Let’s stop pretending that Archie Bunker (i.e., you, redneck reader) is smart enough to be President. Donald Trump has had two years to test that wishful armchair thinking, and he’s done irrevocable damage to our world-stabilizing alliance with Europe:
The Europeans no longer believe that Washington will change, not when Trump sees traditional allies as economic rivals and leadership as diktat. His distaste for multilateralism and international cooperation is a challenge to the very heart of what Europe is and needs to be in order to have an impact in the world.
But beyond the Trump administration, an increasing number of Europeans say they believe that relations with the United States will never be the same again.
Karl Kaiser, a longtime analyst of German-American relations, said, “Two years of Mr. Trump, and a majority of French and Germans now trust Russia and China more than the United States” [Steven Erlanger and Katrin Bennhold, “Rift Between Donald Trump and Europe Is Now Open and Angry,” New York Times via Minneapolis Star Tribune, 2019.02.18].
A smarter, subtler President might get us out of this fix and maintain our allies’ trust, but not our shallow, spouting Archie-Bunker-in-Chief:
Jan Techau, director of the Europe Program at the German Marshall Fund in Berlin, worries that the intervening gap will mean strategic vulnerability to Russia and China. The United States faces “a superpower’s dilemma,” Techau said.
It has to “pressure allies to do more,” he said. “At the same time, the message has to be ‘We will always be there.’”
“Trump does not understand the price he pays in strategic terms when he bashes his allies so publicly and openly,” Techau added.
If there is any ambiguity, he said, Russia and China know that the security guarantee is no longer real. “When that protection goes,” he said, “then this strategic space is up for grabs” [Erlanger and Bennhold, 2019.02.18].
Projecting false confidence, on top of every other lie he compulsively tells, is no way to lead the free world. We will reap the whirlwind of our foolish crowning of Archie Bunker for the rest of our lives in an America made weaker and foolish and a world made less stable and less free.
Why do I care what a person from Germany or France thinks about the US?
Why didn’t you report about the trade deal we just signed with Great Britain?
Jason, do you read? The second quote box in Cory’s post answers your question. I think, though, the US can repair the damage by dumping Trump at the next election, or sooner if we can.
Let’s see……the party of “Freedom Fries”, doesn’t care what Germany or France thinks about the United States. Mmmmm, K.
The “greatest generation” called, Jason, and they would like to speak with you about WHY we should care about what Germany or France thinks. Our veterans, who fought side-by-side with Germans and French soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, would love to chat with you also. (so many more examples about why we should “care”, so little time)
Since Jan 2017, “Archie Bunker” has been destroying our relationships with our strongest allies. (not just Germany and France) But for some reason, “Archie Bunker”, loves the dictators such as KJU and Putin. If Jason doesn’t get that that is a problem?
Go ahead, throw a “distraction” bomb, Jason. It is what you love to do.
Dana P- in case you weren’t aware, the wingnut congressman from North Carolina that had French fries changed to American fries (Walter Jones) passed away about a week ago and you hardly hear anything about his passing or funeral arrangements.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/02/walter-jones-north-carolina-obituary-freedom-fries/581569/
Confession time, I seldom if ever give wingnuts credit, but this guy realized he had made a serious mistakie in voting for Iraq invasion and spent years writing letters to slain service member’s families seeking their pardons.
I’m guessing the Trump lovers will now argue that “old bone spurs went to Vietnam, therefore he is a Commander in Chief Vietnam veteran after his proposed trip takes place.
“…an increasing number of Europeans say they believe that relations with the United States will never be the same again.” As a number of observers have noted, it was really impossible for anyone with the slightest knowledge of Trump not to know of his record of fraud malice, and mendacity. Those who voted for him and are so loyal to him are collaborators. They want America run like a mafia nation, and they will be here after Trump is gone. The America that was represented by Tom Brokaw’s Greatest Generation has all but died out. The evidence of what we’ve become is in the troll comments on blogs such as this one. We are no longer the nation that others aspire to become.
Absolutely correct Dr. Newquist. I think one of the problems with Americans is that we do not read or remember stuff like history and alliances with Europe. All parties went through great tragedies to form the alliance called NATO that has benefited all of us since the end of the 2nd World War.
Even though NATO was formed all of those years ago, America was the only member state that activated it on 9/11/2001. NATO fulfilled their obligation and sent members from each to Afghanistan that are still there doing their mission statement. Germany has some 1,300 soldiers there today, fulfilling the NATO alliance and yet we claim that BMW is a national security threat. BMW makes cars in South Carolina with American workers to provide vehicles in America and around the world and yet we call them a national security threat. Lindsey Graham is so busy looking for Hannity up trumps backside, that he forgets what state he is from.
trump and his collaborators deem NATO unimportant enough that they even fail to let them know that America is leaving Afghanistan without completing the mission. What kind of a partner is that?
There’s a fungus among us. Russian influencers are rampant in USA with at least 15 in South Dakota, at all times. When Europe trusts Putin and Xi more than Trump, that’s a tell. Can we sacrifice Jason’s paytroll check to a worthy cause and deport the boy? Hmmmmmm?
Thanks for the update, MFI. Had totally forgotten his role in the b.s. “fries” ridiculous-ness.
The millennials and younger who’ve grown up connected with the world and surrounded by Americans of all skin colors, languages and ethnicities are completely aware of the value of the rest of the world. I don’t think Pootie and the GOP counted on their rapid rise to awareness and activism.
They are the ones marching, the ones embracing Democratic Socialism, the ones fighting like hell for the green new deal because It’s Their Planet! I think the Wrong casually ignores them at their peril. I think we in the Center and Left tend to need reminding about them. This is the future for everyone younger than Boomers such as myself.
We led the fight against Vietnam and Nixon. They’ve got this one and I’m doing my best to support them. It’s not a done deal, but it’s not gloom and doom either. Although they’re very noisy and obnoxious, even frightening sometimes, the Wrong is maybe 1/4 of the population.
Hear, hear Debbo. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 It’s often said that activism surfaces every other generation. So proud of these young people. Takes a rump like Trump to get ‘em off the stump.
More and more, when it comes to foreign policy (including trade), the President is acting up like the naughty child in class because he yearns for attention so much that even chastising is attention, so it is sought after — maybe even more so because negative attention is guaranteed when acting out. It may also be the neuroses of having to be THE superior crowds out even the possibility of equals and allies.
This has the be the final shattering of the President as CEO of the USA mis-analogy.
. Germany has some 1,300 soldiers there today, fulfilling the NATO alliance and yet we claim that BMW is a national security threat.
Jerry, you know Drumpf makes stuff up or just pulls it out of his capacious backside. You cannot believe a single word he utters.
Projecting false confidence, on top of spreading lies is also no way to live, but here we are with a big dumb filthy majority in SD living that life – living there own lie – seeing a fair amount of themselves in this psychopathic President.
Did you hear about Prissy Pussy Pency speechifying in Europe? He proudly and loudly announced that he brought greetings from Lying Lunatic, then paused for applause. Dead silence.
In her speech Angela Merkel pointed out that most BMWs are made in SC so it made no sense that they could be a trade threat. Cameras were on Ivankanova, translating headset to her ear. There was a hard set to her face while everyone else clapped and cheered and the people behind her pointed at the Russian wannabe and snickered.
There was another stupid thing that Prissy Pussy Pency said about His Lunacy, paused for applause with a big grin. Deafening silence again. PPP audibly sucked in, apparently surprised.
Morons in the White House, total morons. Add all their brains together to get one halfwit.