Trump is RIGHT about Regaining the Panama Canal

Libhater

Libhater

Verified User
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. 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 the U.S. ports. The United States is the Number One user of the Canal, with over 70 percent of all transits heading to, or from, U.S. ports.

The Panama Canal opened for business 110 years ago, and was built at HUGE cost to the United States in lives and treasure--38,000 American men died from infected ,mosquitoes in the jungles during construction. Teddy Roosevelt was president of the U.S. at the time of its building, and understood the strength of Naval power and trade.

Jimmy Carter foolishly gave it away, for one Dollar, during his term in Office (similar to biden selling Trump's wall pieces for pennies on the dollar).
Carter giving the Canal away was for Panama to manage, not China, or anyone else. It was likewise not given to Panama to charge the U.S., its Navy, and corporations, doing business with our Country, exorbitant prices and rates of passage. Our Navy and Commerce have been treated in a very unfair and injudicious way. The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, especially knowing the extraordinary generosity that has been bestowed to Panama by the U.S. This "Rip-Off" of our country will immediately stop by the Trump administration.

This democrat (Jimmy Carter) inflicted "RIP-OFF" of our country will immediately stop by Trump's upcoming administration.

This "RIP-OFF" kind of reminds me of how our NATO allies have been ripping off the U.S. by not paying their fair share while we help them defend their own borders in Europe. But again, Trump will make NATO pay its fair share, just like they did under Trump #45.
 
Who would be against regaining the Panama Canal? In fact, just like we made Alaska a state, which in
turn gave us more leverage over possible Russian attacks, Wouldn't having the U.S. control the Panama
Canal give us total say in barring China et al enemies from setting up house so near our mainland. Also,
there would be less if no chance that China would be sending spy balloons across the entire interior of
our country. Greenland & Canada may very well be open to becoming another part of a strong and
unified United States, or at least being unified territories of the U.S. I know, unifying America at this
point will be quite a struggle while having so many Marxists and pro illegals still occupying parts of
our homeland. Less we forget Puerto Rico in becoming a U.S. state as well.
 
Libhater said:
38,000 American men died from infected ,mosquitoes in the jungles during construction
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Just a reminder, when you get your information from trump, it is usually a lie.

About 28,000 people died during the construction of the Panama Canal, not 38,000. About 22,000 died during the French phase of the construction, so not American. Exactly 5,609 died during the American phase of the construction. The reason that so many fewer died during the American phase, and the reason we have an exact number of the deaths, is the Americans took health more seriously.

Anyway, about half of those 5,609 were actually American citizens. America hired from anywhere, and gave the most dangerous jobs to foreigners.
 
Walt said:
About 28,000 people died during the construction of the Panama Canal, not 38,000. About 22,000 died during the French phase of the construction, so not American. Exactly 5,609 died during the American phase of the construction.
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Nobody's perfect, Walt.
 
We built the Panama Canal, and then basically gave it to Panama. It is a done deal. They own it.

Unless you are advocating using military force, there is no way the canal comes back to ownership by the US.
 
The Panama Canal is owned and operated by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP), which is an autonomous government entity of Panama. This ownership was established after the United States handed over control of the canal to Panama in accordance with the Torrijos-Carter Treaties in 1999.

An effort to establish a canal through Panama led by Ferdinand de Lesseps, who built Egypt's Suez Canal, began in 1880 but progressed little over nine years before going bankrupt.

Malaria, yellow fever and other tropical diseases devastated a workforce already struggling with especially dangerous terrain and harsh working conditions in the jungle.

Panama was then a province of Colombia, which refused to ratify a subsequent 1901 treaty licensing U.S. interests to build the canal.

Roosevelt responded by dispatching U.S. warships to Panama's Atlantic and Pacific coasts.

The U.S. also pre-wrote a constitution that would be ready after Panamanian independence, giving American forces “the right to intervene in any part of Panama, to re-establish public peace and constitutional order.”

In part because Colombian troops were unable to traverse harsh jungles, Panama declared an effectively bloodless independence within hours in November 1903. It soon signed a treaty allowing a U.S.-led team to begin construction.

The waterway opened in 1914, but almost immediately some Panamanians began questioning the validity of U.S. control, leading to what became known in the country as the “generational struggle” to take it over.

The U.S. abrogated its right to intervene in Panama in the 1930s. By the 1970s, with its administrative costs sharply increasing, Washington spent years negotiating with Panama to cede control of the waterway.

The Carter administration worked with the government of Omar Torrijos. The two sides eventually decided that their best chance for ratification was to submit two treaties to the U.S. Senate, the “Permanent Neutrality Treaty" and the “Panama Canal Treaty."

The first, which continues in perpetuity, gives the U.S. the right to act to ensure the canal remains open and secure. The second stated that the U.S. would turn over the canal to Panama on Dec. 31, 1999, and was terminated then.

Both were signed in 1977 and ratified the following year. The agreements held even after 1989, when President George H.W. Bush invaded Panama to remove Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega.

In the late 1970s, as the handover treaties were being discussed and ratified, polls found that about half of Americans opposed the decision to cede canal control to Panama. However, by the time ownership actually changed in 1999, public opinion had shifted, with about half of Americans in favor.


@Grok
 
Libhater said:
Jimmy Carter foolishly gave it away, for one Dollar,
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It was not foolish. Remember, the canala was not the only thing reverting to Panamá. All the land, all the military bases, all the US office buildings, all the US infrastructure ... all of it was returned. It was absolutely the right thing to do. The cost of maintaining everything within the "Zone" was staggering and the US wasn't getting any benefit.

Eliminating all of the cost and getting Panamá to manage the canal was a no-brainer.

Could the Carter-Torrijos treaty been better-worded to ensure fair tolls for US ships, free from the greedy tendencies to rise unfairly? Yes, of course. But to focus on that alone without considering all the other benefits the US has enjoyed over the last 24 years is to be severely remiss.

Libhater said:
Carter giving the Canal away was for Panama to manage, not China, or anyone else.
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China, and/or other countries do not run the canal; they can, however bid to operate concessions, such as fuel. This can be unfair as well and can also affect the canal's neutrality, depending on the situation. The Carter-Torrijos treaty enables the US to reclaim the canal if neutrality is lost or the canal does not remain open for all.

Libhater said:
It was likewise not given to Panama to charge the U.S., its Navy, and corporations, doing business with our Country, exorbitant prices and rates of passage.
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The treaty specifies that Panamá gets to set the tolls.

Libhater said:
Our Navy and Commerce have been treated in a very unfair and injudicious way.
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That is the US position. Donald Trump wants Panamá to lower the tolls to what he considers "fair." I predict that will happen. First, Panamá will feign indignation and provide the standard 3rd-world country response of "Panamá is a sovereign country and the US cannot order us around." Donald Trump will then remind José Raúl Mulino, the President of Panamá, that the Carter-Torrijos treaty is a contract, and that the canal reverts to the US upon breach of contract. Then Trump will remind Mulino that Panamá has breached the contract thousands of times, and only one breach is needed for canal to revert to the US. Trump will then review the options with Mulino: 1) lower the tolls to X or 2) go down in history as the President who lost the canal.

Trump and Mulino will emerge from discussions with Mulino thanking Trump for bringing the canal overcharging of which he was unaware to his attention, and for allowing him the opportunity to address it. Mulino will confess to being embarrassed that this administrative error was not caught previously and that the tolls will be lowered post haste. Trump will praise Mulino for his professionalism, for being an outstanding leader for Panamá, and for his commitment to global security, commerce and peace.

They will shake hands, have the photo-op, and it will be a win-win for everyone.

Libhater said:
The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, especially knowing the extraordinary generosity that has been bestowed to Panama by the U.S. This "Rip-Off" of our country will immediately stop by the Trump administration.
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Yes. This is already in the works. Trump doesn't want the canal, he just wants lower tariffs. The canal is the leverage because that is Panama's bread and butter.
 
WinterBorn said:
We built the Panama Canal, and then basically gave it to Panama. It is a done deal. They own it.
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This is true, but you are lying by omission. You are leaving out key details.

WinterBorn said:
Unless you are advocating using military force, there is no way the canal comes back to ownership by the US.
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Yes, by military force, if necessary. Panamá has breached the treaty many times and only one breach is a valid claim by which the canal reverts back to the US.

Look, Trump doesn't want the canal; Trump wants the tolls lowered. The canal is merely leverage. I think it's going to happen.
 
The “Panama Canal Treaty," which continues in perpetuity, gives the U.S. the right to act to ensure the canal remains open and secure.
 
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