Summary

Donald Trump criticized Panama Canal fees as “ridiculous” and demanded lower costs or the canal’s return to the US.

In a Truth Social post, Trump also expressed concern about potential Chinese influence over the waterway, despite no direct Chinese control of canal operations.

The canal, transferred to Panama in 1999, is vital for global trade, handling 5% of maritime traffic.

Trump’s comments follow record revenues of $5 billion announced by the Panama Canal Authority. Panama has not yet responded to his statements.

      • LordCrom@lemmy.world
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        15 hours ago

        In the late 1700s it took months to get election results. Things that seemed normal hundreds of years ago…such as allowing bearing of arms in the form of a musket that maybe shot 1 bullet every 3 minutes… Today they are crazy…same rule applies to a machine gun that can spray hundreds of bullets in same time frame. The founding fathers had no idea what was to come.

        • MutilationWave@lemmy.world
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          11 hours ago

          They also saw the constitution as a living document that should change with the times. The bill of rights was already in the pipeline when it was signed. There have been barely any changes since due to the impossibility of getting 3/4 of states to agree on if water is wet, let alone something important.

        • Sir_Kevin@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          10 hours ago

          such as allowing bearing of arms in the form of a musket that maybe shot 1 bullet every 3 minutes… Today they are crazy…same rule applies to a machine gun that can spray hundreds of bullets in same time frame.

          I get where you’re coming from but in regards to the above, this isn’t remotely true.

          Old powder fired guns made before a certain date (I think it’s like 1850?) can be owned by anyone, even felons.

          Modern firearms require a background check and other requirements to be purchased from a legit store.

          Short barrel rifles and suppressors require additional ATF checks, forms and taxes.

          Machineguns have even more regulations on top of all that.

          In addition, the seller is required to abide by additional rules, regulations, inspections, etc.

          Source: https://regulations.atf.gov/

      • VindictiveJudge@lemmy.world
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        16 hours ago

        Lots of things about our elections were designed with the assumption that it would take ages for people to get anywhere, hence the delay. Not really relevant anymore, though.

        • NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world
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          15 hours ago

          In the future, the US will finally make a constitutional amendment that fixes this, and a decade later we’ll develop human teleportation, but it’ll be another 100 years before they get to updating the constitution again.

          • MutilationWave@lemmy.world
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            10 hours ago

            The constitution requires 3/4 of states to agree to an amendment. This kinda made sense when it was written. Now, unless something changes drastically, I can’t see the constitution amended ever again.

      • kreskin@lemmy.world
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        11 hours ago

        The only thing getting trump in office sooner would get us is ending the “american experiment” sooner. I’m not looking forward to that. Its evidently time for republican traitors to push us off the cliff we have collectively pushed so many other peoples off of. Not used to the idea that we have real consequential pain coming.

      • e8d79
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        14 hours ago

        Where there problems of this sort with any of the previous presidents?

        • NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world
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          14 hours ago

          This specific problem, probably not, but in general the 2 month lame duck session is a problem. It creates a period of no accountability for the president giving up their power, and the window makes doing things internationally more difficult as the incoming president may do things differently and cancel/change things.

          • MutilationWave@lemmy.world
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            10 hours ago

            That’s one of the things about Trump that I think isn’t talked about enough. Now any agreements signed by the US seem like a crapshoot because the next guy in is just going to pull out or cancel them. Trump will do it for a second time to the Paris climate agreement. What about a peace treaty? Or a mutual defense pact? Why should another county trust us?