Please no one tell him Merkel herself put out the photo. And when your key trade advisor is banishing another leader to the depths of hell, it’s…um…reasonable to think just perhaps things didn’t go swimmingly.
Hey…but that photo of him saluting a PRNK general, that was unforgettable.
I’m thinking of pareidolia. A wooden fence post finial has weathered in such a way that it resembles the face of Jesus (as depicted in western art and literature). Who the hell knows what the real Jesus looked like? But we look for familiar patterns based on our experience and expectations. A few of us would say no, that’s just a weathered fence post. But if a whole lotta people think it looks like Jesus, it goes on CNN and Wolf Blitzer says, “Hey, looka this fence post. It looks like Jesus and people are coming from miles around to pray before it.”
Likewise, the iconic G7 picture. Many people see an isolated, corned, small petulant Trump. Others see Trump defiant, implaccable before his adversaries. A few say, “who really knows what’s going on here?” Since Trump is so unpopular, its no wonder that the isolated Trump is the dominant interpretation. The “truth” revealed, if any, is that a shitload of folks don’t like Trump.
ETA. Based on snippets of information coming out of the G7 by aides and onlookers, Trump, very likely frustrated his fellow world leaders and caused them a great deal of worry. So perhaps this picture does serve as a kind of “icon” that expresses that.
Canada’s FM allowed the idea of going after Trump’s businesses to gain some currency. Germany could make similar moves and perhaps lean on Deutsche Bank to be more forthcoming with the press about the questionable loans given to Trump/Kushner entities and their even shadier looking transactions for Russian oligarchs.
The tariffs are biting Americans at home. It might not show up in the economic data for a month or two, but we’re seeing it being reported at a local level and industry level.
But what I think happened at the G-7 was a change in body language and approach. The G-6 is ready to flex their power and leave the US behind and treat it as a bit of a rogue state for the moment. That kind of dominance play worries Trump.
Yes, and not because he cares one bit about the effects on other people.
FWIW, Gore authored a very good book called “The Assault on Reason” in 2006 or so. In many ways it was prescient. Unfortunately, it was a little too high brow for most people…
“The Assault on Reason”
Yes, in 2007: the Bush era.
Can TPM avoid using Trump tweets in headlines? Please?
Trump has turned words into weapons. And he’s winning the linguistic war
How the media can report on Trump, without becoming Trump’s propaganda corps
How the conventions of political journalism help spread Trump’s lies
By Trump’s logic, I should be able to sue him for causing me to become an alcoholic!
I remember. Mrs Von Holst and I both read it. Mrs. Von Holst thought it was too elementary.
In other words, We’re America, Bitch!
Lovely - Now, can we composed that into a song?
Sad thing is - Trump’s base, composed of 32% of Americans(White-Tribalist who are moral degenerates - scums of the earth) are tone deaf 
As amusing as it is to weigh on trumpp’s stupidity and presents more opportunities for the witty and wise people here to respond, the focus on him by TPM needs to be cut way back. It does become very like TMZ (the head of which is a close friend of PP’s BTW), and we take our eyes off the monstrous problem that is DJT. When we get start getting headlines ripped from the National Enquirer we’ll know we’re in deep trouble.
I don’t doubt it… However, I am pretty sure your better half is not in the lower side of bell curve where by definition 50% of the population resides…
Put my argument another way, could you provide an example of a book written by contemporaneous Republican that wasn’t a pile of ideological dreck…
Look on the bright side of life…wait…
Every time Trump does something — Trumpish – we can find a song for it. A song to sooth our souls and palliate our distress.
(That and a few shots of Glenmorangie.)
The occupant remains a disheveled putz.
Trump refused to sign the joint statement everyone worked hard to develop, left the conference early, and savaged the Canadian PM with support from several of his subordinates after he was safely out of face-to-face range.
If this is Trump’s definition of “Winning”, then is there anthing at all that would constitute “Failure”? Is it “Fake News” that all of our allies came away deeply frustrated from the conference?
Maybe it would be helpful to distinguish between widespread rumors and actual photos, audio, and/or video that capture the essence of a situation, say Kruschev’s shoe tantrum, or W’s “Mission Accomplished.”
Interesting observation, thanks.
Whiny meets with some Bad Hombres.
Understatement of the Day
