> the fact that he is the symptom of a fallen empire that has reverted to being an idiocracy

America isn't a fallen empire (if indeed it ever was an empire), nor does Donald Trump existing all of a sudden make everyone else stupid or something. Just because you disagree with someone's politics doesn't make their entire country an idiocracy, nor does it all of a sudden lower the IQs of everyone else.

> is precisely why the Dutch government is doing this

They are just following Trump's lead in decoupling from dependencies like we are from China (and a few others).

> And for that matter, it's why all American companies are going to find their reach shrink. Visa and Mastercard are worldwide systems whose days are numbered, for instance. The US banking system is being ejected everywhere it is found.

No that won't happen. Also your assertion about Visa and Mastercard are just incorrect. They may be disrupted by technology if they fail to adapt, but it's not because Europeans don't want American money for example. I go to Europe all the time, at a minimum once/year for about two weeks and my wife and I spend $20,000 or $30,000 or something and believe me you guys love it when I swipe my credit cards. In fact, every time I go to Europe I see American Express more and more accepted.

Nobody is rejecting or ejecting the US banking system except maybe some bad actors but nobody cares about them.

> But Trump is objectively a profoundly stupid person.

I don't think you can be a profoundly stupid person and still be the president. There's a minimum amount of not being stupid you have to have in order to run a campaign, hire people, make decisions, and more.

> Aren't Americans just unbelievably ashamed at how pathetic this loser is, or that he lies -- usually in the cause of pushing his greatness -- with every other word?

Maybe you should question why you feel so strongly about this yet the citizens of the wealthiest country in the world with many of the best companies and institutions in the world feel differently. You should maybe question why groups like the AfD are gaining shares in election. You can coddle yourself by chalking it up to just Russian propaganda or something, but that isn't going to do you any good.

> Seeing Xi mog this pathetic chimp yet again was amazing stuff. The world is yours, China.

It's a lot easier to say stuff like this when you are coming (I assume though if not the point will change slightly in form but not substance) from a place of safety and have no stake in the fight. If the US and China were to go to war it would be devastating for both countries. Tens or hundreds of thousands might die. Maybe a little pomp and diplomacy can help avoid that confrontation? It's not like the Dutch are going to be dying on beaches in Taiwan so maybe let's let the folks who have a stake actually do the talking yea?