As the adage, says, a picture is worth one thousand words. There is one picture that started circulating across the internet that sums up the Donald Trump administration better than any words can. As you likely know, the G7, the richest seven nations in the world, held a meeting in Canada a couple of days ago. The scuttlebutt before Trump arrives was that the G7 was now the G6 plus one because of the anger felt by the other nations by Trump’s misuse of the “national security” excuse to impose illegal tariffs on international trade.
The viral picture, released by German chancellor, Angela Merkel’s team poignantly demonstrates how isolated Donald Trump has made the United States.
In the picture, Donald Trump is seated, with arms crossed surrounded by Angela Merkel, Japan’s prime minister Shinzo Abe, French president Emmanuel Macron and UK prime minister Theresa May. Merkel is clearly scolding Trump in the image, at least it looks like it, without the context of the dialog. Whether Merkel is scolding Trump or not is immaterial because of two things about the picture.
The first is that Angela Merkel allowed the image to be released to the public. Diplomatic meetings such as these usually have well-orchestrated choreographed public relations releases designed to show a diplomatic united front even when there is no unity. Countries, especially the G7 play niceties in public and, as Emmanuel Macron recently told the news media, it does no good to “show how the sausage is made,” alluding to the notion that disagreements between the nations are better reserved for behind closed door diplomatic back-and-forth.
Angela Merkel sent a clear message via the photograph. The first is that notwithstanding the proclamations of all is well, there are serious problems between the six nations and the United States. The second was to make the point that Donald Trump is meek behind closed doors and afraid of strong women such as Merkel.
The second thing about the picture is it clearly demonstrated how isolated the United States has become under Donald Trump. There are some readers that will applaud this notion as this is the reason we have a war against immigrants in America. There are isolationists in America that believe that United States is better isolated from the rest of the world. Obviously, I and many others disagree but there is nothing we can do about the isolationists because their point of view is distorted by inherent biases that no amount of facts would dissuade them from.
Regardless, the picture shows where Donald Trump is taking the United States, and it is not good.
Yep it does sum it up! Swine Merkle did not impress anyone with her tantrum! Just an old used up Eastern Bloc communist who no one in the EU listens to any more. Trump looked like he was about to bust out laughing at the her! Great work Mr.President equal trade no unfair trade!
Look all those hypocrites bowing to King Trump. For every one of them, the US is their largest customer and they tariff the hell out of what we sell back to them. The average euro car is tariffed 2.5% coming into the US while our cars are tariffed 10% going to Europe.
Fair trade or no trade, IMO.