Trump demands Panama lower Canal fees or return it to US – DW – 12/22/2024
www.dw.com
In a post on social media, the incoming US President Donald Trump described fees charged to use the key shipping lane as a "complete 'rip-off.'" He also warned of it falling into the "wrong hands."

Summary

Donald Trump criticized Panama Canal fees as “ridiculous” and demanded lower costs or the canal’s return to the US.

In a Truth Social post, Trump also expressed concern about potential Chinese influence over the waterway, despite no direct Chinese control of canal operations.

The canal, transferred to Panama in 1999, is vital for global trade, handling 5% of maritime traffic.

Trump’s comments follow record revenues of $5 billion announced by the Panama Canal Authority. Panama has not yet responded to his statements.

    • LordCrom@lemmy.worldEnglish
      10·
      4 months ago

      In the late 1700s it took months to get election results. Things that seemed normal hundreds of years ago…such as allowing bearing of arms in the form of a musket that maybe shot 1 bullet every 3 minutes… Today they are crazy…same rule applies to a machine gun that can spray hundreds of bullets in same time frame. The founding fathers had no idea what was to come.

      • MutilationWave@lemmy.worldEnglish
        3·
        4 months ago

        They also saw the constitution as a living document that should change with the times. The bill of rights was already in the pipeline when it was signed. There have been barely any changes since due to the impossibility of getting 3/4 of states to agree on if water is wet, let alone something important.

    • VindictiveJudge@lemmy.worldEnglish
      8·
      4 months ago

      Lots of things about our elections were designed with the assumption that it would take ages for people to get anywhere, hence the delay. Not really relevant anymore, though.

      • NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        4 months ago

        In the future, the US will finally make a constitutional amendment that fixes this, and a decade later we’ll develop human teleportation, but it’ll be another 100 years before they get to updating the constitution again.

        • MutilationWave@lemmy.worldEnglish
          1·
          4 months ago

          The constitution requires 3/4 of states to agree to an amendment. This kinda made sense when it was written. Now, unless something changes drastically, I can’t see the constitution amended ever again.

    • kreskin@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      4 months ago

      The only thing getting trump in office sooner would get us is ending the “american experiment” sooner. I’m not looking forward to that. Its evidently time for republican traitors to push us off the cliff we have collectively pushed so many other peoples off of. Not used to the idea that we have real consequential pain coming.