With Allies Like These
I tend to ignore most of what Donald Trump says for what I assume are obvious reasons.
There's an informal school of thought which argues that's dangerous -- that Trump fully intends to do exactly what he says and that assuming otherwise is to sleepwalk into an autocratic nightmare.
I don't actually disagree with that contention. But if Trump's talking, he's either saying something outlandish or getting around to it. There was a time, early in his presidency, when the media attempted to catalo
What a piece of shit. I wish… well, let’s no go into what I wish for Trump.
That said, he got a point. Certainly French journalists were happy to agree we, Europeans in general, should do more when it comes to defense spending.
The thing that’s annoying is not that he got a basic point right (some NATO members aren’t spending the 2% target), it’s that he’s again presenting the US as a victim of foreign guile. Like the US didn’t benefit from Pax Americana and from Europe being generally subservient to US foreign policy goals.
As to the idea that him and Putin can just split Europe the way Stalin and Hitler did Poland… Fuck. I’d like to nuke Mar-a-Largo just to remind him some European nations do have nukes too.
+1.
Biggest beneficiary of increase in NATO defence spending is…..the US defence industry, all those f35’s, HIMARS, Missiles etc, the US has not spent $200bn as it’s been an excuse to dump their old stuff at ‘new’ prices, all the old soviet bloc equipment that has been sent to Ukraine will be replaced with……..US materiel (apart from Poland and their South Korean tanks). Make no mistake Uncle Sam is and will be making a fortune for years to come with this conflict. Also don’t forget that those countries like India will be buying materiel from the US rather than Russia. It’s gonna be a blockbuster decade for the US defence industry
Despicable person saying loathsome things and [on the bright side] good for defense stocks.
Very well researched, though out and written . Thank you for not ignoring this. I appreciate your take on these issues.
Vladimir knows how to pick his words well, for he glosses over what could be the most salient points. Strategic defeat in a contest between Russia a superpower and an also ran power, should be impossible. Even if the enemy knows Russia well.
I would contend that lack of strategic dominance over Ukraine is a tactical defeat for Russia. A tactical defeat for Russia, recognized in Russia, could be more than a thorn in Vladimir’s side. A point that could undermine Vladimir when repeated throughout the Russian empire. I think Vladimir’s soft underbelly is the Russian people. Hopefully Ukrainian propagandists are choosing their words well when communicating within earshot of the Russian people.
“There’s nothing he won’t say, and everyone generally understands that. Which means nothing he says is surprising.”
Over the years, everyone has become so numb to it that now they say “Yeah, right. That’s just Trump.”
What a great way to die.
Just remember… there’s no such thing as a dictator for ‘just one day’.
Everything is transactional with him. He has no principles. His stances and takes are driven solely by money and “loyalty.” The thought of this rat squirreling away our top secret documents is sickening, but I have a hard time thinking beyond how 4 years in office must have been an incredible boon to his Kompromat collection. I believe we are seeing the results in the (mostly) locksteps of the likes of Cruz, McConnell, Graham, Tim Scott, and now Mike Johnson, among so many others. I know that sounds a little tin foil hat, but nothing else makes more sense to me.