Donald Trump to Panama, return to principles or we will demand the canal bank

| December 22, 2024

Donald Trump took to Truth Social to complain about how officials in Panama have been profiting off of US shipping. Trump specifically took issue with the fees that the Panamanian government was charging US commercial and U.S. Navy ships for passing through the canal. Trump addressed the security importance of the canal, and the basis of transferring the canal over to Panama. It was done for cooperation between the United States and Panama. Donald Trump warned that if the Panamanians did not abide by the moral and legal principles of the hand over, the United States was going to demand the canal back.

From FOXBusiness:

“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.

Carter also signed the Neutrality Treaty, which ensured that the tolls would be equal for all nations. Trump implied that the U.S. should be given preferential treatment in his post.

“Our Navy and Commerce have been treated in a very unfair and injudicious way,” the president-elect argued. “The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, especially knowing the extraordinary generosity that has been bestowed to Panama by the U.S. This complete ‘rip-off’ of our Country will immediately stop.”

Trump also floated the idea of demanding the canal’s ownership be returned to the United States if American ships are not given fair treatment.

“[The Panama Canal] was not given for the benefit of others, but merely as a token of cooperation with us and Panama,” Trump concluded. “If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, and without question.

“To the Officials of Panama, please be guided accordingly!”

Additional Reading:

Margolis, A. (2024, December 21). Trump floats idea of US reclaiming Panama Canal: ‘Foolishly gave it away’. FOXBusiness. Link.

Category: Big Navy, Donald Trump, International Affairs

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Amateur Historian

The Canal has a bank???

timactual

Probably two; left and right.

Heh.

Amateur Historian

I felt that coming 😆

timactual

I felt your pain.

Anonymous

comment image

jeff LPH 3 63-66

Was hoping the drummer would be playing Cozy Coles “Topsy” part 2 1958 on the Love record label

jeff LPH 3 63-66

you can bank on hat

RGR 4-78

You have a cast iron hat bank? I have never seen one of those in an antique store. 😉

Slow Joe

Why, why, why, did Jimmy Carter gave away the canal to Panama?
Did he take anything to the bank?
Why would anyone give away such an strategic asset that cost so much money, tears, and blood?
I don’t even understand the rationale behind it.

Fyrfighter

In his case, I’d say it’s mainly because he’s an idiot.. He never struck me as a shit bag like the Clintoons, or a grifter like biden, or an America hater like Zero… just your common, run of the mill idiot. Easily manipulated by other nations, and those in this nation with bad intentions.

SFC D

And overly trusting.

RGR 4-78

Fyr said it better than I could.

jeff LPH 3 63-66

tgypo

Deckie

Last time I transited the canal it looked like it was in rough shape. A shipmate who was stationed in Panama for a time with the US Army lamented this, saying that when we ran it, the canal and surrounding areas were pristine. (Before my time though…)

Anonymous

Demonstration why DEI means Didn’t Earn It.

RCAF-CHAIRBORNE

I went through the ditch in 2003. Still looked pretty good then.
Recent pics, not so much.
Methinks those Panamanians should get on with the maintenance.
Any major issue would cripple the shipping industry.

USMC Steve

That is what handing a major asset off to a third world shithole country like Panama will do to stuff.

Mason

Didn’t Panama start a second, larger canal? Probably put all the maintenance money in that.

Anonymous
Last edited 1 month ago by Anonymous
Herbert J Messkit

This just after the 35 th anniversary of Just Cause. I was down there with 4/17 Inf. 7 th ID

KoB

And while you and our other troops were down there, Good Sir, I was screaming at everybody that would listen we should go ahead and take back control of the Canal Zone. It was ours, we built it (when everybody else FAILED to build it), we kept it maintained, secure, and open to the world. And since we were already there, go ahead and kick those penny ante drug dealing despotic dictators out of Central and South America, tell NATO to kiss off, and secure the Western Hemisphere under the terms of The Monroe Doctrine.

Now, here we are…Plenty of despots left in Central/South America, the ChiComs have pretty much taken over the canal (which is now becoming a muddy ditch that’s falling apart), the Russians AND the ChiComs are steadily building relationships (read Military Bases) thruout the area and our military is operating with high priced equipment (that doesn’t work as well as it should), making sure that all of the DEI Boxes are checked. God help us if the Atlantic Fleet has to hurry over to help out the Pacific Fleet.

Fyrfighter

I’m sure the decline of the canal has nothing to do with intentional action by the chicoms to degrade our military capabilities, especially to rapidly move our forces from one ocean to another in response to hostile action against say an island…

RCAF-CHAIRBORNE

The only 2 options left are the Drake or Northwest Passages. Neither is ideal if you are in a hurry

ChipNASA

Either do it the man says or we will exhume And reanimate Teddy Roosevelt & Ronald Reagan And fuck you up….

Amateur Historian

Bully!

1000003373
Amateur Historian

Let’s not forget Lincoln!

1000003374
Amateur Historian

P.S. I couldn’t find one I liked of Reagan.

Amateur Historian

Thanks, bud!

Fyrfighter

Be better if I could figure out how to do a pic instead of a link, but you’re welcome!

ChipNASA

You have to save it to your drive then post it as clicking on the photo icon in the script box, lower right and then you can choose from your file location.
Like this…I mean, you can LIKE THIS!!!
ENJOY MAH !!

Picture1
Last edited 1 month ago by ChipNASA
Fyrfighter

Gotcha. Thaks for the info

timactual

“Like this…”
Bwahahaha! Unleashed at last!

th-2700055574
Anonymous

comment image

2banana

Carter…2nd worst president ever.

Anonymous

…well, 3rd now.

Amateur Historian

Who’s the 2nd in your view?

Deckie

I’ve long seen Buchanan and Pierce ranking high up there…

Amateur Historian

Franklin ‘Bloody Kansas’ Pierce and James ‘kick the can down the road’ Buchanan (how’d that work out for you, buddy?)? Yep.

MarineDad61

Deckie and AH,
Anyone here can visit the grave of Buchanan.
No appointments.
No lines.
No security.

Most of the locals in Lancaster, PA
have no clue of the grave, or the location,
and some have no clue of the (high or low) history of Pennsylvania’s only President.

https://unchartedlancaster.com/grave-of-james-buchanan/

MarineDad61

In the same cemetery,
the namesake of a nearby VFW Post.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/36715957/frederick-w-fuhrman

MarineDad61

comment image

Anonymous

Not the one who just got re-elected, that’s for sure.

E. Conboy

Wooooh! I’m skeered!

Sapper3307

Fort Clayton currently has a CPLA flag on the poll, the people smugglers are working from it also,

A Proud Infidel®™

So just what good was Jimmeh Kahtuh thinking that giving the Canal to the Panamanian Government was going to do?

Anonymous

Naive altruism.

Skippy

Well a Chinese Company basically build the new canal and runs the old one
I’m sure if and when China invades Taiwan
They will either destroy or do something that makes the canal unusable for a bit

RGR 4-78

Probably built the explosive charges or other devices into the new locks, just in case they needed them.

A Proud Infidel®™

How do we know they didn’t take every shortcut they could in their rebuilding?

A Proud Infidel®™

Very likely, China is nobody’s friend when it comes to real life.

MIRanger

So the Chinese are helping the Nicaraguans to build an alternate canal. Which will wreck their huge fresh water lake. Do the Chinese care? No so long as their products can get to market.
Panama has been having issues with through put. Apparently only one lane is currently working. Mostly because, as others have pointed out, the Panamanians treat the canal like a cash cow, not an investment. They don’t maintain it. They might actually want us to take it back over, because then they know it will be repaired and maintained… and somewhere down the road another Libtard will hand it back over to them!

jeff LPH 3 63-66

We took the Marine BLT to Panama for the jungle survival school and the crew members of our ship that were assigned to the boarding/salvage crews were supposed to go but we didn’t go because of a crew shortage. I took the tourist trip to the Miriflore locks and rode their on a train consisting of all wood cars and wood seats if I remember.

USMC Steve

Yet another intelligent thing that old Jackoff Jimmah did. The first in a consistent series of mental midgets foisted on the country by the socialist democrats.

ChipNASA

Speaking of photos, with proper credit, stolen from the FB Conservative memes,
I PRAY for this,
I don’t want much for Christmas but…..Sanda, Please, I’ve been GOOD!!!

Jimmy-Carter-Canal
ChipNASA

One other thing while I’m busy harassing the fat jolly red man…

I don’t ask for much…. Really I don’t truly, particularly these days.

IMG_3979
Veritas Omnia Vincit

The smarter play would have been to negotiate with Panama a joint partnership where the US operates the canal, provides the upkeep, and shares the profits with our allies the Panamanians…giving it to them to fail only puts unnecessary pressure on their economy, and keeping it only confirms the colonial nature of the occupation…joint ownership recognizes that our allies in Panama are capable but currently need a strong partner to keep their income flowing in the right direction….sometimes the right answer isn’t only one winner, sometimes the benefit of diplomacy is a shared win for all concerned…

In our far too often binary only world the single winner only outcome creates animosity that’s a benefit to no one over the long term…short term results are easy to see in a society built for short term only considerations for most of our businesses…but the long term outcomes are what keeps nations strong for generations.

I fear we have become to invested in only today’s profit and benefits and less concerned about what we leave for the next generation, and the ones after that.

Veritas Omnia Vincit

I use the term colonial, not because I believe it accurate but I guarantee that’s how it will be defined were the US to be the sole occupier and possessor of the zone…

Jimbojszz

Why not use the North West Passage as long as the ice is receding. Ice cutters could keep it open for most of the year. And screw the Panama Canal. And most likely no fees to transit the NWP.