File this under, “Can You Blame Them?” Unfortunately, we’re going to be seeing a lot of things go into that file as our allies all over the world react to the obvious fact that the American electorate basically decided to commit political seppuku in 2024. Why was this? Why did Americans decide to ignore the fact that Trump is a convicted felon who started a riot at the Capitol rather than allow the peacful transition of power to take place, like that was nothing? Not to mention all of the ridiculous lies he told and they believed?
A lot of reasons, is the answer. First and foremost, the answer is that we have a crippled mainstream media who never knew how to deal with covering Trump honestly, but more importantly there is a unified right-wing media which kept people roiling with angertainment and performative assholery from members of both chambers of Congress on a daily basis. It’s no secret that Ted Cruz spends more time on his podcast than on governing, that’s been the case for years. So is it any wonder that Canada is fed up and packing its bags?
Retired Vice Admiral Mark Norman, who once served as Canada’s Vice Chief of the Defense Staff, does not believe that the relationship between his nation and the United States is salvageable — even if President Donald Trump is no longer in the White House four years from now.
Writing for the National Post, Norman argues that the U.S.-Canada relationship “cannot be saved,” and then goes on to explain why the damage being done by Trump cannot be so easily undone.
“When the leader of our closest neighbor, ally and trading partner says that he can destroy us with the stroke of a pen — and repeats his willingness to do so — it is more than just an expression of perceived superiority or hyperbole, it’s a real threat,” argues Norman. “To dismiss it as anything less would be irresponsible and naïve. The question we must ask ourselves is whether we are going to act as a serious nation or not.”
Looking at this from a vantage point of pure human relations, it’s never a good move to take the other person for granted. To the *mind* of Trump, Canada is no great shakes. He doesn’t respect the firm alliance between the two nations, anymore than he respects the same thing with respect to Mexico, our other good neighbor that Trump has shat upon. Trump sees Canada as a passive people that can be pushed around, used, exploited and they’re saying uh uh. And they may soon be saying it forcefully. Bottom line, the U.S. could be headed towards third world country status at the rate it is alienating people, starting with our staunchest allies.
Norman goes on to propose an international anti-Trump alliance in which Canada can lead the way in trying “to convince the other kids in the schoolyard that the bully is not as invincible as he thinks.” He also warns that failing to do so will turn international relations into a scene from “Lord of the Flies” that is filled with “chaos, conflict and savagery.”
He closes by warning that Canada may need to take once-unthinkable steps to upend its relationship with the United States.
“This may need to include otherwise previously unthinkable actions such as shutting off our oil and gas, electrical power and critical supplies, as well as the abandonment of historic diplomatic and military relationships and commitments,” he writes. “We must also convince our other allies — those kids on the sidelines of the schoolyard — that they too have a responsibility to act as they are at risk as much as we are.”
Everything in the world is inter-related. Trump does not understand this. He has a naive interpretation of foreign policy. The meshes of his *mind* are too broad to catch the nuances and the details that you need to have in order to understand foreign policy and the repercussions that any one move can have on the larger scheme of things.
Trump can’t think like that. All he knows is ratings, television, superficial appearances. That’s all he’s ever known and it’s been enough for him to get what he wants.
But now he’s playing ball in a game that’s way out of his league. And Trump — and the rest of us, unfortunately — is about to find out the consequences of his abysmal ignorance. And all this is happening less than one month in office, this dismantling of political and global alliances, many decades, if not centuries, in the making. Think of a crystal vase being shattered: it’s not going to be easy to put it back together again.
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‘Move fast and break things’ may work in silicon Valley, but it appears disastrous in international diplomacy.
Trump is too stupid to understand this isn’t he?
yeah huh