Subtle, high-level signaling not understood by unsophisticated minds

Saw Bill's speech. Charming, but no 2012.

So lets check out what Freepers think about Trump denigrating NATO (not the way to renegotiate alliances) and praising up to yet another oppressive, murdering strongman - this one using an Islamic style of nationalism!

Except for a few Cold Warriors, Freepers couldn't care less about NATO. But hating Islam is second only to nativism in the Freeper hierarchy of hate. So since Trump is still into the Wall, Freepers are quite willing to rationalize away a bit of Muslim-loving.

I'm still interested if and when Trump backs away from the Wall.

Maelstorm parses as hard as he can!

He didn’t praise Erdogan. He merely acknowledged his effectiveness in stopping a coup. Its also not clear that a coup would’ve been preferable to Erdogan no matter how distasteful he is.

BlackAdderess prefers to read in between the lines:

I’m hoping this is one of those cases where Trump offers over-the-top praise with the sort of glint in his eye that sends a chill down my spine. Then very bad things happen to whoever it is.

And ya gotta love JLAGRAYFOX, who barely even read the headline:

IMHO.....I am with Mr. Trump!!! Just look at what a mess both the world and our country is in because of the policy of maintaining the faild past. We live in a new, ever fastly changing world. Many of our allies have not met their both their military or financial, obligations in pacts or business agreements and they need a comeuppance from the USA!!!!

Obama/Clinton has bankrupted our nation and just continues to throw money away...all with no positives in return. Trump is a man of action!!! Those like Obama & Clinton....that lead from behind are destroying our country.....I’ll take DJT any day of the week, over these losers and America haters!!! Go Donald J. Trump!!!

tomkat knows you need to blindly trust Trump, guys!

Lot of concern(tm) in here.

I trust the man's judgement .. the people he'll surround himself with will all be top notch within their areas of expertise .. Bolton, Newt, etc

Let's not panic quite yet, shall we ? !

AC Beach Patrol knows Trump was actually operating at too high a level for mortals to understand:

Subtle, high-level signaling not understood by unsophisticated minds. He even got in the suggestion that Erdogan staged this coup. No other world leader has come out and even hinted that this was a faux coup. Trump’s words came across as wanting to get along with Erdogan while also signaling that the game is going to change and the U.S. will not longer be a patsy. High-level gamesmanship.

VermithraxPejorative blames the media for taking the quote out of context. Doesn't bother to hunt down the context:

I’ve been a bit bothered by this, but then it is the NY Times and I think the full quotes could be edited and no full context. Wait for more, but Trump needs to record all interviews he does for backup.

grania is done with NATO because of all the Muslims, I think:

We still don't know for sure who was behind that Turkish coup attempt.

And as far as defending NATO countries is concerned? Why should we defend them if they follow policies that lead to their being attacked? Since some EU countries that are in NATO have leaders who have put into place a suicide pact with the devil which will destroy them, why would we come to their defense.....again.

welp, little jeremiah chooses hating Islam:

SOMEBODY GET REAL NEWS FROM TURKEY TO TRUMP FAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY!

little jeremiah then quickly calms down, blaming the media on general principle, also without reading the (provided!) context:

Thank you for posting the transcript. I have not seen one MSM article that did not cherry pick quotes, leave out the important parts so as to mislead, quote without context, “paraphrase” so as to mislead, or just flat out lie.

Reverend Wright has had it with our allies:

Trump knows that the carrot isn’t working and it is time for the stick.

Back in the Cold War days, these countries agreed to 3% and most of them never met that either. All these countries have been free riding on this alliance for so long that it has become an entitlement like welfare.

Time for “alliance reform”.

Yes, let us treat our allies like competing businesses. This can only end well.

rockinqsranch knows Trump is just appeasing(?) he's elected by a smarting(?) electorate. Pandering is OK if you're Trump, I guess:

Nuclear weapons, lives, nations are currently at risk in the hands of Erdogan. Seems to me Mr. Trump is appropriately appeasing a situation to play it out for at least six months when hopefully a smarting electorate places him at the helm. He knows the idiot currently in the WH isn’t going to do what’s necessary to protect the nuclear weapons, thus the lives, and nations at risk.

I think Mr. Trump is wise on this one.

Oh, dear, Fitzy_888 has gone full isolationist:

the policy of the US has been to topple Middle East strongmen leaders.

So I’ll ask, how’s that working out?

How’s that worked out in Iraq, Egypt, Libya and Syria?

How has exporting Liberty worked out in practice?

If these countries don’t want the strongman it’s their F-ing problem!

“It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliance with any portion of the foreign world” -George Washington’s Farewell Address.

“Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations-entangling alliances with none.” -Thomas Jefferson inaugural Pledge.

I have a novel idea, why don’t we dust off our founding principals, stop paying it lip service on this site.

His tag is about the Rosenbergs, but Mariner is for a full-on embracing of Russia:

The US should simply announce that any nation who does not achieve the NATO treaty obligation of 2% of GDP to defense will not receive Article 5 support from the United States.

And such an announcement should be made in Moscow.

Consistency is for people who aren't relentlessly tribal.

Speaking of irony, dynoman!

You are right. I don’t understand why people can’t be accurate and not employ strawman logical fallacies.