And it’s not like the tariffs were a bait and switch. Trump literally had them in his platform.
In fact, all the crap he’s been pulling was in his platform. He’s doing exactly what he promised he would do, and half the country was like, “Maybe this isn’t a good idea” and the other half enthusiastically voted him and then are shocked he’s doing exactly what he said he would do.
This is like the time the UK voted for Brexit and then became shocked when Brexit happened.
In fact, all the crap he’s been pulling was in his platform.
Yes, and he was making similar attempts about everything he is doing now already in his first term. So these policies aren’t new, and Americans voted for it.
This is like the time the UK voted for Brexit and then became shocked when Brexit happened.
Yes, but this is actually worse. Although Brexit cannot be reversed, and Trump’s first term was somewhat reversed. The way USA is acting now, threatening every ally they have, very seriously undermining NATO, Europe, democracy and Ukraine, threatening to destroy economies of Canada and Mexico. This can never be forgotten. USA is not even considered an ally anymore in most places that used to be the strongest allies of USA.
Yup. Whoever is next, and hopefully that will be in January 2029 if not earlier, is not going to have anything like the same influence that previous presidents have had. They will be able to deescalate short-term issues and generally provide a lull in the storm, but Trump has exposed the fragility of US power, and his base proves that America is an unreliable partner, so getting anything significant done that might cross administrations is going to be so much harder. Even if the next president is not insane and is without any above-average level of evil (neither is guaranteed), then that only helps temporarily. Hell, even if there’s some sea change in the electorate that makes democratic allies more optimistic, recovering from Trump 2 is going to mean the US looks inward for a time and there will be, if not a power vacuum, a serious low-pressure system that draws in disturbances.
Now, I’m not sad about the decline of American hegemony per se, but this is very much a “not like this” moment, and a slower unwinding would be better for stability. Our best case scenario here is that our allies understand the conflict inherent in the American ethos and work with us where practicable but also pursue the “strategic independence” we’ve been hearing about. I hope it’s Europe that steps up and reasserts itself, because barring a very unlikely leveling of the international order, your other options are China bulldozing the world for the financial benefit of the party, or Putin throwing bodies (both at enemies and out of windows), cutting off fossil fuels, and threatening nuclear war every time he doesn’t get his way.
I am hoping that Europe works with Blue States and cuts out the Red States with trade deals and cooperation in general. As a so-called ‘diplomat’ put it “The donkey needs to be hit with a 2x4”. Helping the Blue States thrive while encouraging the Red States to collapse would go a long way towards averting or mitigating WW3.
IMO, the USA having a secession crisis might actually be healthier in the long run. Right now, we got a bunch of conservative states trying to move the Overton Window of the Blue States over a fascist cliff. Unfettered capitalism and all that comes with it, can’t be fixed. Only replaced, and for such an overhaul, you can’t have conservatives muddying the waters with their shit.
Yup. Whoever is next, and hopefully that will be in January 2029 if not earlier, is not going to have anything like the same influence that previous presidents have had.
You’re an optimist, as it is, I don’t see the signs for it to go that way. But hopefully you are right.
Now, I’m not sad about the decline of American hegemony per se, but this is very much a “not like this” moment,
I said the same when Bush Jr. was elected, yet he was re-elected. Then I thought for sure Americans must have learned their lesson by now, and hopes were high with Obama.
But then Trump got elected, and created a shit show that almost ruined relations with allies completely. And jokes absolutely on me, because that even bigger idiot than Bush was actually elected for a 2nd term too.
I have no hope for USA anymore. It’s gone steadily from bad to worse, and it seems like Americans never learn, ans especially like the Democrats never learn. Because they’ve done absolutely NOTHING to strengthen checks and balances or to strengthen democracy in USA. So here we are. USA is now a rogue nation.
I have no hope for USA anymore. It’s gone steadily from bad to worse, and it seems like Americans never learn, ans especially like the Democrats never learn. Because they’ve done absolutely NOTHING to strengthen checks and balances or to strengthen democracy in USA.
This is a fair criticism, and is looking like a much bigger mistake than it seemed initially, and I think it’s telling the one single thing Obama spent the political capital on to get properly enshrined into statue is the one bit of his legacy that Trump is having the hardest time undoing. Constitutionally, we have fucked ourselves by thinking we could run the largest economy in the world on the legal equivalent of a “plan of a plan,” worshipping said high-level outline like it was holy writ, and then making surprise-pikachu face when a bad actor who’s not concerned about long-term stability starts shoving dynamite into its many cracks (pardon the mixed metaphor).
I hope you’re wrong, but I am not confident enough that you are to argue the point.
And it’s not like the tariffs were a bait and switch. Trump literally had them in his platform.
In fact, all the crap he’s been pulling was in his platform. He’s doing exactly what he promised he would do, and half the country was like, “Maybe this isn’t a good idea” and the other half enthusiastically voted him and then are shocked he’s doing exactly what he said he would do.
This is like the time the UK voted for Brexit and then became shocked when Brexit happened.
Yes, and he was making similar attempts about everything he is doing now already in his first term. So these policies aren’t new, and Americans voted for it.
Yes, but this is actually worse. Although Brexit cannot be reversed, and Trump’s first term was somewhat reversed. The way USA is acting now, threatening every ally they have, very seriously undermining NATO, Europe, democracy and Ukraine, threatening to destroy economies of Canada and Mexico. This can never be forgotten. USA is not even considered an ally anymore in most places that used to be the strongest allies of USA.
Yep. Thankfully we’re nearly… 4% into his term? Oh yeah, we’re fucked.
Yup. Whoever is next, and hopefully that will be in January 2029 if not earlier, is not going to have anything like the same influence that previous presidents have had. They will be able to deescalate short-term issues and generally provide a lull in the storm, but Trump has exposed the fragility of US power, and his base proves that America is an unreliable partner, so getting anything significant done that might cross administrations is going to be so much harder. Even if the next president is not insane and is without any above-average level of evil (neither is guaranteed), then that only helps temporarily. Hell, even if there’s some sea change in the electorate that makes democratic allies more optimistic, recovering from Trump 2 is going to mean the US looks inward for a time and there will be, if not a power vacuum, a serious low-pressure system that draws in disturbances.
Now, I’m not sad about the decline of American hegemony per se, but this is very much a “not like this” moment, and a slower unwinding would be better for stability. Our best case scenario here is that our allies understand the conflict inherent in the American ethos and work with us where practicable but also pursue the “strategic independence” we’ve been hearing about. I hope it’s Europe that steps up and reasserts itself, because barring a very unlikely leveling of the international order, your other options are China bulldozing the world for the financial benefit of the party, or Putin throwing bodies (both at enemies and out of windows), cutting off fossil fuels, and threatening nuclear war every time he doesn’t get his way.
I am hoping that Europe works with Blue States and cuts out the Red States with trade deals and cooperation in general. As a so-called ‘diplomat’ put it “The donkey needs to be hit with a 2x4”. Helping the Blue States thrive while encouraging the Red States to collapse would go a long way towards averting or mitigating WW3.
IMO, the USA having a secession crisis might actually be healthier in the long run. Right now, we got a bunch of conservative states trying to move the Overton Window of the Blue States over a fascist cliff. Unfettered capitalism and all that comes with it, can’t be fixed. Only replaced, and for such an overhaul, you can’t have conservatives muddying the waters with their shit.
You’re an optimist, as it is, I don’t see the signs for it to go that way. But hopefully you are right.
I said the same when Bush Jr. was elected, yet he was re-elected. Then I thought for sure Americans must have learned their lesson by now, and hopes were high with Obama.
But then Trump got elected, and created a shit show that almost ruined relations with allies completely. And jokes absolutely on me, because that even bigger idiot than Bush was actually elected for a 2nd term too.
I have no hope for USA anymore. It’s gone steadily from bad to worse, and it seems like Americans never learn, ans especially like the Democrats never learn. Because they’ve done absolutely NOTHING to strengthen checks and balances or to strengthen democracy in USA. So here we are. USA is now a rogue nation.
This is a fair criticism, and is looking like a much bigger mistake than it seemed initially, and I think it’s telling the one single thing Obama spent the political capital on to get properly enshrined into statue is the one bit of his legacy that Trump is having the hardest time undoing. Constitutionally, we have fucked ourselves by thinking we could run the largest economy in the world on the legal equivalent of a “plan of a plan,” worshipping said high-level outline like it was holy writ, and then making surprise-pikachu face when a bad actor who’s not concerned about long-term stability starts shoving dynamite into its many cracks (pardon the mixed metaphor).
I hope you’re wrong, but I am not confident enough that you are to argue the point.
One thing is sure, it’s really really sad.
I hope things don’t turn out as bad as it looks right now.