Plan B Forum

America’s lead trade negotiator, Robert Lighthizer, had an awkward encounter with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Friday as he tried to calmly school him on legal terminology in front of reporters and a chuckling representative from China.


Lighthizer finally stopped trying, and instead deftly switched the term for the same document when he realized he wasn’t making any headway with the president.

It started when Trump was asked by a reporter how long “memorandums of understanding” being negotiated with China over trade disputes would last.

Trump shot back: “I don’t like MOUs because they don’t mean anything.”

Lighthizer calmly corrected the president, and turned to explain to reporters: “An MOU is a contract. It’s the way trade agreements are generally [established]. It’s an actual contract between the two parties. A memo of understanding is a binding agreement.”

He added: “It’s detailed, it covers everything. ... It’s a legal term; it’s a contract.”

“I disagree,” said a scowling Trump, causing top Chinese negotiator Vice Premier Liu He to laugh. “A memorandum of understanding is exactly that: It’s a memorandum of what our understanding is,” he said, circling his hands in the air. “How long will that take to put into a ... contract?”

In a flash, Lighthizer switched gears without breaking a sweat: “From now on we’re not using ‘memorandum of understanding’ anymore (sparking laughter from several people in the room). We’re going to use the term ‘trade agreement.’ We’ll have the same document; it’s going to be called a trade agreement. We’re never going to have an MOU again.”

“Good,” said Trump.

’Nuff said.

MajGenl.Meade wrote:"make the moral choice between love versus hate."

Now to call that a racist insult surely has some basis in someone's reality. A black man (Spike Lee) said in regard to 2020 that people need to make a moral choice. The statement itself is not racist. But a black man said it. And, evidently to one President, that fact MAKES it racist. A black man says something to which no one in their right mind can take exception, but because his skin color is different from one President's, THAT makes it a racist comment.

I think it's clear which of them is the racist.

(Not Spike - although I must say he seems to have gone loopy. Looking forward to seeing his fillum though).

MajGenl.Meade wrote:"make the moral choice between love versus hate."

Now to call that a racist insult surely has some basis in someone's reality. A black man (Spike Lee) said in regard to 2020 that people need to make a moral choice. The statement itself is not racist. But a black man said it. And, evidently to one President, that fact MAKES it racist. A black man says something to which no one in their right mind can take exception, but because his skin color is different from one President's, THAT makes it a racist comment.

I think it's clear which of them is the racist.

(Not Spike - although I must say he seems to have gone loopy. Looking forward to seeing his fillum though).

liberty wrote: "...


Now if you are saying that it is racist for a white man to disagree with a black man, then what about the legal lynching of R Kelly? Now it was ok when whites went after Cosby he was an “Uncle Tom” , but R Kelly is a proud black man who should left alone live his culture.

Sarcasm alert

liberty wrote:Now if you are saying that it is racist for a white man to disagree with a black man, then what about the legal lynching of R Kelly? Now it was ok when whites went after Cosby he was an “Uncle Tom” , but R Kelly is a proud black man who should left alone live his culture.

Sarcasm alert

The Village Idiot wrote: insert miscellaneous word salad here, it will inevitably make more sense than anything emerging from my few atrophied brain cells

BoSoxGal wrote:Have you ever seen Do the Right Thing? If not, please do. It’s well worth the time investment and not too terrible much foul language (or at least I don’t recall that).

Now if you are saying that it is racist for a white man to disagree with a black man,

MajGenl.Meade wrote:

BoSoxGal wrote:Have you ever seen Do the Right Thing? If not, please do. It’s well worth the time investment and not too terrible much foul language (or at least I don’t recall that).

Yes, I went to the fillum-building where they have seats and popcorn and watched "Do the Right Thing". Enjoyed it too.

As to your "sarcasm alert", lib. . . I am sure you intended no sarcasm at all in this portion:

Now if you are saying that it is racist for a white man to disagree with a black man,

. This truly reflects your warped beliefs.

It's racist, you silly fellow, for anyone (but particularly for a part-time President with a moral magnetic north headed toward Russia) to state that a black man's words are racist because he's black. Since Mr. Lee made no comment whatsoever about white men or about vile Presidents or about race or about color, the only basis for a twisted mind to manufacture a charge of "racism" is that the speaker is black - we all know that all black people are racists whenever they are not kowtowing to the likes of you and Trump (sarcasm).

The Village Idiot wrote:White police never shoot a black man for any reason other than racism, right.

Burning Petard wrote:Our police militarized? Any day now I expect to see a police chief or sheriff stand before the tv cameras and explain the death was a regrettable case of collateral damage. That makes it all so much better.

snailgate.

this what some and maybe most liberals think: “ Now if you are saying that it is racist for a white man to disagree with a black man”