The Middle East....

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Last complete year figures I saw were for 2016 when the US imported 25% of it's petroleum needs.

They were still importing 700,000 barrels a day from Saudia Arabia in the last quarter of 2017.

Donald Trump's first international presidential trip was to meet Saudi Arabia's King Salman and other Saudi muslim leaders where he signed a $110 billion arms deal with them. Not a word about human rights was whispered there by all accounts - Good old Donald eh?, sucking up to these Muslims, the same ones that were behind the 9/11 attacks. I'm sure you all stand steadfastly behind him while condemning the comments from one of Trudeaus ministers.

I think that should have either read that USA will soon be self sufficient in energy, or that North America is now self sufficient in energy.

Either way, the rest is true, the US no longer needs the rest of the world, and it is becoming painfully obvious lately that they intend to withdraw in all ways. It is scary what these types of places will denigrate into without US interference of any kind(good, bad or indifferent, depending on your outlook).

[furrowtickler]

I say cut all ties with Saudi, they treat their women like third class citizens. But the last thing we need to be doing is poking our nose in their business and supporting radical groups demanding change . Just get out of their and leave them be . Their own society will eventually figure it out if they get shunned by the rest of the world. The world is changing fast and yes new technology is making oil less important every year. Without oil revenue they have very little.

[grassfarmer]

....Either way, the rest is true, the US no longer needs the rest of the world, and it is becoming painfully obvious lately that they intend to withdraw in all ways....

The facts would indicate otherwise. US trade deficit at it's highest level since 2008 due to the steady rise in imports. Remembering that Trump was elected November 2016 look what imports have done since then.



The people that voted for Trump and his "America First" campaign just keep on increasing their spending at Walmart - and it's damn near all made in China!



While they may seek to withdraw morally and societally to the Dark Ages under the Trump administration the nature of global trade nowadays is going to make a fool of any attempt to run an isolationist policy.

[furrowtickler]

Both Trump and JT are doing significant harm to the US and Canada .... both pushing ideals way to far right and Left .
If you can not see that you are a 🤡.
Bashing Trump to deflect on the carnage that Justin and his way to far left virtue b/S is simply stupid . They are both doing harm on the world stage in their own way.

[grassfarmer]

Not bashing Trump to deflect from Trudeau - this was a post that wasn't really about Canada - Yemen, Saudi Arabia, US and their imports. We're still allowed to discuss non-Canadian topics aren't we?

[furrowtickler]

Not bashing Trump to deflect from Trudeau - this was a post that wasn't really about Canada - Yemen, Saudi Arabia, US and their imports. We're still allowed to discuss non-Canadian topics aren't we?

By all means , it just happens that as soon as someone gives JT a kick , Trump gets drug into the next post . Some just don’t want to agree that the policies of this JT clown show is ruining this country as bad or worse than what’s going on in the US .
Hopefully some sanity prevails and this country can get its legs back under it .

[Oliver88]

Isreal takes human rites seriously,,, What a laugh.if your not Jewish you are just cannon fodder, with the USA supplying the powder.
I don't know why the Jews seem to be so important to so many country in the world, do they hold the bank strings, and if so why does the USA send so much money and arms to them. We even ask them for opinions on our elections, why do we care.
So jump on me with your anti Semitic claims.

I didn’t say the Jews were so important, just mentioned Israel is the only civilized country in the Middle East.

What is the common denominator with all of the other countries?
What is holding them back?

[AlbertaFarmer5]

The facts would indicate otherwise. US trade deficit at it's highest level since 2008 due to the steady rise in imports. Remembering that Trump was elected November 2016 look what imports have done since then.



The people that voted for Trump and his "America First" campaign just keep on increasing their spending at Walmart - and it's damn near all made in China!



While they may seek to withdraw morally and societally to the Dark Ages under the Trump administration the nature of global trade nowadays is going to make a fool of any attempt to run an isolationist policy.

The graph ends before the trade war (tariffs) even started. I doubt they turn the ship around on a dime, it has taken decades to get to this point, will take decades to reverse it.

I expect you are right. As they withdraw, it will shrink the global economy drastically, and their own to a lesser degree as a result when the pie shrinks. Never said it was right, or wrong or smart, but it is happening.

I take the opposite stance, it appears after this many years that running massive trade deficits and budget deficits is quite sustainable, and even beneficial, even if others are benefiting alongside.

You don't have to agree with their decisions, but imagine the volatility in the world energy markets with no one protecting the straights of Hormuz, among many other critical pieces of infrastructure?