What we do know is that Trump insisted there not be any advisors at the meeting. Unprecedented for a planned meeting. And it was remarkably long, 2 hours 20 minutes. After the meeting Trump took the interpreter's notes and tore them up. There is no record
Helsinki Speculation Thread 1/
What happened at the Helsinki Hostage Summit?
Trump & Putin spent 2 hours 20 minutes alone, without any advisors. After the meeting we get this infamous photo, which essentially summarizes Trump. The Gimp & his Master. This thread is speculation
What we do know is that Trump insisted there not be any advisors at the meeting. Unprecedented for a planned meeting. And it was remarkably long, 2 hours 20 minutes. After the meeting Trump took the interpreter's notes and tore them up. There is no record
BEFORE the Helsinki Hostage Summit, Trump had been eager and enthusiastic about the upcoming summit. But after the personal meeting, he emerged ashen, as if frightened out of his mind, while Czar Vladimir the Smug wore that grin like the winner
So nobody apart from Trump, Putin and the interpreter know what happened. Trump did NOT inform his advisors or the Secretary of State etc, what he had talked about.
BUT we can play detective. What can we infer? Trump was devastated, Putin triumphed
My guess is that Trump had arrived with what he considered was a 'brilliant' plan. One that was 'fail-safe'. And obviously totally corrupt, that is why the secrecy. And Putin rejected it flat-out, but Putin managed to frighten the shit out of Trump.
Two keys: Trump owed Putin at this point something to the tune of half a Billion dollars ($500 million). He also owed others like Saudis, the Chinese etc. But Putin is the Mafia boss here, who has lent Trump a huge pile of cash. That loan needs repaying
Second, we did not know at the time, but found out from the partly redacted Mueller Report, that even late into 2016 election, Trump had a secret project going on about a Trump Tower for Moscow. This was a high priority for Trump, no doubt still in 2018
My guess is that Trump's fail-safe plan involved the promised Trump Tower and some 'incredibly valuable' bribe-gift to Putin, plus half ownership in that lucrative deal. And this was to somehow absolve Trump from his debts to Putin (or part of them)
You can imagine how Trump would frame it. Moscow's tallest tower, call it say Trump Putin Plaza. Give Putin the top floor penthouse. Suggest it would be most prestigious home on the planet. Something like that. What any two-bit street hustler might like
Also Trump would have had real planners work on it, and Trump would then explain in childish delight how expensive and prestigious and VALUABLE that property would instantly become, paying back to Putin the debt with huge profit. Some real estate pitch
Because Trump is a moron, he didn't know that Putin was playing Trump. Putin is the richest person the planet has ever seen. He is the planet's first Trillionaire. The only person on the planet who has BILLIONAIRES as errand-boys. Money here is TRIVIAL
So whatever 'stable genius' real estate hustler scheme Trump had cooked up, and eagerly offered to Putin, Putin swatted aside, and rejected in the first 10 minutes. THAT explains the ashen face of Trump. The SHOCK in Trump's expression.
Obviously any Trump Tower Moscow plan has been ended. That supports my thesis. Trump instead started to talk about his other Towers abroad like the ones in Istanbul, and Trump tried to get a Trump Tower into North Korea..
But what explains Putin's grin? He held Trump for 2 hours and 20 minutes. Putin laid the law in that meeting. So dangerous, Trump tore up the interpreter's notes. And clearly Putin felt he got what he wanted.
Problem is, I cannot see what Putin gained
I can see that the mid-range nuclear weapons treaty was ended. This is in Putin's interest, because when the treaty was signed, the USA had a huge head-start in cruise missile technology. Now Russia has caught up, and Putin wanted out of that treaty.
I can't see what else. That does not seem 'enough' to justify his expression. Maybe it was also Syria, that Trump will let Assad remain in power? Or for some reason Putin wanted Nikki Haley fired at the UN. I can't imagine Putin caring about her enough
More from Tomi T Ahonen
In this photo we see the US classified documents that Trump is shipping to Saudi Arabia. Next we will look briefly at those going to Turkey, before the boxes heading to Russia, then those going to Egypt.. https://t.co/YqqS5lY5G8
Enough is enough of the Trumps. pic.twitter.com/1wTRkOoHfD
— Brown Eyed Susan\U0001f1fa\U0001f1e6 (@smc429) September 11, 2022
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make products.
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Make Products.
"I guess it's impossible and I'll never break into the industry."
MAKE PRODUCTS.
Courtesy of @edbrisson's wonderful thread on breaking into comics – https://t.co/TgNblNSCBj – here is why the same applies to Product Management, too.
There is no better way of learning the craft of product, or proving your potential to employers, than just doing it.
You do not need anybody's permission. We don't have diplomas, nor doctorates. We can barely agree on a single standard of what a Product Manager is supposed to do.
But – there is at least one blindingly obvious industry consensus – a Product Manager makes Products.
And they don't need to be kept at the exact right temperature, given endless resource, or carefully protected in order to do this.
They find their own way.
make products.
"If only someone would tell me how I can get a startup to notice me."
Make Products.
"I guess it's impossible and I'll never break into the industry."
MAKE PRODUCTS.
Courtesy of @edbrisson's wonderful thread on breaking into comics – https://t.co/TgNblNSCBj – here is why the same applies to Product Management, too.
"I really want to break into comics"
— Ed Brisson (@edbrisson) December 4, 2018
make comics.
"If only someone would tell me how I can get an editor to notice me."
Make Comics.
"I guess it's impossible and I'll never break into the industry."
MAKE COMICS.
There is no better way of learning the craft of product, or proving your potential to employers, than just doing it.
You do not need anybody's permission. We don't have diplomas, nor doctorates. We can barely agree on a single standard of what a Product Manager is supposed to do.
But – there is at least one blindingly obvious industry consensus – a Product Manager makes Products.
And they don't need to be kept at the exact right temperature, given endless resource, or carefully protected in order to do this.
They find their own way.