Rest in the Vine: Blink 1600

Pennsylvania Avenue

Canadian Encyclopedia: "Despite Canada’s formidable reserves of iron ore, the steel industry in recent decades has shrunk significantly as industrial markets have become increasingly globalized. Today, every remaining steel mill in the country is owned by foreign investors and Canada is a net importer of the manufactured product."

"Canadian" steel is Chinese steel. As is "Mexican" aluminum.

Other than giving them the names of our Chinese spies and letting them have all our government personnel files --which Obama already did--there are few things China would like more than to eradicate our metal industries.

The president is absolutely right on moral, economic and national security grounds.

The Soviets knew Reagan was a serious guy when he fired the air traffic controllers, even though they were one of the few unions that supported him.

Trump just faced down Russian in Syria and Chinese steel-dumpers in D.C., despite the best efforts of China's rented Uni-Party cheerleaders.

And now, thanks to the president, China has just reeled in Junior Phat.

Thomas Lifson: "There are three reasons why this is a vindication of Trump's policy of ratcheting up sanctions and military pressure, up to and including interdiction of shipping into North Korean harbors.

Kim is the one making the request, and he is doing so with some urgency. As anyone who understands the dynamics of negotiation understands, this places Kim in the position of supplicant. The current situation is unacceptable to him, which means he needs something – almost certainly relaxation of the sanctions that are crippling North Korea (unlike previous sanctions that they were able to work around with the help of China, which evidently has followed through in pledges negotiated by Trump to cut off North Korea from such help).
North Korea has made a concession before the talks: halting missile launches and nuclear tests.
North Korea has dropped is usual demand that the U.S. and South Korea halt their scheduled joint military exercises as a condition for talking. Those exercises were postponed in honor of the recent Winter Olympics but will resume. The exercises not only sharpen the ability of the two nations' militaries to work together, but also mass a considerable force within striking distance of North Korea, which is perceived as a threat, carrying the possibility of a sneak attack.

President Trump is the first occupant of the Oval Office to apply the famous definition of insanity attributed to Einstein – that it is "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results" – to North Korea's drive to become a nuclear power. The bipartisan political establishment has absolutely failed to restrain North Korea from developing a nuclear arsenal and the means to deliver it to the United States, and now, as that country on the brink of realizing its dream, President Trump has tried something different. And he has shown results.".......