Thursday, 24 May 2018

Trump cancels Singapore summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un

quote [ Sadly, based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting. ]

Nobel! Nobel! Nobel! Sad!
[SFW] [politics] [+7 Funny]
[by robotroadkill@2:02pmGMT]

Comments

robotroadkill said @ 2:07pm GMT on 24th May [Score:5 Insightful]
It's probably for the better. If his negotiating with the DPRK is as good as it was with the Chinese, we'd end up building their nukes for them and thanking them for the pleasure.
Hugh E. said @ 4:25pm GMT on 24th May
So many Korean jobs will be lost.
backSLIDER said @ 4:07pm GMT on 24th May
Now I really want one of the trump kim coins.
Ankylosaur said @ 6:00pm GMT on 24th May
cb361 said @ 6:40pm GMT on 24th May
Ankylosaur said[1] @ 7:16pm GMT on 24th May [Score:4 Informative]
After waiting a long time for the shop to load, I added 100000 of the coins to my cart. Got the error "The quantity of the following item in your cart has been adjusted to meet the available quantity we currently have in stock:" they have 16909 in stock, apparently.
midden said @ 3:14pm GMT on 25th May
White House gift shop ‘Deal of the Day’: Trump-Kim summit souvenirs

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/05/25/white-house-gift-shop-deal-of-the-day-trump-kim-summit-souvenirs/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.663075731817

Text to follow, because WaPo

Reveal

When President Trump abruptly canceled what was to be his historic, Nobel-prize winning meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday, many expressed worry about the geostrategic fallout.

But under the radar of the foreign policy establishment, there’s another burning question: What happens to the commemorative coins and ornaments being hawked by the White House gift shop?

While the president reminded Kim of America’s “massive and powerful” nuclear capability, the gift shop took a more positive approach: a sale. The summit memorabilia became “the deal of the day” on the gift shop’s website.

Customers who had preordered were assured that the commemorative items would still be produced and sold whether there was actually a summit to commemorate, “whether or not the summit occurs as scheduled.”

The summit ornament, which originally cost $89, is now available for $59. It features “elegant raised Icons & Historical Iconographs,” “Asian Design Motifs with Harmony as the Unifying Design Theme” and a 24-karat gold finish. The description also notes that it’s “100% Made in America.” No picture was available so buyers will have to take the shop’s word for it.

Then there is the “post-summit” coin. Originally priced at $24.95, the “unique heirloom of political history” can now be yours for the low, low price of $19.95. It even comes with a black velvet case.

The post-summit version is not to be confused with the pre-summit coin, also known as the “challenge coin,” that you may have seen because the design was released earlier this week.

When news broke about the summit being canceled, people gave the White House a hard time.

Photoshopped spoofs of the “trip coin” started to proliferate, one showing Kim giving Trump “the finger,” another showing a big crack in the coin, and yet another showing only half a coin.

Comedian Kumail Nanjiani tweeted, “I’ve decided I’m gonna run a triathlon. I haven’t started training, but I’ve already got a commemorative coin designed for when I cross the finish line.”

Another Twitter user wrote, “good thing no one made like a commemorative coin or anything.”

President Barack Obama’s former chief strategist David Axelrod quipped, “Coming soon to eBay: Historic summit coins!!”

NPR’s Steve Inskeep tweeted out the gift shop’s statement that the post-summit coin would be available regardless of the outcome of the meeting, calling it a “disclaimer.”

The gift shop sounded a bit wounded in its response to Inskeep, tweeting “You may be interested in learning more about the hundreds of South Koreans who talked to us today and want the commemoratives as a symbol of peace, if not now, soon.”

“It’s helpful to see our world with optimistic eyes,” the tweet went on to say. “Pessimism is too easy.”

But, for those who decide they don’t want to remember the aborted summit, the gift shop is issuing refunds. The shop doubted that many people would want their money back. “Most customers have said they want this heirloom of political history regardless of outcome,” the description of the ornament reads. The same goes for the coin, the shop said.

“It’s like you can ask for your money back but you’ll regret it,” tweeted one user.

In any case, demand (or perhaps just curiosity) was so great, that the gift shop’s website was unavailable for many hours after the cancellation was announced, which prompted more mirth.
backSLIDER said @ 3:43pm GMT on 25th May
Probably the best selling coin they have ever had.
not1111 said[1] @ 2:50pm GMT on 24th May [Score:-10 Boring]
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Ankylosaur said @ 4:09pm GMT on 24th May [Score:1 Underrated]
arrowhen said @ 8:41pm GMT on 24th May [Score:0 laz0r]
Wow, first you confess to your sock puppetry, now you admit you were wrong. Are you in a 12-step program or something?
Ankylosaur said @ 9:04pm GMT on 24th May [Score:0 Funny]
It's not numbers.
not1111 said @ 11:00pm GMT on 24th May [Score:-10 Funny]
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steele said @ 1:48am GMT on 25th May [Score:2 Funny]
Taxman, arrowhen, cut it out.
Taxman said @ 11:49am GMT on 25th May
steele said @ 12:04pm GMT on 25th May
Do you think my patience is endless?
Taxman said @ 7:51pm GMT on 25th May
1111 said[1] @ 1:27am GMT on 25th May [Score:-2]
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arrowhen said @ 4:12am GMT on 25th May [Score:-1]
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1111 said[1] @ 3:00pm GMT on 24th May [Score:-5 Unworthy Self Link]
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conception said @ 7:47pm GMT on 24th May [Score:-2 Insightful]
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1111 said @ 9:09pm GMT on 24th May [Score:-4]
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Morris Forgot his Password said @ 4:40am GMT on 25th May [Score:-2 Informative]
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1111 said @ 10:50am GMT on 25th May [Score:-5]
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Morris Forgot his Password said @ 4:09pm GMT on 26th May [Score:-5]
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4321 said[1] @ 5:22pm GMT on 26th May [Score:-5]
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