence? Now?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akVL7QY0S8A

I do not like Mr. Trump but the real problema is Mrs. Clinton: The Warmonger. The incompetent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmIRYvJQeHM
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Adrian Soimu Aug 4, 2016

In accusing Donald Trump of anti-Semitism, Mr. Lévy conveniently omits to mention that his daughter Ivanka not only married the scion of a prominent real-estate developing Jewish family, but that she also converted to Judaism. If Trump would be such an anti-Semite, he would have at least cut relations with her, and certainly wouldn't have her introducing him to the Republican Convention!
By the way, I never saw a line of apology from Mr. Lévy for his nefarious role in bringing down the Libyan regime of Col. Khadafi (he was instrumental in persuading the then-French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, of the necessity to bring down the dictator, and then in convincing the American administration to enforce a no-fly zone). No regrets ever from Mr. Lévy for the catastrophe which fell upon the country and the living hell Libya is today...

Adrian Soimu, Montreal QC
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TRIQUI AHMED Aug 3, 2016

Trump n'est pas ma tasse de thé et les élections dans l'Empire une vaste question de financement donc d'argent. Mais que monsieur Lévy soit aussi dur avec Trump qu'avec Saddam Hussein devrait nous interpeller : en cas d'élection de Trump, peut être demandera-t-il le bombardement de Washington DC au nom de la démocratie ou alors l'envahissement des USA avec une armée d'occupation onusienne voire martienne.
Déjà sur le Brexit, la confusion et les erreurs de monsieur Lévy furent totales ; il ne reste plus qu'à se demander en quoi l'élection de Trump est possible et les analyses de monsieur Lévy, erronées.
Enfin on peut s'interroger sur le fait que PS ne traduise pas les textes d'un commentateur tel que monsieur Lévy qui est me semble-t-il français aspirant au rayonnement de la culture française, demeurant sur un anglo-américain d'aéroport. Cela est bigrement surprenant.
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jagjeet sinha Aug 2, 2016

Brexit was merely a trailer.
Amexit is the movie.

The Party incubated by Presidents Eisenhower and Reagan - 1945 / 2015 - comes to an end.
Those who caused the end - and they would know - perhaps will suffer the higgest collateral damage.

Brexit had to happen.
Amexit too had to happen.

History always made when Geography changes.
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eusebio manuel Aug 2, 2016

Not vote Trump
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Charles Cunningham Aug 1, 2016

Trump is a worry – no doubt about it.

His vulgarity, the crudeness of the delivery of the message and his general obnoxious nature may obscure that Trump is articulating a coherent policy platform. I am not an economist or diplomat so do not pretend to know whether the policies that he espouses would work, but for everyone’s information here is what I believe lies behind his public utterances.

On Economics:
Premise: There are not enough well paid jobs in America. (This is a widely held belief with plenty of statistical evidence to support it, e.g. static real wages since 1999 etc)

Causes:
1. Unfair global competition from mercantile newly industrialised countries (Especially China and Mexico) resulting in the off-shoring of manufacturing industry and jobs.
2. Unrestricted migration of low and semi skilled labour to USA resulting in over supply forcing down wages

Solutions:
1. Massive tariffs and renegotiate trade deals to redress unfair competition – this doesn’t include trade with developed western countries e.g. Trump is happy for a free trade deal with the UK.
2. The “Big Beautiful Wall” to choke of migration of low/semi skilled labour (by enforcing the laws already passed by congress to restrict migration)
3. Corporate tax reform (reduce rate from 35% to 15%?) to encourage US multinationals to repatriate overseas profits to invest in domestic industrial production – e.g. encourage Apple to make iPhones in California and not China
4. Plenty of infrastructure investment to improve economic efficiency

The implied effect of these policies is to create a labour shortage in the USA which will lead to rising real wages and hence more well paid jobs.

On Foreign Policy:

Premise 1: America can’t defend the world any more by itself

Cause: The American economy is now too small relative to the rest of the world to fund global defence

Solution: America’s allies need to do more – since they are obviously reluctant to do so - bully them with the threat that unless they pull their weight (spend more on defence) America can’t be expected to come to their aid.

The implied effect of this policy is to get America’s allies to spend more on defence so that America can send less leaving room for tax cuts or increased social/health spending (an American NHS?)

Premise 2: Islam is at war with the west (and every one else who isn’t a muslim) – a clash of civilizations is happening and that this is an existential threat for the west.

Cause: Excessive muslim population growth coupled with obvious economic failure and bad governance in muslim countries leading to the rise of fundamentalist islam.

Solution – Contain the Islamic threat until the demographic bulge has passed and the war within Islam has burned itself out by:
1. Limiting Muslim migration to the west to prevent the growth of a hostile and difficult to eradicate population at war with the west that will destroy western civilization from the inside by corroding western values.
2. Forming alliances with other non western powers, especially Russia, who are also threatened by Islam.
3. Taking over the management and defence of the oil and gas industries in Muslim countries to prevent global economic disruption as a result of the expected collapse of the rule of law in those countries.

The implication of this is that the Islamic threat will last for generations.

I think that the underlying thinking behind Trump’s policy vision is a belief that the west faces a Clash of Civilizations. Its America and a reluctant West against Islam, China etc. So Trump is not advocating a retreat into American isolationism, this is something else.

Finally, all the vulgarity, the crudeness of the delivery of the message and his general obnoxious nature I think is simply an electioneering persona, targeting his audience.

Time will tell - less than a 100 days to go to find out if there really is a coherent platform behind The Donald!
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GARRY ROWLEY Aug 1, 2016

People vote for Trump because of people like Levy.
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Patrice Ayme Aug 1, 2016

The last few times I saw Bernard Henri Levy (BHL) on TV, 2016, he talked to no end about "Jewishness", and the "genius of Judaism". He had even just written a book about it. The French audience stayed ominously un-enthusiastic. When the ugly face of religious war is surfacing in France again, fanatics of this, that, or the other cult don’t seem like offering anything but strife.

Indeed, BHL does not like Trump to "emphasize Jewishness". A crime if Trump does it, a blessing when BHL goes ballistic about it.
The critiques of BHL may, or may not be justified. They would be justified if the facts were really as depicted, not just well-founded as hearsay. Even then, Trump is a blabber box, who sometimes warns his audience that he may not know what he is talking about, and that his opinion may change.

The final complaint of BHL against Trump is infidelity. Infidelity to the USA. That's rich. BHL himself co-opted the French state under both Mitterrand and his successor Chirac to extract his father's company from bankruptcy, and make himself a billionaire. BHL got the help of billionaire Pinault, to intercede with president Chirac, and pass the appropriate law in the French National Assembly. BHL's life is a testimony to the sort of entanglement of political power and the hyper wealthy, which disgusts so much so many of Trump (and Sanders!) supporters. Ironically, BHL has been in very close, loud and clear relationships with many of the world’s leading politicians, in a way he hints Trump also does with Putin.

So why does a plutocrat such as BHL dislikes Trump so much? Because Trump said many times that the plutocrats who do not presently pay taxes, for example hedge fund managers, will.
Some debt could be renegotiated: after all, president Roosevelt devalued the dollar and cut US national debt by 33%, as soon as he got to power.

That a pillar, and prime recipient of the present established order, such as BHL, does not like Trump is hardly surprising. That so many of the "vulgum" BHL despises so much, are ready to vote against the established order, many hope may be refreshing.
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Bogale Kibret Aug 1, 2016

I was shocked when he invited the Russians to hack Clinton's emails on CNN. He must be a mentally disturbed person. What would he do if he were elected President of the US. He is a threat to the US and the World. God save the US and the World from this monster-In-Chief.
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Robert Goldschmidt Aug 1, 2016

Trump is a symptom of the increasing economic pressures on workers globally. Three factors are driving this -- automation, outsourcing and the re-formation of monopolies. Here in the US, wages as a percentage of sales hovered right around 50% during our golden economic age from 1948 to 1973 when all segments of society thrived. Since then, these three factors lowered wages to 43% of sales and price-gouged workers for cost of healthcare, communications, education and financial services. Unless we reverse this trend, we will see the failure of democracies all over the world, beginning with the US.

The next signicant recession in the US will force workers into the streets and, even if we dodge the Trump bullet this time, a new age of demagogues will be upon us.
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george sos Aug 1, 2016

excellent article!!Finally someone said things with their real name about Trump and our world today.Thank you Bernard!!Unfortunately,the way half our "western world" is today,replicates trump on all levels.Lots of ignorance, vulgarity, sexism, and racism around.And unless we accept reality we can not start fixing what went wrong(if indeed it is fixable ,something i seriously doubt).And it is not just USA.Europe sees a rise of the ignorant sexist racist nationalist morons.They discovered speech ,and now they dont want anyone else to be heard..Fascism is back.we re doomed.
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Julius Klein Aug 1, 2016

Unfortunately this is the same content we hear in the US McMedia - Trump is anti Semitic (I am Jewish) because he told them they will not vote for him as he didn't take their money - so what, it is true. And please spare me the guilt trip and the litany of stupidity cites. Do you think that the "Constitutional Scholar", Obama, knows how many Articles in the Constitution there are ? The guy who was over ridden many times already by the Supreme Court for his legislation that was against the Constitution? Please, except for a handful of lawyers, no one knows and it is irrelevant minutia. What DOES matter is that the moneyed Elite hate Trump, hate him for the fact that he will turn over their apple cart and make them think about the country for a change instead of their bank accounts - I can't wait for those idiots in government today that have done more damage to our country than any enemy get kicked out have to get a real job. then maybe they will see that having no pension, unaffordable health care, poor schools, etc etc will make you look at the system very differently. Hillary will just continue to protect those that have protected her and will do ZERO to make the country better for ALL, but she will try to make it better for the 2% that she likes. The recent DNC email hack makes it clear what the DNC REALLY thinks about its "core" constituents like Mexicans, for example. Where is the McMedia outrage over that? Oh yeah forgot, the US media is owned by the DNC so that makes it all ok. Disgusting - I hope Trump burns down the whole system - and you Elites better hope he does it, because if he doesn't, then the armed population eventually will.
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Ian Kiddle Aug 1, 2016

Bernard-Henri Levy, the name exudes intellectual superiority. The photograph implies a thinker, a man who considers world affairs and then expresses his conclusions.
What a pity his conclusions are completely wrong. For all his faults Trump has not behaved illegally as Clinton has, he does not have blood on his hands as Clinton has, he has not cheated in the "democratic" selection process as clinton has and he professes a desire to sort out the world's problems without resorting to warfare, unlike Hillary Rodham Clinton. The worst potential president of the USA ever.
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suzanne p goard Aug 1, 2016

The strange and mysterious goings on throughout this American presidential election are nothing new. We want the noble moral characterization that exist despite or because of subversive, covert schemes. As much as anything media is constructed methodically to create emotional reactions from its public. Trump has tapped into that philosophy more effectively by pushing the hot buttons unabashedly and recklessly, on which most accounts could agree. Counter to political correctness, he arouses passion from those quarters that are angry, passionate and defiant. I believe he is of human limitations with misjudgments, failures and shortcomings. If he wins the election he will not win all the hearts or solve all the problems. But he has captured the attention of the world and has stirred the mediocrity of politics with his crude wit. A student of history could find the fundamentals of his questions and proposals within the tapestry of our constitution (that has ironically been forefront in today's news) even during it's conception. Throughout this world there are many leaders of despicable character, oddly enough whether their nations consider them as such is subjective. While we want to think noble traits are consistent, they are not.
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eric zepp Aug 1, 2016

That's exactly my point. The Country would be infinitely better off without either of them. But Hillary will be protected, and will never suffer consequences for her misdeeds, those past, present, and the ones which will surely come in the future.
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Konstanzhoglo Konstanzhoglo Aug 1, 2016

Mr Levy, in the winter 2014 you wrote that Ukrainians were europeans. The antigovernment cope supported by you ended successfully. But ukrainians have still not got visa abolition to EU
Please do something to manage with this issue.
After events so called "revolution of dignity" we became significantly poorer and suffering from jobless and powerty. Don't leave us high and dry.

Sincerely yours,
True believer in the light european vista of Ukraine.
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J K Jul 31, 2016

Wow, coming from a frenchie, these are really strong words! Thanks, Bernie, you just made me like Trump even more!!!
- Ben Piper Jul 31, 2016
  
  .....Are you even F*****g serious.....?
  This isn't a sand box -I begin to think that there is a serious lack of grown-ups in the US (like the children who just voted Brexit over here) -some like yourselves seem to think that there is some kind of safety net -or parent/God figure-that's going to stop it all coming on top -wake up and smell the cawfee the US IS the safety net -and if the man/child Trump gets his hands on it then we're ALL in serious trouble.
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Robbie Jena Jul 31, 2016

If HITLER got elected, why can not TRUMP....then see what happens...
- James Edwards Jul 31, 2016
  
  For your information, Hitler was APPOINTED as chancellor by Hindenburg in 1933 even though the Nazi party won a plurality in 1932 election.
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Andrew Zege Jul 31, 2016

If only Bernard-Henri Levy giant mind and impeccable moral compass could rule all countries -- it'd be worldwide prosperity and happiness. Sort of like is is now in modern Lybia, which he was one of the moral leaders of bombing into oblivion. Converting the most prosperous country in Africa into ruins of cities, tribe lord war zone, and al Qaeda camps. A country from which US embassy had to be evacuated Vietnam style. After US ambassador was killed there -- a minor detail. I appreciate that a man with Bernard reputation runs after this mechanical rabbit of "Russia hacked DNC" not any slower than any other loyal global world changer. Well, director of National Intelligence and FBI said officially that there is no proof of Russia being behind the hack. What are the sources that have better information -- I pray Bernard tells, but I won't bet my house he would.

What is known beyond doubt though, is that NSA hacked Hollande, Sarkozy, and Chiraq, among other Euro heavyweights like Merkel. Does that constitute any reason to worry for a Frenchman? As far as Russia goes, NSA has been running a massive, total program for decades of spying on government, military, universities, diplomats, infrastructure, communications in Russia. One way it is done with is with subverting hard drives and CD that are sold by all major drive manufacturers in US. http://arstechnica.com/security/2015/02/how-omnipotent-hackers-tied-to-the-nsa-hid-for-14-years-and-were-found-at-last/
This precedes Putin regime. Naturally spying affects other countries, such as Iran, China, India, Brazil, etc. So if indeed Russia hacked someone in US, wouldn't it be an expected, natural response to decades of total hacking and spying done by US to it? Hei, Bernard, what do you think?
- Ben Piper Jul 31, 2016
  
  I thought this was a forum for sensible debate ....or has it been totally annexed by Neo-con Trolls ?
  In the negotiations to end the civil war in Ireland it was called 'yes-but ism'....
  STOP scoring cheap points and wake up to the reality -or have you had too much pizza and coke.....?
  (I 'redacted' all the swearing-cos Id hate to be accused of being puerile (look it up)
  Yours utterly contemptuous-UK
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george dougherty Jul 31, 2016

Maybe Mr. levy assumes that he is famous enough that all know who he is. I did not. He has ties to the Clinton Foundation and Sid B. See this link - http://www.veteranstoday.com/2015/06/28/hillary-libya/.

I read this week that the Clintons plan to win this election by demonizing Trump. They feel that if the election is about Hillary, she will lose because she has too many negatives. This article is obviously part of that effort. As I truly undecided, it would be nice to be able to base a choice on positive factors, not that A is the lesser of evil B.
- george dougherty Aug 1, 2016
  
  "Palpable criminality?" What are you talking about. That is not in the Levy tirade. But HC just narrowly missed indictment - did you read the findings? So let me see - I say essentially that I would like a more positive election based on ideas, not two candidates trying to convince me that the other is evil and you respond with profanity, name calling , and hyperbole. What is wrong with that picture?
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- Ben Piper Jul 31, 2016
  
  This is truly extraordinary -I am British and a big fan of Corbyn and your Sanders -but what I am reading here is truly chilling -you seem to be equating a pathological 5 times bankrupt who is clearly sociopath -with a woman who may have faults -but is essentially a functional human being.
  WTF is the matter with you America -equating the heavily spun 'technicalities' that are at the root of the complaints against HC with the palpable criminality is just astonishing !
  Is this the effect of a poorly understood Nietschian moral relativism -or the effect of spurious 'balance' coming from an extraordinarily biased media ?
  Do you REALLY not get it ? Trump makes the pres in the Hunger games look like a model of intellectual probity and fair mindedness !
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Gary Mullennix Jul 31, 2016

Henri'. You need to man up and stop the hysteria.
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eric zepp Jul 31, 2016

Possible upsides of a Trump Presidency are, if he's everything we're afraid he is, he'd be under a withering media microscope, and would step outside his bounds sooner rather than later leading to impeachment.

Alternatively, as we've seen with Obama, the press will continue to be cheerleaders and excuse makers, for Clinton and she'll be shielded from such consequences, richly deserved our not.
- Jérôme Pugnet Jul 31, 2016
  
  strange... what's the point here? Trump should be elected so that he can be impeached, then the GOP will find a more adequate CIC?
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Iqbal Halani Jul 31, 2016

One thing is for sure, Trump sure has the khazars worried, every one of them strangely. What could it be?
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Peter Cullen Jul 31, 2016

Bernard-Henri Lévy,
The United States and the World already has a multi-dimensional problem, it is hoped by; I hope, a large majority of US citizens, that Donald, whilst he may on occasion stoop to vulgarity as a valid form of expression whether in jest or in earnest, it matters little; Shakespeare that peon of English literature was also noted to favour the occasional use of vulgarity to make a point. Was it a big one? I missed the debate. Yes! Vulgar!

Are you really so ignorant and unobservant of the Political and Economic turmoil that is the current State of the Union; or is it perhaps that you are so blinded by your own personal dislike of Donald that you are prepared to lower your own standard of philosophical perspicacity to only concentrate on Donald's non PC faux pas? Or, is it that you are just a Donald hater?

Personally I would bet that 90% of Americans wouldn't know how many articles there are in their Constitution; and probably even more would not know the name of their seventh President - so what?

Many people might say that I was anti-Semitic, they would be wrong, but I do not like all the Jews that I have ever met, and with regard to certain Military and Political aims of the State of Israel I don't like them either. and I also have been known to make the odd non-PC remark in a generalised fashion about Jews - Shame on me! But I am more than that. So what?

Particularly I don't like the way that the American Israeli Political Action Committees across the United States have managed by Political Bribery to Ensure that the US Government "Donates" Money every Year for Aid for Israel. Americans have heard that "Israel receives $3 billion in annual U.S. foreign aid." That's true. But, the problem is that in fiscal 1997 alone, Israel received from a variety of other U.S. federal budgets at least $525.8 million above and beyond its $3 billion from the foreign aid budget, and yet another $2 billion in federal loan guarantees. So the complete total of U.S. grants and loan guarantees to Israel for fiscal 1997 was $5,525,800,000.
Ref: http://www.wrmea.org/1997-december/the-cost-of-israel-to-u.s.-taxpayers-true-lies-about-u.s.-aid-to-israel.html

But talking about such things doesn't mean I am Anti-Semitic. It's just one of a number of problems that need addressing in the US Government; perhaps Donald might help?

Global multi-dimensional problems? Well Globalisation itself is one of them and the "Bilderberg Group's New World Order" is another, not to mention The Council on Foreign Relations, The Federal Reserve Act and The Private Banking Cartels that run the Federal Reserve itself. The Free Trade Agreements NAFTA, The TPP and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, all responsible for the off-shoring of American Industry creating Unemployment, Loss of Income and decreasing GDP and a drain on Social Security, increases in Costs of Law and Order, Prison Construction, Prison Guards and Services, and increases in Military Recruitment Drives and Military Budgets, not to mention social disharmony and rising violence and violent crimes, no wonder the US Government is funding through the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA the construction of Political Detention Centres and is bringing back their troops from Afghanistan to increase the size of the Home Guard to run these Internment Camps, and to provide assistance to the Police who are coming under increasing fire from the dispossessed and down trodden American Citizenry many of whom had their houses re-possessed in the GLOBAL Financial Crisis Engineered by the Big Banks and Insurance Companies, who got Bailed out! - Did the people get their Houses back as part of that deal? I'll bet not!.... So the banks got bailed out AND Kept the Title Deeds to the re-possessed Land and Real Estate - Now They really are too big to Fail... Or are they?

Then there's China, State Run Capitalist Economy where factory workers are being paid the equivalent of $1 per hour (if they're lucky) by the American Company that off shored your job... (Who controls the exchange Rate?) so you've lost your job but not to worry you'll get social security (Helicopter Money!) so you can afford the cheaper goods. Will your food soon be coming from China? Trouble is you're not earning Money so the government isn't getting any Taxes, so you are a burden on the Budget (Up goes that National Debt) also the Chinese are gaining American Dollars so the International Debt is Rising... But not to worry the big Transnationals who are lobbying the US Government are doing great! Their profits have never been better!

Just a couple of the items from the Multi-Dimensional Global Problem...

But Hell! What the Hell? The people are stupid they'll vote for Donald! Why? Because He's not stupid, and he knows that they really aren't either, there are plenty of people teaching them on the Internet with Videos and Blogs and although the US Education System has been dumbing people down for a while they still are smart enough to know when they are being shafted!

Thanks BHL, without you I never would have found out all this "Stuff", Thanks for being blind to it all and being such a Donald Hater!... I'm really surprised though; are you really living in Paris? Don't they have social unrest and strikes there at the moment?

By the way, I found this out about Donald, whilst I was looking for information....
Ref: https://josephbotts.com/2016/05/24/honestly-why-would-anyone-vote-for-trump/

Health care costs are out of control, our labor participation rate is at a 50 year low, we have no borders, jobs are leaving by the thousands, the debt service on our national debt is nearing a point we cannot pay it.
The average person hasn’t had an increase in pay in 12 years. Over half the black men in our country are out of work. We are more divided than I can ever remember and I’m 60 years old. We are at the brink of losing our country.
On top of that we spend money we don’t have fighting wars we shouldn’t be in, and cannot win. We pay over a hundred other countries billions of dollars a year and our military are the policemen for the world. We must fix this mess ASAP.

Now, before I give you my reasons, I need to share my perspective. I am an evangelical Christian but I don’t believe it is the role of government to legislate morality. I am a service connected disabled veteran having served in the US Army as a paratrooper.
I started my second career as an auto mechanic and worked my way up to owning 12 auto repair franchises. I then sold them and began a new career in real estate, building my own company to over 150 agents.
Then in 2003 I invented a technology that put me on CNN and I began selling that software to real estate agents internationally. I’ve written 14 books, thousands of trade articles and have trained over 1,000,000 real estate agents in specific professional skills.
I’ve employed over a thousand people during that time, and until a month ago have been a registered democrat.

Okay, now that you know where I’m coming from, here are my reasons:
First, his resume. Of everyone running for president, Trump is the only one who has ever employed anyone. He is the only one who has any experience in international trade. He is the only one who understands the impact of our tax laws and government regulation on companies and jobs.
Trump has made a fortune turning around failed companies. He’s worked complicated deals all over the world, negotiating with governments, labor unions, and international financiers. These skills are not learned overnight and we don’t have time for another life-long politician and attorney to get up to speed.
Second is his character. He is tough as nails. His children are pretty awesome. You can tell a lot about somebody by their kids. He is brutally honest as opposed to being politically correct. His employees and his ex-employees have nothing but praise for him. Even his ex-wives have nothing bad to say about him. Check it out.
Third is his success. He has built hundreds of successful businesses. One of his companies declared bankruptcy (chapter 11 or reorganization) four separate times before ultimately saving the company. All creditors were paid and jobs were saved. Bottom line is he is just a very good businessman.
Fourth is that he is a great negotiator. In fact, he wrote the book on negotiation — The Art of the Deal, an international best-seller. If we are to save this country we need someone who can work with people of differing opinions. Congress is grid locked. We need to work new trade agreements with other nations. We need to renegotiate treaties.
Fifth, Trump is a nationalist and not a globalist. He believes that our country comes first. We need to enforce our borders and the rule of law. He believes it is not our job to defend the whole world. He believes that if we do help countries with their defense, we should be paid for it.
Sixth, he has great instincts. He predicted the rise of Osama bin Laden. He predicted a terror attack on a major US city. He opposed the war in Iraq although every other candidate but Bernie Sanders was in favor of the war. He opposed it because it would destabilize the middle east. He got out of the gaming industry before it crashed. Great instincts.
Seventh, he is a natural leader. Even those who don’t like him are following his lead. He has single-handedly set the agenda for this election cycle. He is respected internationally as well as in our nation. He oozes leadership.
Eighth, he is a great communicator and persuader. He is a master at using the media to advance his narrative. He totally understands the media. He built the most successful reality show in the history of television. These are skills he will need if he is to turn this country around.
Ninth, I have studied him. I read his first book in 1987 and realized he was a brilliant businessman. I’ve watched hundreds of hours of speeches, media interviews, read thousands of articles about him, several of his books, and studied his successes and his failures. He is the real deal. I challenge anyone to study him and not support him.
Finally, I have to look at what motivates him. Most politicians are motivated by money and/or power. Trump already has both. He has a history of being a patriot, from his military high school, to now. He has a huge ego, like every other candidate running. The difference is he is honest about his.
I think he sees our nation at a critical place and he knows that he has the unique skill set to fix the problems. If he does, he will go down in history as being one of the greatest presidents ever.
If you understand him, you know that his legacy is important to him (his name on all his buildings and companies). I even believe he is funding his own campaign so he won’t owe favors or loyalties to special interests. When you evaluate his motivations you can’t help but admire him.
I remembered one more reason. Everyone is about to blow a gasket over him. The establishment republican party hates him and has actually been actively trying to take down their own front runner. The establishment democrat party hates him because they know he will crush Hillary in the election, and the establishment media hates him because he totally controls the news cycle and they cannot control him. Even the donor class hates him because he cannot be bought. If all these people who I cannot stand hate him, that only makes me love him more.
You know who loves him? The regular people in this country. The ones who work their asses off every day and haven’t had a pay raise in over a decade. The ones who pay the taxes and watch as their jobs get shipped overseas or across the border. The ones who see their property values going down because corrupt Big Banking blew up the housing market. The ones whose retirement is in jeopardy because social security has been raided and their 401Ks have been decimated by corrupt Wall Street.
So, again… these are my reasons. Today’s primary election is probably the most important election in your lifetime. This is not an exaggeration. If you agree with me on any of these reasons, please get out and vote and together we can Make America Great Again!
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Sergey Tokarev Jul 31, 2016

Actually Donald Trump hasn't ever endorsed NWO Neocon Imperium, therefore he can't possibly 'betray' these enemies of humankind.
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Michael Hullevad Jul 31, 2016

A LOT of people are grabbed by "The reality show" style Mr. Trump is performing with. Vulgar, popular and racist remarks makes a lot of people cheer because they want change at any price.
I am afraid they will get more than they asked for if He gets elected!
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eusebio manuel Jul 31, 2016

Trump is a cancer to modern democracy I agree Hillary Clinton for President 2016
- Ben Piper Jul 31, 2016
  
  Thank god there is SOMEONE here with some sense....!
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ABDELKADER HAMDAOUI Jul 31, 2016

Despite relentless American (Obama) and British (erstwhile prime minister Cameron) outlandish volume of lies and massive propaganda, Volodya Putin approval ratings have gone way up among the people in Western Europe, worldwide and Russia. He has held back and stayed exemplary calm and collected and did not take the bait nor responded to Britain’s ongoing propaganda, illegal aggression and NATO and U.S. provocative troop deployment in Easter Europe and deliberate distorted accusations of Russia military involvement. British people and people particularly in Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain are not gullible like Americans, they see things for what they are, whereas Americans see things for what they want them to be and believe what they are told by their state controlled media. Barack Obama playing silly buggers with Russia and not tackling the onslaught of Islamism are tantamount to criminal negligence and treason.
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jim welsh Jul 31, 2016

"A hike in interest rates, a tanking dollar and a breach of confidence between the U.S. and everyone else". So what's the problem? Have you been drinking that koolaid that the Clinton machine serves. Mr. Levy, you don't get it either do you? Name calling is what you people do best, you do nothing else better except to take from everyone else to suffice your existence. The Clinton's are experts in it. People are fed up with the status quo. You simply confirm why.
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Robert Kolker Jul 31, 2016

This may come as a surprise to you, but vulgarity is not a criminal act. The truth of the matter is that we 'merkins do not have to be polite and nice. We are feeding the world so we can be as crude as we please
- Ben Piper Jul 31, 2016
  
  Has this place become a rest room for idiots -the US had been busier bombing the s*** out of people than feeding them!
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John Doyle Jul 31, 2016

Frankly this spiel misses the point. His [Trumps] issues pale into insignificance when confronted with what a Clinton presidency would threaten. Would you prefer a racist vulgarian in the face of the truly dangerous prospect of HRC? I know which I would choose.

http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/07/29/long-live-the-queen-of-chaos/
[Just one example]
There are many more things to be afraid of if Clinton gets the presidency.
The author has NO IDEA of what terrifying means!
As for corrupting the Republican Party, surely he jokes! Trump is the embodiment of what the republican party has become, He is its manifest.
He is what that party deserves, in spades. Forget Eisenhower and Lincoln.
Even so today Trump is to the LEFT of HRC and the Democrats.

The authors superficiality in his spiel is no sign of an in depth analysis.
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Douglas Leyendecker Jul 31, 2016

The last effort "progressives" make before they succumbed to the common sense of the collective is name calling.
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ABDELKADER HAMDAOUI Jul 31, 2016

It is dangerous to be right when all others, especially politicians, are self-righteously wrong. Trump is honest, straight forward and upfront. A quality Americans can’t come to terms with. Obama is a dead loss, the other ones are beating around the bush. Hillary is the danger, she is duplicitous, iniquitous and treacherous, and will drag Americans into harm's way of major military quagmire. Whereas, Sanders and Trump will spend Americans' time, energy and taxpayers' money on education and creating jobs rebuilding America'a crumbling infrastructure, will get Western Powers (NATO) to abandon their Cold War thinking and stop buggering about with China, Korea and Russia and stoking conflicts in Eastern Europe, will not look for trouble with heavy military presence around the world and will mind our own business; which is to look after the health of American people, creating real wealth and financial security for generations to come by getting out of the arms industry and into a prosperous and peaceful Air and Space industry.
- Jérôme Pugnet Jul 31, 2016
  
  Trump honest? you're joking right?
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MARCO TEAMNEURS Jul 31, 2016

1) Trump will be elected. That means that there are not conspiracy theories.
2) After the election the elites will see how he behaves.
3) Then some kind of impeachment will be put in place in case he is not obeying.
4) He will not make the mandate if he will be not playing according what he is instructed.
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Randy James Jul 31, 2016

in a world controlled by an ad-hoc cabal of obscenely corrupt governments, with a vast network of 'influential cronies" like Mr. Levy, traditional forms of insurrection have become impractical at best. If Mr. Trump can succeed in dislodging the smug and suffocating world-order which harbors these parasites, I'll be happy to have the opportunity to navigate whatever period of anarchy may follow.
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Odyssios Redux Jul 31, 2016

Your Litany of Lamentations runs from the inane (My dear! The vulgarity of his language!) to the possibly more substantial. However: in all the ways that matter to international relations, his position is no worse than that of his immediate predecessors, Obama and Bush The Son. (We were blessedly spared Bush the Holy Ghost - but got Trump as substitute. Hmm.) Trump is less likely to precipitate a serious increase in conflict than is Hilary, as is amply demonstrated by her known actions (Libya) and attitudes (we're so exceptional we can do whatever we please, without consequence to us - and nobody else matters a damn. Let 'em bleed. Serve 'em right.).

The Trump presidency is a movie I really want to see. If that doesn't bring the US back to whatever senses we ever had, noting will - in which case I simply give up and wait for the Chinese (or whoever) to replace the US.

Trump's pathological fear of women - the source of his hatred - is of course important in terms of those women he comes across. But on the international stage, women hardly even exist as a political force, outside Europe and N America - yes, of course, with the occasional S American exception. Look at the way women are treated in Saudi, Pakistan or Afghanistan - and much of the (ahem) non-Christian world. . Yet I don't hear you decrying this, which of course simply makes my point - you have no sympathy with women as human beings, merely with them as political poker chips.

A Trump presidency may be necessary to bring the US to whatever residual sense it has. If it fails to do so, by its chaotic domestic disruptiveness , then we can simply give up on the US political experiment, with a regretful nod to Alexis de Toqueville. Fun while it lasted.
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Francesco D'Allessandro Jul 31, 2016

Whether Trump gets elected or not Mr. Lévy, don't you wonder why so many voters are flocking to him despite his erratic behavior and discourse? In your philosophical smugness have you ever wondered why? The why on Brexit? The why on how millions of EU citizens are fed up with the usual suspect list of pseudo intellectuals and political leaders like Hollande and his $11,000.00 a month barber? Think Mr. Lévy on the why's...if you do then perhaps rather than focusing on Mr. Trump's candidacy deficiencies you could also criticize all the baggage Ms Clinton brings to the table too and while at it, think of how to appease all the electorate that support Brexit, Trump, La Pen and others for that silent majority of constituents across the Western world are getting fed up of hearing the same recycled lies while their purchasing power grow weaker by the day. Call Mr. Trump a traitor or any other name you choose, but heed those who are listening to his message and do not dismiss them lightly for in the years to come they will grow in numbers unless there is a true change in policy and those elected to public office start paying attention to the concerns of anguished citizens who can't take it no more.
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Curtis Carpenter Jul 30, 2016

Surely Levy understands that the philosophical challenge isn't to understand Trump, but to understand those who support him?

Something very fundamental is going on in the U.S. and Europe that transcends individual personalities.
- Curtis Carpenter Jul 30, 2016
  
  If you really believe the cliche MM, aren't you curious about how you came to be presented with such a choice in the first place? The two candidates, whatever you or I or Levy may think of them, represent the views of several million Americans, and some fraction of them on both sides are bound to be thoughtful, caring people. What are they thinking once they get by the cliches, the slogans and the Manichaean world view? Or is that all they have to work with?
  
  Trump and Clinton will eventually go away, but the electorate will (pretty probably) endure for a while yet.
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- M M Jul 30, 2016
  
  Curtis, surely when one is given a choice between facing a firing squad or hanging from a rope, the choice is very limited and the outcome is exactly the same.
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Georges Makhtouf Jul 29, 2016

For someone complaining about "unabashed racism", hypocritical to hold an interview with architect Phillip Johnson in such high regard: Johnson was an unabashed admirer of Adolf Hitler, followed the Nazi armies in their invasion of Poland as a correspondent and wrote very positively of their actions. This admiration survived the war and in the 1950s Johnson spoke about the need to emasculate the "mongrel races" in the US.

As for Trump's anti-semitism, his daughter Ivanka married an Orthodox Jew and converted. She keeps kosher and observes the Sabbath: do you Mr.Levy?

Significant percentages of Muslims favor jihad and espouse anti-Semitism. In the UK a recent survey showed roughly 50% support violence against those who offend Islam, 65% would not notify the authorities if they knew of someone engaged in jihadist activities). The Pew Research Center publishes similar polls for many Muslim majority countries and their findings are even more troubling than in the UK. You can compare these attitudes with those of truly civilized peoples: the Mormon community does not threaten violence when a Broadway musical deriding their religion ("The Book of Mormom, musical") makes a world tour.

Trump has simply inferred from this mass of statistical data that a plurality, if not a majority, of Muslims world-wide do support violent jihad and anti-Western values. The rose-colored glasses of the politically-correct "Islam, religion of peace" crowd have proved far less insightful.

Trumps NATO statements may seem crude but they are not unrealistic: will any American President really risk outright war if one fine morning Russian tanks roll into Vilnius? That is the current meaning of the NATO guarantee. It meant something when protecting major allies like West Germany but is less credible when extended to the Baltic States.
- Jérôme Pugnet Jul 31, 2016
  
  So the people in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia (and Poland next) are just expendable...?
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slightly optimistic Jul 29, 2016

PS
You suggest that Hillary Clinton will continue to allow 'Wall Street' to wreck Main Street., despite her assurances last night.
But as she also said, the world is watching what the US does. This is indeed happening. Europe, for example, is watching and one result is the global strategy proposing a closer alliance with China. Economic and governance award winner Singapore is also expressing criticism of the US. The UK's new PM wants to reform capitalism. Also it is interesting to see the unfolding geopolitical events in the South China Sea episode. Hillary has much to change.
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slightly optimistic Jul 29, 2016

In an apparent attempt at preventing further isolation of the US in the world, Hillary Clinton last night stressed that Wall Street should never, ever be allowed to wreck Main Street again. The EU's new 'Global Strategy' assumes that Hillary was right some years ago when she said that you can't call time out on the global economy.
This change in thinking will be welcome in many quarters - details of the attempt to stop a race to the bottom are surely necessary.
- Petey Bee Jul 29, 2016
  
  Oh I want to say this in a way that will preserve your optimism... Imagine a situation where the interests of an influential business lobby, lets say in finance, conflict with some other aspect of national well-being. If you think Clinton will side with the latter you're very trusting.
  
  As an early indication of this sort of thing, see her recent un-reversal on the TPP, where VA governor went on an interview indicating she will support it again after some modifications, and how the DNC banned signage from delegates that showed opposition to the TPP.
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Peter Schaeffer Jul 29, 2016

This is really sort of amazing. The hero of

Bataclan
Charlie Hebdo
Banlieues
Tournantes
Cologne
Molenbeek
Rosengård
Nice
Munich
Ansbach
Reutlingen
Bavaria
Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray

is complaining about "sexism", "racism", and anti-semitism?

Really? Perhaps BHL should try to convince the parents of the kids at the Ozar Hatorah Jewish day school that Trump is really the problem.
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dan baur Jul 29, 2016

Hateful socialist. Question is why is Bill Gates (owner of this site) encouraging this kind of hate here?
- Jérôme Pugnet Jul 31, 2016
  
  because there is no hate in DJT's rants? yet he's allowed freedom of speech...
  and besides I wouldnt be suprised that Mr Gates is no big fan of DJT
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- Steve Hurst Jul 29, 2016
  
  To have light you have to have darkness
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Peter Schaeffer Jul 28, 2016

The endless attacks on Putin here are absurd. Putin may not be a nice guy. However, Europe and the USA must work with Putin (and not against him) to end the war in Syria. In another era, we worked with the far more evil Stalin. Trump is bringing an element of sanity to these discussions. The same can not be said for the Cold War retreads.
- Steve Hurst Jul 28, 2016
  
  The thing that reins Putin in is the need to sell gas
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Peter Schaeffer Jul 28, 2016

Has anyone noticed the joke here? We have been told (roughly a zillion times) that Hillary didn't have any national security related Emails on her server. Now having the Russians see them would be some sort of disaster.

Sorry, you can't have it both ways.
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Peter Schaeffer Jul 28, 2016

Like it or not, Trump offers hope to the American people. Hope that our borders will be protected and Americans will get jobs. Hope that wages and working conditions might actually get better, rather than worse. Hope that foreign trade might make ordinary Americans better off, rather than pad corporate bonuses and Hillary’s campaign contributions. Hope that our government might actually care about the American people rather pandering to every radical identity politics faction.

What does BHL have to offer? We already know. The hell on earth called “enlightened Europe”. For better or worse, the EU has degenerated into an abomination. The Euro has become a WMD (Weapon of Economic Mass Destruction). Open Borders have turned Europe into the graveyard of nations with Bataclan, Charlie Hebdo, banlieues, tournantes, Cologne, Molenbeek, Rosengård, Nice, Munich, Ansbach, Reutlingen, Bavaria, Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, etc. as the “bright and shining future”. Europe both denies each nation the right to control its borders while utterly failing to stop the ongoing invasion. Worse, the dominant power of the EUSSR (Germany) scoffs at Europe’s rules while inviting mass invasion and then demands “European solidarity” to deal with the disaster.

The bottom line is simple. Trump offers hope. BHL offers tournantes.
- Jérôme Pugnet Jul 31, 2016
  
  you should read "Hope is not a Strategy".
  And this anti-EU hysteria all mixed up with a discussion about Trump "Salade Russe" as we say; this discredits the argument
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- Peter Schaeffer Jul 29, 2016
  
  KVP, I get that Europe has a "protected class" that thinks that they live in the best of all possible worlds and can't imagine why anyone might disagree. I get that the Cosmopolitan Elite and the SJW types (along with the Goldman Sachs crowd) think they have found paradise.
  
  If you live in a gated community, Europe probably seems like a perfect world. However, not everyone thinks that tournantes and banlieues are a vision of paradise on earth. Sadly, these folks get to vote (at least for now) and they don't want "more Europe".
  
  The people of the UK were given a chance to leave and they took it. The people of Sweden were allowed to vote on the Euro. They voted no. The people of France and Denmark were allowed to vote on the EU Constitution. They voted no but were ignored.
  
  Europe is a failing system. The Euro is a failed currency. The Bourbon's and Romanov's thought they lived in a perfect world. It wasn't.
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- koen van peteghem Jul 28, 2016
  
  @Peter
  
  Europe , hell on earth?
  Euro, WMD?
  Shangen, graveyard of nations?
  
  you sure you are alright? you ok? should we worry?
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- M M Jul 28, 2016
  
  Peter, you and I have very rarely agreed on PS, this time however, I have to agree with you.
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Andrew Green Jul 28, 2016

I can understand Levy's concern about Trump's vulgarity - that is, of course, a mortal sin in France - but sexism? What about Levi-Strausss? Racism? Anti-semitism? Really! France is one of the most anti-semitic, anti-islamic countries in Europe and look where this has got them. As to NATO, the French would not join, having a grandiose vision of their own.
It is quite clear that Europe has relied on the USA for far too long in matters of defence and security, and is now paying the price. the idea of a European army to combat this is a joke. People in glass houses.......
- Jérôme Pugnet Aug 1, 2016
  
  Hello! I hope you noted that we always participated in NATO since it existed (France was a founder member); back fully in the integrated command more recently?
  Nice francophobic rant otherwise... thought I read a British tabloid. It's bizarre if we really were so anti-semitic why would we also be the most anti-islamic? Is there anything for you we are "not anti-"? Maybe "not anti " people who like wine?
  Maybe you should go to France a bit more, there are actually decent people there
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- koen van peteghem Jul 28, 2016
  
  @andrew... i fully agree that europe has been quit cowardly when it comes to protecting itself and intervening in blatant cases to do so. The yougoslave wars being our eternal shame.. this said, there is a time and a place for everything... will it be easy ? certainly not... but that is not a reason why it won't happen...
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