Trump floats idea of US reclaiming Panama Canal: 'Foolishly gave it away'

8,679 Views | 110 Replies | Last: 1 day ago by MarkTwain
WolfCall
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
9:03p, 12/21/24
AG
It's great having Trump as the de facto President. Never a dull moment as he advocates for America. See the latest below regarding high fees for vessels going through the Panama Canal. I didn't realize fees could go for up to six figures, as high as $500,000.00.

https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/trump-floats-idea-u-s-reclaiming-panama-canal-decries-tolls-foolishly-gave-away
Quote:
Trump floats idea of US reclaiming Panama Canal: 'Foolishly gave it away'
Trump claimed US ships are being charged 'ridiculous' fees
By Andrea Margolis FOXBusiness

President-elect Trump unleashed a tirade against Panama Canal tolls Saturday, claiming the U.S. is being ripped off by high prices.


In a Truth Social post Saturday, Trump complained at length about the fees levied on U.S. ships going through the Big Ditch. The Panama Canal's tolls can range from three to six figures depending on how large a vessel is and how much cargo it carries, with the largest ships being charged as much as $500,000.

"The Panama Canal is considered a VITAL National Asset for the United States, due to its critical role to America's Economy and National Security," Trump wrote in his post. "A secure Panama Canal is crucial for U.S. Commerce, and rapid deployment of the Navy, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and drastically cuts shipping times to U.S. ports."

The incoming president criticized former President Carter, who Trump said "foolishly gave it away, for One Dollar." In 1977, Carter signed the Panama Canal Treaty, which phased out U.S. control of the canal by 1999......

.....

Reply Quote
34
bmc13
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
9:04p, 12/21/24
AG
 
Reply Quote
2
infinity ag
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
9:05p, 12/21/24
Trump has a lot of low hanging fruit to pick. He should avoid talking and not getting things done. Let him first solve the issues he spoke about on the campaign. Then work on other stuff.
Reply Quote
21
1 edit
annie88
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to infinity ag • 9:06p, 12/21/24
AG
infinity ag said:
Trump has a lot of low hanging fruit to pick. He should avoid talking and not getting things done. Let him first solve the issues he spoke about on the campaign. Then work on other stuff.
He's actually a very good multitasker.
Reply Quote
71
Dan Scott
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
9:10p, 12/21/24
AG
CIA coup in Panama in the next few years…
Reply Quote
15
Ag87H2O
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
9:12p, 12/21/24
AG
He's not wrong. It was nuts to give it to Panama. At a minimum U.S. military vessels should have the right of free and priority passage in perpetuity, and American owned cargo vessels passage at a greatly reduced rate. We should have also demanded a permanent military base in close proximity to the canal.
Reply Quote
93
titan
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to infinity ag • 9:13p, 12/21/24
S
infinity ag said:
Trump has a lot of low hanging fruit to pick. He should avoid talking and not getting things done. Let him first solve the issues he spoke about on the campaign. Then work on other stuff.
THIS.

Stop telling foes what contemplating and giving them time to do things before you are in power.

Can see a value now in reclaiming it in that it could become a de-facto wall against land migration from further south.

But just order it after in office. (If its that kind of thing have a choice in rather than Congressional)
Reply Quote
7
MemphisAg1
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
9:14p, 12/21/24
AG
Sometimes his ideas fall flat or get passed off as loony, but more often than not he gets traction simply by daring to state them. So many politicians are incredibly timid and measured. Trump is unconstrained and speaks his mind without apology. I've seen this movie before, and I'm going to enjoy the second edition much more than the first. He's been proven right on so many issues that were initially regarded as laughable by the "mainstream," only to see time prove him right.
Reply Quote
45
Ghost of Andrew Eaton
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
9:14p, 12/21/24
Maybe he can get Panama to pay us and then give us the Canal.

I voted for Trump, so don't come with the weak BS.
If you say you hate the state of politics in this nation and you don't get involved in it, you obviously don't hate the state of politics in this nation.
Reply Quote
3
WolfCall
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to infinity ag • 9:16p, 12/21/24
AG
infinity ag said:
Trump has a lot of low hanging fruit to pick. He should avoid talking and not getting things done. Let him first solve the issues he spoke about on the campaign. Then work on other stuff.
Trump is putting every country (and group of countries) on notice who he feels are treating America unfairly. This goes for the big guys (China, EU, NATO, UN) and the little guys like Panama.

Trump's putting them on notice is a forerunner to future negotiations - gives them an opportunity to reconsider the way they have been doing business with America....

It has worked in the past.
Reply Quote
30
titan
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to MemphisAg1 • 9:16p, 12/21/24
S

Agree with that. As said, its probably a great idea now -- as its a shortcut to walling off another caravan type moment from anything further south, which simplifies the problem north of the Canal barrier in turn. Basic stuff.
Reply Quote
2
WolfCall
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to MemphisAg1 • 9:17p, 12/21/24
AG
MemphisAg1 said:
Sometimes his ideas fall flat or get passed off as loony, but more often than not he gets traction simply by daring to state them. So many politicians are incredibly timid and measured. Trump is unconstrained and speaks his mind without apology. I've seen this movie before, and I'm going to enjoy the second edition much more than the first. He's been proven right on so many issues that were initially regarded as laughable by the "mainstream," only to see time prove him right.
^ This!!!!

Regret I have only one star to give!
Reply Quote
8
Dan Scott
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
9:18p, 12/21/24
AG
The canal helps save about 10 days. Vessel rates fluctuate depending on size and market but 30k/day is about average. So the Panama Canal authority knows this and vessel operators know this so that that's how the charge is derived.

What is going to be nuts going forward is LNG. Those vessels can be upwards of 100K/day and the U.S. LNG export is going to blow up in the next decade more than what it is now.
Reply Quote
5
agent-maroon
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
9:19p, 12/21/24
AG
So what would "reclaiming" the canal look like, exactly? Overthrow the government like the previous poster suggested? Full on military takeover by force? Make them a Godfather style "offer they can't refuse"?

Not opposed to any/all of the above, just curious what the smart people are thinking.

Oh, and jimmah carter was a dumbass of the highest order...
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
Reply Quote
7
rocky the dog
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
9:24p, 12/21/24
AG
Elections are when people find out what politicians stand for, and politicians find out what people will fall for.
Reply Quote
43
LOYAL AG
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
9:36p, 12/21/24
AG
Good timing, Mr President. 35 years and one day ago me and 20k of my closest buddies arrived in Panama to oust Noriega. We actually landed early on the 20th.

Good times!
A fearful society is a compliant society. That's why Democrats and criminals prefer their victims to be unarmed. Gun Control is not about guns, it's about control.
Reply Quote
21
Hubert J. Farnsworth
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
9:41p, 12/21/24
A democrat gave the Panama canal away. Just like democrats gave us the federal reserve, social security, the great society(welfare), and the affordable care act.
Reply Quote
23
TexasAggie73
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
10:01p, 12/21/24
AG
One of his billionaire friends must own a shipping company.
Reply Quote
7
Ag with kids
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Ag87H2O • 10:06p, 12/21/24
AG
Ag87H2O said:
He's not wrong. It was nuts to give it to Panama. At a minimum U.S. military vessels should have the right of free and priority passage in perpetuity, and American owned cargo vessels passage at a greatly reduced rate. We should have also demanded a permanent military base in close proximity to the canal.
We actually BUILT it. WE spent the money to do it. Teddy Roosevelt made sure it happened.

Carter failed the US in many ways, but this was his biggest.

Reply Quote
41
Buck Turgidson
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to TexasAggie73 • 10:06p, 12/21/24
TexasAggie73 said:
One of his billionaire friends must own a shipping company.
Those fees get added to our imports and cost us all money. The same fees make US exports more expensive, hurting US industries that rely on exports. Not good for Americans either way.
Reply Quote
8
aTmAg
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
10:12p, 12/21/24
AG
There is funny Reagan story about this. Reagan and Buckley Jr. disagreed on this. Reagan wanted to keep it, and Buckley thought we should give it away. Well, the next time Buckley was in California and went to visit Reagan at his ranch, Reagan had constructed huge signs, each with one word that lead up the road to his house. They said:

We
Built
It.
We
Paid
For
It.
It's
OURS!
Reply Quote
14
1 edit
TexasAggie73
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Buck Turgidson • 10:18p, 12/21/24
AG
Buck Turgidson said:
TexasAggie73 said:
One of his billionaire friends must own a shipping company.
Those fees get added to our imports and cost us all money. The same fees make US exports more expensive, hurting US industries that rely on exports. Not good for Americans either way.


There has always been a charge to transit the canal. It saves time and the cost is about the same a ship would cost going around the southern tip.
Reply Quote
1
infinity ag
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to annie88 • 10:20p, 12/21/24
annie88 said:
infinity ag said:
Trump has a lot of low hanging fruit to pick. He should avoid talking and not getting things done. Let him first solve the issues he spoke about on the campaign. Then work on other stuff.
He's actually a very good multitasker.

Let's see. He's got another chance to prove himself. He's talked a lot and people gave him a chance. Now time to show some results.
Reply Quote
1
AgGrad99
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
10:34p, 12/21/24
AG
Trump likes to flood the zone. I think it helps him get things done
Reply Quote
2
Ag with kids
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Ghost of Andrew Eaton • 10:35p, 12/21/24
AG
Ghost of Andrew Eaton said:
Maybe he can get Panama to pay us and then give us the Canal.

I voted for Trump, so don't come with the weak BS.
This.
Reply Quote
2
Sea Speed
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
10:45p, 12/21/24
AG
I ****ing love this.
Reply Quote
3
Eliminatus
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
10:46p, 12/21/24
AG
Empty rhetoric is empty. HOW would a reclaim even realistically take place? Carter et al. were colossally incompetent in literally giving away one of the most strategic positions on the entire globe and we expect Panama to reciprocate and give it back? Because there is zero leverage without full on economic warfare or actual violence.

It sounds nice but until any sort of halfway feasible plan emerges of it even reaching the realm of possibility, this is simply clickbait to me.

Also, never miss a chance to damn Carter and his admin. They screwed us so bad we are still walking funny all these years later. I don't care how bad relations were with Panama and his want to pivot to a "new" way of foreign policy after the disaster of Vietnam. What a dismal failure he and that Congress was.
Reply Quote
17
1 edit
Sea Speed
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Ag87H2O • 10:48p, 12/21/24
AG
Ag87H2O said:
He's not wrong. It was nuts to give it to Panama. At a minimum U.S. military vessels should have the right of free and priority passage in perpetuity, and American owned cargo vessels passage at a greatly reduced rate. We should have also demanded a permanent military base in close proximity to the canal.


I went through on a USNS ship and the pilots were complete *****s and threatened to send us to anchor to languish because we wouldn't give them a room. This was at the height of covid when everyone was mask Nazis and concerned about breathing each other's air and all that other bull***** The USNS ships don't have pilot cabins right by the bridge like a lot of commercial vessels.

The US Embassy had to get involved because the pilot was throwing a temper tantrum and threatening our ship.
Reply Quote
2
4
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to LOYAL AG • 12:31a, 12/22/24
AG
LOYAL AG said:
Good timing, Mr President. 35 years and one day ago me and 20k of my closest buddies arrived in Panama to oust Noriega. We actually landed early on the 20th.

Good times!

Damn, I'd like to buy you a beer or 20 and hear your stories
Reply Quote
3
AggieVictor10
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
1:06a, 12/22/24
AG
HELL YEAH
hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. good times create weak men. and weak men create hard times.

less virtue signaling, more vice signaling.

Birds aren’t real
Lol,lmao
Reply Quote
1
txags92
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to agent-maroon • 1:24a, 12/22/24
AG
agent-maroon said:
So what would "reclaiming" the canal look like, exactly? Overthrow the government like the previous poster suggested? Full on military takeover by force? Make them a Godfather style "offer they can't refuse"?

Not opposed to any/all of the above, just curious what the smart people are thinking.

Oh, and jimmah carter was a dumbass of the highest order...
We already dismantled and decommissioned the nuclear reactor barge that used to power the canal facilities for us when we still owned it.
Reply Quote
Shoefly!
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Ag87H2O • 3:12a, 12/22/24
AG
Ag87H2O said:
He's not wrong. It was nuts to give it to Panama. At a minimum U.S. military vessels should have the right of free and priority passage in perpetuity, and American owned cargo vessels passage at a greatly reduced rate. We should have also demanded a permanent military base in close proximity to the canal.

$500k per ship is not a fee, it's plundering!
Reply Quote
3
bobbranco
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
3:39a, 12/22/24
AG
Probably Trump pushing back on the Chinese.

Quote:
Currently, China controls two of Panama's five principal zone ports through Hong Kong-based Hutchison, with one on each side of the waterway at Balboa and Cristobal. Chinese companies are finishing work on the Amador Pacific Coast cruise terminal. These follow China-based Landbridge buying control of Margarita Island, Panama's largest port on the Atlantic side, for US$900M in 2016 and China Communications Construction's building of a deepwater port.

And according to US trade publication Engineering News-Record, a consortium of Chinese state-owned firms will soon restart construction of a fourth US$1.3Bn bridge across the Canal after at least five years of disputes.

https://www.rivieramm.com/news-content-hub/news-content-hub/us-and-china-clash-over-neutrality-of-drought-hit-panama-canal-79323
Reply Quote
9
1 edit
BigRobSA
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
6:53a, 12/22/24
But then we'd have to deal with all those Mexicans in Panama.





Reply Quote
2
nortex97
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
7:04a, 12/22/24
AG
Jimmy Carter's two most enormous, glaring 'mistakes' in office (aka acts of absolute treason/idiocy) were giving away the Panama Canal and putting the mullah's in charge of Iran (make no mistake, this would not have happened without his approval). I will not mourn when that hateful old bigot finally passes.

Back to the canal itself, the Panamanians have done a terrible job maintaining it I have read, which is part of the reason for all the delays. Mexico is closing in on its 'inter-oceanic corridor' which is a rail line intended to handle millions of containers a year. Hopefully that works/competes well.
Reply Quote
7
Last Page
Page 1 of 4 ▼
 
×
subscribe Verify your student status
See Subscription Benefits
Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial.