a Turkey waits to be plucked.

[neverfail]

China will buy Turkey on the cheap

With help from Beijing, Erdogan is hoping to find an alternative to IMF loans, one that could turn Turkey into 'an economic satrapy of China'

http://www.atimes.com/article/china-wil ... the-cheap/

Bring it on?

[Milo]

China will buy Turkey on the cheap

With help from Beijing, Erdogan is hoping to find an alternative to IMF loans, one that could turn Turkey into 'an economic satrapy of China'

http://www.atimes.com/article/china-wil ... the-cheap/

Bring it on?

Turkey is not allowed to say that only charity form the Gulf States got it this far.

Trump has helped his buddy Erdogan the other day by increasing sanctions; confirming Erdogan's accusations of economic warfare against it.

This authoritarian club of Erdogan, Trump and Putin (and junior partner Duterte) is rather scary to me. I just hope some uppance comes for Trump before his supporters let him pass his 'enabling act'!

[neverfail]

China will buy Turkey on the cheap

With help from Beijing, Erdogan is hoping to find an alternative to IMF loans, one that could turn Turkey into 'an economic satrapy of China'

http://www.atimes.com/article/china-wil ... the-cheap/

Bring it on?

Turkey is not allowed to say that only charity form the Gulf States got it this far.

Trump has helped his buddy Erdogan the other day by increasing sanctions; confirming Erdogan's accusations of economic warfare against it.

This authoritarian club of Erdogan, Trump and Putin (and junior partner Duterte) is rather scary to me. I just hope some uppance comes for Trump before his supporters let him pass his 'enabling act'!

I doubt whether Trump could ever persuade even a Republican controlled Congress to give him such an enormous blank cheque, Milo.

[SteveFoerster]

This authoritarian club of Erdogan, Trump and Putin (and junior partner Duterte) is rather scary to me. I just hope some uppance comes for Trump before his supporters let him pass his 'enabling act'!

I doubt whether Trump could ever persuade even a Republican controlled Congress to give him such an enormous blank cheque, Milo.

Agreed. For the most part, Congressional Republicans don't actually like him at all, they're just scared to alienate his base.

[neverfail]

This authoritarian club of Erdogan, Trump and Putin (and junior partner Duterte) is rather scary to me. I just hope some uppance comes for Trump before his supporters let him pass his 'enabling act'!

I doubt whether Trump could ever persuade even a Republican controlled Congress to give him such an enormous blank cheque, Milo.

Agreed. For the most part, Congressional Republicans don't actually like him at all, they're just scared to alienate his base.

You know Steve, considering what a cleft stick Congressional Republicans have been caught in since Trump was elected that way, wouldn't you say that they have on the whole done a laudable job in curbing the worst of Trump's excesses?

[SteveFoerster]

This authoritarian club of Erdogan, Trump and Putin (and junior partner Duterte) is rather scary to me. I just hope some uppance comes for Trump before his supporters let him pass his 'enabling act'!

I doubt whether Trump could ever persuade even a Republican controlled Congress to give him such an enormous blank cheque, Milo.

Agreed. For the most part, Congressional Republicans don't actually like him at all, they're just scared to alienate his base.

You know Steve, considering what a cleft stick Congressional Republicans have been caught in since Trump was elected that way, wouldn't you say that they have on the whole done a laudable job in curbing the worst of Trump's excesses?

Not at all on the trade war, not in military interventionism (although they don't disagree with that), and not on tax cuts without spending cuts. So... no, not really. But perhaps we're thinking of different things?

[neverfail]

This authoritarian club of Erdogan, Trump and Putin (and junior partner Duterte) is rather scary to me. I just hope some uppance comes for Trump before his supporters let him pass his 'enabling act'!

I doubt whether Trump could ever persuade even a Republican controlled Congress to give him such an enormous blank cheque, Milo.

Agreed. For the most part, Congressional Republicans don't actually like him at all, they're just scared to alienate his base.

You know Steve, considering what a cleft stick Congressional Republicans have been caught in since Trump was elected that way, wouldn't you say that they have on the whole done a laudable job in curbing the worst of Trump's excesses?

Not at all on the trade war, not in military interventionism (although they don't disagree with that), and not on tax cuts without spending cuts. So... no, not really. But perhaps we're thinking of different things?

Are there any signs (say, in public opinion polls) that the US voting public, true to form as defined by past history, may elect a predominantly Democrats House of Reps. later this year? Or do you think that the fact that this year the economy is growing at over 4% p.a. will hoodwink voters into re-electing a Republican majority House on the delusion that the good times are destined to go on forever?

[SteveFoerster]

Are there any signs (say, in public opinion polls) that the US voting public, true to form as defined by past history, may elect a predominantly Democrats House of Reps. later this year? Or do you think that the fact that this year the economy is growing at over 4% p.a. will hoodwink voters into re-electing a Republican majority House on the delusion that the good times are destined to go on forever?

Do ordinary people actually see good times just because the economy grew at an annualised rate of 4% for a single quarter? I seriously doubt it.

It's not a sure thing, but if I had to bet I would bet on the Democrats taking the U.S. House for the same reasons I've already said. Democratic voters are extremely motivated, as we saw in Virginia's off-year elections last year, as we saw with the unthinkable election of a Democrat to an Alabama seat in the U.S. Senate, and as we just saw from the Republicans nearly losing the strongly red 12th district in Ohio. In Virginia, the GOP managed to shoot themselves in the foot by nominating Corey Stewart, a Confederate-sympathiser in a state where that's become anathema to independents in the all-important suburbs, which will probably lose Barbara Comstock (R-VA 10) her seat.

But we'll see, right?

[neverfail]

Meantime (back on topic):

http://www.atimes.com/article/turkey-se ... -in-china/

Asian Times correspondent ALTAY ATLI seems convinced, almost complaiscent, that mutual interests with the West will win out in Turkey.

But former Indian veteran diplomat, M.K. BHADRAKUMAR warns us-
The sense of indignation among Turks should not be underestimated, which makes this an exceptional rupture.

http://www.atimes.com/article/us-turkis ... no-return/

I agree with him. The Turks I know are a very proud people who would likely rather die than submit to the will of a foreign power. Sheer fury among his constituents may propel Erdogan into an anti-Western policy posture.

[Milo]

Meantime (back on topic):

http://www.atimes.com/article/turkey-se ... -in-china/

Asian Times correspondent ALTAY ATLI seems convinced, almost complaiscent, that mutual interests with the West will win out in Turkey.

But former Indian veteran diplomat, M.K. BHADRAKUMAR warns us-
The sense of indignation among Turks should not be underestimated, which makes this an exceptional rupture.

http://www.atimes.com/article/us-turkis ... no-return/

I agree with him. The Turks I know are a very proud people who would likely rather die than submit to the will of a foreign power. Sheer fury among his constituents may propel Erdogan into an anti-Western policy posture.

And Erdogan can probably get more backing from the Gulf States, especially Qatar, in exchange for some wet work and foreign policy support.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/11/ ... 04142.html