World News

Trump is used to negotiating from a position of power because he was born rich and would use lawyers to do his dirty work. He's never had to learn how to actually negotiate so he's trying to use threats and blunt force.

He can't buy the pot this time

Yes... A while.... A very long while

And yet he was voted in again.

Well, it's about perception isn't it... America (Trump) is very sensitive about perception.

BlueMAGA energy.

Israel is massacring hundreds of people a day across Lebanon, while the liberal media is fully fixated on whether JD Vance had to listen to On Hold music for a minute in Switzerland.

No coverage of why these negotiations are delayed or what the stakes are. It's all just optics.

You assume these fuckers self reflect! Lol!

Or DESTROYED?

I generally agree with you, but there are also a bunch of older generation 'norms' and etiquette things at play in some of these situations / scenarios.

So first off, there's definitely back channel reasons for some customs/behaviours. Consider for example the recent example from Trump's trip to China, where Xi had Trump sitting in a lower chair, with the intent of creating a specific dynamic to the meeting and photo-ops. Or how Putin made sure to introduce Merkel to his pet dogs, having discovered she had a fear of dogs. Higher-tier diplomacy often involves such shenanigans, in part as it sends a message in itself.

One older tradition/norm, or 'way to flex', is exactly what the article mentions -- showing up late. There's an old saying I recall hearing my mom say (passed to her from her dad), along the lines of "If you need to meet with someone, arrive 5 mins early to be respectful of their time. If someone needs to meet with you, arrive 5 minutes late so that they understand you're busy / getting your time is a privilege". In more modern terms, think of it like a webinar/video meeting -- if you need to attend a webinar/virtual meeting, you should be logging in to the system early to make sure there are no technical issues on your end. If it's not something you need to attend, or if you don't care about it that much and are just pressured to go to check a box on a list for your boss, you might not bother pre-checking connections: you don't care if the other party has to wait 5 mins for you to sort it out, you don't care about wasting their time.

Honestly, even in the private sector, I've cancelled meetings with people if they're more than 5 mins late without notice, though you'll usually allow for at least a 15 min window depending on what's on the agenda.

That said, it's clearly getting spun to try and drum up clicks. They don't mention how long people were waiting, for example -- big difference between Vance waiting 5 mins, and him waiting 2 hours.

They got pocket fuckits!

Hey now, clowns play an important role in society! They provide levity and comedic reprieve. Don't you insult them by comparing them to someone as useful as a hammer lubricant.

Not the VR part, but what if you could construct a scenario where all the power seeking people end up in what they think is a bunker where they are controlling everything, but actually it's one of many prison cells where the scenario dictates you have to stay inside or lose your grip on power. You can only walk out if you decide you don't want to rule the world. A prison without locks or guards.

Back when I was a kid, showing disrespect wasn't calling someone a dumb nickname and mud slinging on Twitter.

Trump made that normal, sure. But it's trashy trailer park behavior.

Other countries have real dignified professionals qualified to do their jobs, not shaking hands and leaving without talking to the VP of the US, was plenty.

Without knowing what else went down, a lot of diplomacy hinges on otherwise minor gestures to signal intent. Stuff like the head of state summoning the ambassador to receive an admonishment on behalf of their country isn't technically a big deal, but it's a safe, nonthreatening way to express discontent. It doesn't threaten sanctions or worse, but it does demand the other take it seriously.

To extend your hand is a token of trust and good faith, or just basic respect for the other party. Snubbing it is then an act of disrespect, a breach of protocol that could end up sabotaging negotiations. Why should I trust you to negotiate in good faith, if you refuse even the most basic gesture of good faith?

But Iran clearly isn't worried whether the US will take offence or trust them. That is the part that makes it clear who's desperate: Iran believes and signals that belief that the US has no choice but to trust them. They can afford to be rude because the US has no effective recourse. The negotiations are going to happen on Iran's terms, because the US needs them to happen at all.

It's kind of a bully move, but Iran can't exactly afford to choose the moral high ground and the US doesn't have a leg to stand on to complain about bully moves either.

Edit to add, upon reading the article: The same logic applies to making the US delegation wait. It's not polite, but the US needs the negotiations and accordingly their delegation will grit their teeth and wait rather than making their indignation clear by walking out.

Vance’s beard

Usha? What do you mean "glued on"?