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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsPresident Lopez Obrador of Mexico responds to Trump's tariff threat & it's a beautiful thing
Mexico City, May 30, 2019
President Donald Trump,
I am aware of your latest position in regard to Mexico. In advance, I express to you that I dont want confrontation. The peoples and nations that we represent deserve that we resort to dialogue and act with prudence and responsibility, in the face of any conflict in our relations, serious as it may be.
The greatest President of Mexico, Benito Juárez, maintained excellent relations with the Republican hero, Abraham Lincoln. Later, when Mexico nationalized its oil resources and industry, Democratic President Franklin D, Roosevelt understood the profound reasons that led our patriotic President Lázaro Cárdenas to act in favor of our sovereignty. By the way, President Roosevelt was a titan of freedom who proclaimed the four fundamental rights of man: the right to freedom of speech; the right to freedom of religion; the right to live free from fear; and the right to live free from misery.
With this in mind, we frame our policy on immigration. Human beings do not leave their villages for pleasure but out of necessity. Thats why, from the beginning of my government, I proposed opting for cooperation in development and aid for the Central American countries with productive investments to create jobs and resolve this painful situation.
You also know that we are fulfilling our responsibility to prevent, as much as possible and without violating human rights, any passage of the persons concerned through our country. It is worth remembering that - in a short time, Mexicans will not need to go to the United States and that migration will be optional, not forced. This is because we are fighting, like never before, the main problem in Mexico, corruption. And, in this way, our country will attain a powerful social dimension. Our countrymen will be able to work and be happy where they were born, where their families, their customs and their cultures are.
President Trump, social problems are not resolved by tariffs or coercive measures like turning a neighboring country overnight into a ghetto, an enclosed place for the migrants of the world, where theyre stigmatized, abused, persecuted, and excluded and the right to justice is denied to those who seek to work and to live free from want. The Statue of Liberty is not an empty symbol.
With all due respect, although you have the sovereign right to say it, the slogan "United States First" is a fallacy because universal justice and fraternity will prevail until the end of time, even over national borders.
Specifically, citizen President, I propose to deepen our dialogue, and seek alternatives to the immigration problem. And, please remember that I do not lack courage, that I am not cowardly or timorous, but that I act on principles. I believe that politics was invented to avoid confrontation and war, among other things. I do not believe in the Law of Talon, in a 'tooth for a tooth' or an 'eye for an eye' because, if we practiced it, we would all be toothless and one-eyed. I believe that as statesmen and even more so as patriots, we are obliged to seek peaceful solutions to controversies and to practice the beautiful ideal of non-violence, forever.
Finally, I suggest that you instruct your officials, if it doesnt cause any inconvenience. that they attend to representatives of our government, headed by the Secretary of Foreign Relations, who will be in Washington tomorrow to reach an agreement for the benefit of our two nations.
Nothing by force. Everything by reason and human rights.
Your friend,
Andrés Manuel López Obrador
President of México
https://lopezobrador.org.mx/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/30-05-2019-Carta-al-presidente-Trump.pdf
via:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/5/31/1861779/-President-Lopez-Obrador-of-Mexico-responds-to-Trump-s-tariff-threat-it-s-a-beautiful-thing?utm_campaign=trending
redwitch
(14,944 posts)Trump wont respond in kind.
pandr32
(11,581 posts)He'll let someone else read it and tell him whether it flattered him or not.
Haggis for Breakfast
(6,831 posts)SergeStorms
(19,200 posts)Someone who can translate Spanish into 'Dumb-fuckese'. And it's can't take longer than 2 minutes, unless there are multiple pictures of Donnie-Dumb-Fuck or racy pictures of Ivanka.
lunasun
(21,646 posts)malaise
(268,969 posts)K & R
PJMcK
(22,035 posts)There isnt a picture of him.
davekriss
(4,616 posts)mgardener
(1,816 posts)But will not be able to process or comprehend what the letter means.
He is unfit for office.
NCjack
(10,279 posts)Trump cannot read, even simple text in bullet form. To make it understandable, the simple text had be accompanied with a cartoon. That is, Trump's highest level of "reading" is essentially comic books for elementary school children.
And, he will not read those unless an adult projects the images & text onto a screen, reads the text to him, and explains the image. After 10 minutes, a break is need to discuss golf.
lunatica
(53,410 posts)I hear people are pretty happy with President Lopez Obrador.
Mosby
(16,306 posts)Is that cool with you?
But I still love Mexico and I love Mexicans. How do you feel about Mexicans? I think theyre the most friendly, welcoming, fun loving, family loving people I know. And I love their food and their culture and their music.
Do you have a problem with that?
world wide wally
(21,742 posts)I wish we would learn a few things from them.
Xipe Totec
(43,890 posts)So right off the bat, your statement is bullshit.
Second, it doesn't matter how much you're paid, but how much you're paid relative to the cost of living.
If you make $1,000 an hour but a tomato costs $2,000.00 you are thoroughly screwed.
bhikkhu
(10,715 posts)Takes a bit of reading and currency conversion, but for the most part it can be said that you can make a living on minimum wage there. That is, you can afford a roof and food in most places. Which wouldn't seem like a very high bar or admirable standard, except that you pretty much can't do that here in the US working for minimum wage, most places.
Worth mentioning, the cost of health insurance is absurdly low there in comparison, not even in the ballpark of what we put up with. The yearly cost there - that's what I pay every month, even with a big employer subsidy. My out of pocket for the last little incident I had here, even after the insurance coverage, would have paid for 14 years of insurance in Mexico.
procon
(15,805 posts)Karadeniz
(22,513 posts)interested in having trump in their country. Que lastima!
lunatica
(53,410 posts)MyOwnPeace
(16,926 posts)we deducted it from what they're gonna' pay for the wall?
(Just in case you're a troll and needed this)
Desperate times make for desperate begging! LOL!
sop
(10,167 posts)Further damage the Mexican economy, increase the people's desperation and caravans may materialize in time for 2020 election.
Lonestarblue
(9,981 posts)Trump is helping create this crisis by cutting off all economic aid to the neediest Central American countries. After all, without a crisis, he cant keep his supporters salivating over the notion of building a big beautiful wall to keep those dirty brown people out of the US. Ill take the brown people over the person in the White House any day.
panader0
(25,816 posts)Trump won't read it. Even if he did he wouldn't understand it.
Kurt V.
(5,624 posts)He's a free trade globalist.
riverine
(516 posts)like FDR, JFK, WJC, and BHO.
Cooperating and trading with other countries is the goal.
Tariffs are evil as Trump shows. Fake Democrats like BS agree with Trump.
Turin_C3PO
(13,976 posts)But ideally, it will be FAIR trade first and foremost.
Mosby
(16,306 posts)A: Weve gone the first mile. I dont disagree with the premise of the free traders. But we need an emerging middle class in these countries, and were not getting one. So now is the time to have labor and environmental standards attached to trade agreements.
Q: What if they say no?
A: Then Id say, Fine, thats the end of free trade.
Q: What do you mean, thats the end of free trade? Then we slap tariffs on these countries?
A: Yes.
Q: So youd be in favor of tariffs at that point.
A: If necessary. Look, Jimmy Carter did this in foreign policy. If you cant get people to observe human rights, and say that were going to accept products from countries that have kids working no overtime, no time and a half, no reasonable safety precautions-- I dont think we ought to be buying those kinds of products in this country. Were enabling that to happen.
Source: Joe Klein Interview, John F. Kennedy Library and Foundation , Mar 26, 2003
Source: Campaign web site, DeanForAmerica.com, On the Issues , Nov 30, 2002
Source: Democratic 2004 primary Debate in Greenville SC , Jan 29, 2004
http://www.ontheissues.org/Celeb/Howard_Dean_Free_Trade.htm
riverine
(516 posts)But we had a chance to set trade rules (including labor and environmental standards) with the TPP and Trump, Bernie Sanders, and Liz Warren all shat on the deal for selfish political purposes. Obama had it right.
As a result we are nearing a global trade war with the US as protagonist.
China has become the manufacturing alternative to the USA WITHOUT an FTA with the USA. Howard Dean's bleary eyed optimism of 2002 has been replaced with a desperate US as international beggar.
Mosby
(16,306 posts)China needs us a lot more than we need all the crap that we buy from them.
Trump has no idea how to do tariffs properly, it needs to be a transparent algorithm tied to wages, workplace safety, human rights, building codes and environmental laws. That way a country can improve its "score" and lower tariffs by making changes to the indices I mentioned above.
GetRidOfThem
(869 posts)Don't go to war on each other...
Kurt V.
(5,624 posts)Scurrilous
(38,687 posts)Hekate
(90,674 posts)...that we will have a president who will hold out a hand to him.
bronxiteforever
(9,287 posts)NCjack
(10,279 posts)shanny
(6,709 posts)but: just imagine if rump treated his representatives the way Kim Jung Il does.
I wonder if he would still HAVE any representatives, even as brain-dead as they are.
It's just an idea...that being, I wonder if they have actually thought this whole thing through.
they quit in record time anyhow, so yes, that may certainly give them some incentive to perhaps, as Fagan from "Oliver" said, " I'm reviewing.....the situation..............."
Xipe Totec
(43,890 posts)Ligyron
(7,632 posts)Or Kamala or Warren or...
Ilsa
(61,695 posts)MyOwnPeace
(16,926 posts)it's Biden.
Ilsa
(61,695 posts)I guess you didn't hear about dotard's twitter thread with misspellings, including him calling the VP "Bidan." (I know it's Biden.)
MyOwnPeace
(16,926 posts)but never did see dotard's version. I'm surprised it was that civil instead of something nasty, which is certainly his style..............
shanny
(6,709 posts)KPN
(15,643 posts)FakeNoose
(32,634 posts)... No more than three sentences and nothing longer than 3-syllable words.
Duppers
(28,120 posts)Ohiogal
(31,989 posts)He is so right. He gets it. That ought to make Dopey Donald stark raving mad....
sprinkleeninow
(20,246 posts)KSNY
(315 posts)...but pearls before swine and all. Dotard won't understand.
WinstonSmith4740
(3,056 posts)Unfortunately, Trump will never be able to concentrate long enough for Kelly Anne to read it to him.
NBachers
(17,108 posts)in his entire lifetime.
Volaris
(10,270 posts)'I HOPE THEY REMEMBER YOU.'
just totally fuckin brutal...what an amazing takedown lol...
pdsimdars
(6,007 posts)I mean, really. Everyone seems to act like they haven't observed him for the last few years.
llmart
(15,536 posts)I'll take him or the guy to the North of us any day. Why oh why are we stuck with the imbecile while our northern and southern neighbors get real leaders?
denbot
(9,899 posts)We recently had a president like Mexico is very proud of.
Olafjoy
(937 posts)What an amazing letter from the President of México!
i1 will never read it. To many big words. Too long. All I can think of is that Troll in Harry Potter trying to read a play by Shakespeare. One is an idiot who yells like a banshee and tries to bash people and the other is a mythical beast who gets in a scuffle with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
Cha
(297,196 posts)such a stupid dickweed in the wh.
Good on Mexico, though!
roamer65
(36,745 posts)I am so sick of the Dotard.
ZeroSomeBrains
(638 posts)Frankly he is one of my heros right now in these dark times. He is the best leader of any North American country right now.
Laura PourMeADrink
(42,770 posts)mshasta
(2,108 posts)He doesnt give two fks about Americans and surely wont be a fk about Mexico
TygrBright
(20,759 posts)lunasun
(21,646 posts)Response to kpete (Original post)
Midnight Writer This message was self-deleted by its author.
ZZenith
(4,122 posts)YMMV
Midnight Writer
(21,753 posts)ZZenith
(4,122 posts)You are aptly named.
garybeck
(9,942 posts)And if you did this is too long for him
He will never read this
Blue Owl
(50,356 posts)If only trump had the maturity and intellect of an adult instead of a juvenile delinquent...
captain queeg
(10,188 posts)Needs to boil it down to about 2 dozen at the most with some crayon drawings. Even then youd. Have to use his name in every sentence to have a chance of him looking at it.
nitpicker
(7,153 posts)SkyDaddy7
(6,045 posts)WHAT LANGUAGE IS THAT!?! ...MEXICAN!?!
patricia92243
(12,595 posts)tweet from the malignant buffoon.
TheCowsCameHome
(40,168 posts)The only part he would read is his own name.
kskiska
(27,045 posts)as "United States First," since Mexico is part of America, too, as well as every other country in this hemisphere.
The Liberal Lion
(1,414 posts)Very strong indeed.
donkeypoofed
(2,187 posts)a la izquierda
(11,794 posts)It will be interesting to see how things play out over the next couple weeks. There is a buy Mexican movement that is beginning to coalesce. At the same time, prices have been rising here because of the decline of the peso in the past couple years.
The EZLN was out last night protesting in the central square of Mérida. So well see.
yuiyoshida
(41,831 posts)tweeted maybe he might understand it, and he refuses to have someone read it to him cause it
makes him look weak.. not to mention that Trump thinks people with brown or dark skin are not "stable geniuses" like he claims to be.