Trump’s canal fixation
“Donald Trump has demanded free transit for American commercial and military ships through the Panama and Suez canals, tasking his secretary of state with making progress “immediately”.
“Trump has for months been calling for the United States to take control of the Panama canal but his social media post also shifted focus on to the vital Suez route. “American ships, both military and commercial, should be allowed to travel, free of charge, through the Panama and Suez canals!” Trump posted on Saturday.
“He claimed both routes would “not exist” without the US and said he had asked his secretary of state, Marco Rubio, to “immediately take care of” the situation.”
The United States had nothing at all to do with the building of the Suez Canal. As for the Panama Canal, tolls are regulated by the Panama Canal Authority, an autonomous governing body overseeing the trade route.
So is this a symptom of Trump dementia? I don’t think so, but I’m not a physician. Rather, I think Trump bleats out this nonsense to control the media cycle and distract from his failures, like his disastrous tariffs and his underwater poll numbers. I’m sure “Little Marco” will know that Trump isn’t serious.
Trump says US should use the Suez and Panama canals for free
“Trump has for months been calling for the United States to take control of the Panama canal but his social media post also shifted focus on to the vital Suez route. “American ships, both military and commercial, should be allowed to travel, free of charge, through the Panama and Suez canals!” Trump posted on Saturday.
“He claimed both routes would “not exist” without the US and said he had asked his secretary of state, Marco Rubio, to “immediately take care of” the situation.”
The United States had nothing at all to do with the building of the Suez Canal. As for the Panama Canal, tolls are regulated by the Panama Canal Authority, an autonomous governing body overseeing the trade route.
So is this a symptom of Trump dementia? I don’t think so, but I’m not a physician. Rather, I think Trump bleats out this nonsense to control the media cycle and distract from his failures, like his disastrous tariffs and his underwater poll numbers. I’m sure “Little Marco” will know that Trump isn’t serious.
Trump says US should use the Suez and Panama canals for free
Joel:
Trump appears to get a thought and can’t hold on to it long enough to discuss it with his cabinet members or even the Secretary of State. So, he blurts it out and everyone wonders, “Where did that come from?” He is so off on a tangent, it is difficult to rein him in after he has said something in public.
@Joel, Perhaps he was thinking of Eisenhower’s intervention to prevent the British, French, and Israelis from taking over the Suez Canal, much as I hate to suggest Trump making sense.
@Jack,
Sorry, you lost me after “Perhaps he was thinking . . .”
But seriously, Juan Cole mentions that history:
” . . .the only thing the United States has had to do with the Suez Canal has been to preserve Egypt’s claim to it as a key pillar of the post-War world in which nation states are secure in their national assets.”
Which is not the same as saying that it wouldn’t exist without the US.
@Joel, True enough. I didn’t mean to imply that his thinking was appropriate.
@Jack,
But you did mean to imply that he was thinking?
@Joel, I conceded the possibility.
A comment from a Facebook friend:
“The US Navy has always had special priority through the Panama Canal since the treaty to transfer the canal. Cost was essentially the operating cost of the canal to lock through the vessel. Ditto with the Suez Canal by treaty with Egypt. The number of US flag merchant vessels is tiny because of US maritime tax policy. It doesn’t pay to register a big fleet in the US so, there are no longer large US merchant fleets.
Joel:
Everything Trump says or does is hollow and meant to scare people rather than supply factual reasons which he would have issues defining and telling. But you and your friend already know such.