Friends, what a difference a war makes... Not so long ago, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was one of Donald Trump's best friends and closest allies in Europe. Now, he's dissing her publicly and riling up the whole Italian nation, apparently out of pique over her refusal to support his strategy versus Iran. Reasonable people can debate the rightness or wrongness of America's and Israel's (abortive?) offensive against the Islamic Republic, but what exactly is to be gained by further alienating Italy, and Europe as a whole, as Trump seems determined to do? It seems to me that we have the worst of all possible worlds right now: we insult our alleged allies, and they disparage us, but we continue to maintain all the same old obligations and effectively still provide security, at vast expense, to those who increasingly despise us. And this makes sense how??? Help me out here!
Dr. Waddy from Jack: For an hombre like our President it may be a negotiating tactic meant to put someone with whom he disagrees on the defensive. Or it may be reflexive bad manners. He often speaks with hyperbole: something is either the best thing ever or the worst. He is under intense stress and perhaps its a way to vent.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that reasonable people can plausibly debate several different views of the Iran War. I do regret the way he has probably unnecessarily disturbed Canada on other issues.
I think he has done us proud by openly castigating the "American" far left as it so richly deserves. I like the way he has unapologetically used US power to garner sometimes grudging international respect for us. Power is the modus operandi of this hard world and the US has wielded it in a way more beneficial to the world than any other country ever.
Cynical old western Europe still sees us as bumpkins and has delighted in taking advantage of Presidents who are ashamed of America. " Why sure, let the do gooder virtue signaling Americans do the work for us!"I don't blame President Trump for being angered by having noodle spined allies fluff on us when we needed their cooperation.
His outstanding leadership qualities may well be sullied at times by his apparently intemperate language. Sometimes the damage done is not permanent; he seems to work very well with erstwhile "little Marco" and his problems with Elon Musk appear to have subsided somewhat.
It may also be a way he has of putting people from whom he hopes to gain concessions on the defensive . Of course that is not always the only way to do that. Jack
ReplyDeleteRAY TO DR. WADDY AND JACK
ReplyDeleteNothing complicated here. The United States of America does NOT need to be in the UN or NATO any longer.
RAY TO DR. WADDY AND JACK
ReplyDeleteI would like to know your thoughts on leaving the UN and NATO.
RAY TO DR. WADDY AND JACk
ReplyDeleteRealize anything to do with UN and NATO, is "pure" speculation and opinion. I know years ago, saying the U.S should get out of the UN was something hard right conservatives used to say, but NATO was necessary for the Cold War.
Now being in NATO is up for debate because of Iran and related issues. Maybe NATO is something we have to "ease" out of at this point. Still, I'm curious about what you two think about this. Thanks.
Sorry, meant JACK to be all caps.
ReplyDeleteJack, it is to DJT's credit that he can pour scorn on his enemies, and then break bread with them and even co-opt them as trusted allies, in due course. International politics and domestic politics are somewhat different, though. There is a superficial politeness generally observed in the former that Trump does not seem to get. Well, that's not quite true: he gets it where Putin and Xi are concerned...but he doesn't show the Europeans (and Canadians) the same courtesy. Presumably that's because he respects Putin and Xi more.
ReplyDeleteRay, I personally see nothing to be gained from leaving the UN, and nothing to be lost by partaking in it. We have an absolute veto over everything the UN does (which accordingly isn't much)... As for NATO, that's an entirely different kettle of fish. Continued U.S. membership in NATO reinforces European dependence on (and therefore resentment of) us. I believe the only way to force the Euro-weenies to "grow a pair" is to compel them to do it. Call it "tough love".
RAY TO DR. WADDY
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your thoughts on NATO and the UN with me.
Ray from Jack:I'm for leaving Nato and "inviting" the UN to leave our country. The latter is costing the US taxpayer in order merely to provide an forum for tinhorns, many of them envious Jew haters. It was a good idea but it's been tried and proven a waste of our time and effort. Its as MacArthur said (to paraphrase): partners which add little to an effort should not have the same share in decision making as those whose efforts add much. Yes , the Security Council does mitigate this imbalance somewhat but many important decisions are made by UN agencies which sometimes empower rogue nations. Our membership detracts from our ability to benefit ourselves and the world. That Israel generously endures the gross injustice the UN routinely visits on it is yet another indication of its high civilization.
ReplyDeleteWell, I suppose we'd save a little money by evicting the UN, but we'd also sacrifice quite a bit of soft power that we hold over it...and even more so if we stopped giving it money. I view the UN as a necessary evil. Actually a very small evil, since it does considerable good, behind the scenes, especially in neglected conflict zones, and can't do much harm, given our veto.
ReplyDelete