countries I have in mind are most of the EU, east Asian and south American multiparty democracies, our neighbors Canada and Mexico.
As I see it, these countries share with the US more than with other countries, like African, central Asian or south Asian countries, where liberal democracy and its practice only exists on paper. Up to now, we shared common values like the rule of law, free markets, freedom of the press, political liberalism, atlanticism for our security, our trust in science, institutions and facts… The US was an ally, an indispensable one you might add, even a benign one in some circles.
Now this ally has turned to a bully in an incredibly short period of time: in less than a week trump has started bullying Denmark so they sell Greenland to the US, threatened about taking the Panama channel back, also threatened most of America’s trade partners with tariffs if they don’t do what he wants, pausing aid to Ukraine, in effect condemning that country to be absorbed by Russia within the next 2 years, he even wants an American flag on Mars… what for?
I don’t see why he thinks our trade partners wont also raise their tariffs to our stuff if we do so. What I also don’t understand is why he blames the victim (Ukraine) and cozies up to putin. Not even Reagan would have done something like that.
Autocrats in the world are sure having a good time watching our disunity work to their favor.
I wonder what’s going to replace the post WW2 and post cold war order, now that liberal democracy is being so successfully attacked from the maga right and people trust more what they read on their ecochamber than what centrist, established media report (I’m not saying that the Washington Post, NPR or the LA Times are neutral, but are more neutral that fox ‘news’ or 'news’max).
It’s probably a good thing I’m not a national leader because the first thing I’d do is recall all diplomats and cut off relations. He wants isolationism? Give it to him and let him feel it for real, not just his tough-guy head-canon version of it.
Use whatever human rights violation justifications necessary (shouldn’t be hard) to hit the US in the wallet. Cut off US businesses from customers abroad. Expel military personnel. Pull travel visas. All the tricks America uses against everyone else. Make the people feel the inconvenience of not being a world citizen.
Same as we did last time. Strengthen our relationships and trade with friendly non-US countries.
came to say this. pretty much have to wait it out and strengthen each other and be ready to interceed if trump does anything to crazy.
It’s simple, play the field. When the US fucks with you, turn to China, when China fucks with you, turn to the US.
This a major reason why the US has been losing ground to China, because “The more you tighten your grip, the more
star systemscountries will slip through your fingers.” Countries that used to deal with us exclusively are now dealing with both, countries that used to deal with both are moving in their direction. Every time the US launches an invasion or imposes sanctions or seizes foreign assets, non-aligned countries wonder if they’ll be next. Trump isn’t really a unique threat in that regard.Win a trade war, then wait for his mind to drift to fanboying for dictators for life, just like last time.
What I also don’t understand is why he blames the victim (Ukraine) and cozies up to putin. Not even Reagan would have done something like that.
Reagan just blamed domestic victims of systemic racism and bigotry like black and gay people, not other countries!
Reagan did plenty of victimizing in Central America. Admittedly it was more ideological and not as self-serving as Trump.
The U.S. has always been bullies, fundamentalists, militant, entitled. All the things you don’t want in an ally. Yes, the U.S. is worse now. (I’m American, by the way.) But I hope U.S. allies have kindof seen this coming and made arrangements to weather this sort of thing, even if it lasts forever. Myabe that was kindof the point of the E.U., for instance.
The U.S. isn’t the only country going off the rails, though. Think of Brexit, for instance. I’m not saying the U.K. government is anywhere near as… quite frankly openly fascist as the U.S.'s is right now, but at least the U.K. isn’t immune. Unfortunately no country is.
Weaponized incompetence and flattery
I’m actually very hopeful about his actions on Ukraine. He has paused new aid but has not pulled back already allocated aid they he very much could of. He has made multiple direct threats to Putin to come to the negotiation table or face sanctions and increased funding to Ukraine. He also got a very funny jab in by saying that the soviets helped america win ww2 (they spin it the other way and where very pissed about this).
He wants to drill baby drill which causes a problem of he wants low oil prices fur the purpose of appeasing the populous but expensive oil prices for the purpose of profit. He can have his cake and eat it to by sanctioning Russia drilling more oil domestically and in turn taking up a larger percentage of the global oil market.
I’m hopeful he will apply significant pressure to Putin and bring the war to an end. Even Putin said that he wouldn’t have invaded Ukraine if trump was president (he’s trying to suck up to trump lol).
Also as an Aussie we are pretty chill with our situation. Us and China hold a monopoly on rare earth minerals and u need em for ur tech and military. Hopefully trump tariffs China more than us so we can then sell our shit to u at a higher price than we where previously.
We do most of our trade with China (not good but its making our elites rich so what can u do) so economically USA won’t have that much impact. We survived 2008 pretty much unharmed and that’s far worse than anything trump can do.
We are probably gonna have the right wing party back in power at the next election so let’s hope they don’t follow in trumps footsteps.
Pretty sure he’ll “negotiate” and likely push through a peace treaty where the new border is the combat line (in Ukraine, Russia loses nothing), and Ukraine is forced into neutrality (such a pretty word for always walking a metaphorical tightrope, have R interfere with your election/election results, not daring to voice your own opinions in the UN or otherwise on the global arena… and of course no trade deals with the EU).
And he’ll tout it as a massive victory and compromise, when actually R got everything they really wanted. If Ukraine doesn’t go along, then they become “stubborn, hateful warmongers” or the like.
Trump and general Keith Kellogg are seem to be saying all the right things in terms of long term piece. I suspect Putin will get the land and Ukraine gets NATO membership.
Ukraine giving up sovereignty is not up the to US. Putler needs to fuck right out of Ukraine. Then peace, then NATO
Fingers crossed, that would make me very happy. Land loss hurts way less than decades of finlandization.
Would have to be a -very- quick process, every day of negotiations would be a massive danger to them, and based on how it went with Finland and Sweden I’m sceptical of that too. And of course US commitments to defend EU Nato members, based on political whims.
It’s not just “land loss” all those people, their homes and families and lives need to move, or be anexed into fascist russia? No trump would need to tell putin to go back to pre 2012 borders and fuck right off.
You’re talking to a Finn whose grandparents on both sides lost their homes to stalinist USSR. A sapling of a plant they brought with them grows in my yard. I’ve visited the locations and met the new inhabitants (normal people). Trust me, I know land loss sucks. War also sucks, and much as I hate realpolitik… sometimes there’s realpolitik. Of course in the end it’s up to the Ukrainians how long and for what they are willing to fight, with access to whatever aid (hopefully more) they have.
The Finns didn’t have the backing of the international community who are largely not at war. I am truly sorry for what your grandparents went through, war is horrible. But if russia is appeased, they will re arm and do it again.
By hoping it’s only 4 years.
Secretly record the back channel phone calls where he begs world leaders to let him do what he wants to save face, then release it with no deal.
He’ll be furious but when there are like 6-10 phone calls on record not even his diehard followers will respect him. Blood in the water at that point.
I am skeptical of that last bit. They mental gymnastics things all the time, I’m sure this would be no exception.
Fair assumption. In this fictional scenario I think there would for sure be a Q-Anon style contingent who would believe the world leaders colluded with some kind of audio deep fake.
I believe most republicans crave power at all costs and they want their team to keep winning. They will tolerate a cheater and a criminal that gets results but they will not abide a pathetic loser that makes them all look small by association.
Trump only respects strength, so at first no favours, no deals, protect national interests as fiercely as possible no matter the cost.
After enough strength posturing, I think it would be possible to negotiate with Trump and do business without selling off my country completely.
Then just pray we survive until 2029 or Trump dies
We go golfing and he wins. Then we make a business deal and he wins again. The press takes pictures and he looks like a huge successful winner. Then I go back to doing my job.
Wait for opportunities.
Implement policies that reinforce the economic downturn in the US that will inevitably come and jump into the holes it leaves behind in the global economy.
Note that even on a personal level we can do things to accelerate this. De-Google, switch to Linux, quit US social media, torrent movies and tv shows and quit Amazon, Netflix and Apple tv. Boycott America!
By ignoring him, really.
Pretty much. He has the attention span of a toddler so he’ll find a different target soon enough.
exactly, and remain in diplomatic contact with the civil servants and politicians he has not infected
Most countries have a strategy tuned to their particular needs, and experience learned from last time. As I recall it often involved flattering Trump and building relationships with his subordinates.
Ignoring him and getting better ties with China
