Not content with Making America God Awful, Trump has decided he needs to export MAGA to our allies in Europe. MEGA? I’m sure he has visions of bigly bucks flowing into his bank account from selling MEGA hats and other gear. I rather doubt most Europeans will be in any rush to purchase his junk. Right now I wonder if they’re laughing or groaning over news Trump thinks THEY need to adopt his policies, especially immigration ones.
However, while the White House hotly denies an efforts to break up the European Union starting with four countries they want to peel off it seems some serious effort has already gone to doing just that. Remember, Trump tried hard to break up NATO in his first term. Fortunately he failed. What he did do however is get those countries and the EU talking amongst themselves about a new world order in which the United States wouldn’t be leading things.
Trump was soooooo proud about playing a role in Brexit, a move which many in the UK voted for now regret. The rest of the EU carried on without them and done just fine. However, while the White House refers to a national security strategy signed by Trump that according to Deputy Press Secretary ‘clearly directs the US government to implement its established principles and priorities.’ However according to The Independent another, more expansive document has made it’s way around in Trump’s circle.
According to the linked article, just the part that is ‘official’ 28 page National Security Strategy (NSS) that was unveiled last week sent shockwaves through Europe last week. Calling allies “weak” and other disparaging language might reasonably provoke a “WTF?” reaction. Offering support to far-right political Parties over there I’m sure didn’t help current leaders feel reassured America is still their friend. All that is bad of course but things can always get worse and “worse” is already out there as a more expansive version which wasn’t published circulated around Team Trump:
According to Defense One, a longer and unpublished version of the document suggested taking Austria, Hungary, Italy and Poland out of the EU and into greater alignment with the US, while backing movements supportive of “traditional European ways of life”.
The four nations were cited as countries the US should “work with more … with the goal of pulling them away” from the EU, according to the US-based news channel, which claimed to have reviewed the document.
That part about Poland jumped out at me. I’d expect Trump to put a lot of effort into peeling away Hungary given his affinity for dictators and budding dictators. He and Orban are pals to be sure. Poland however is something we need to keep an eye on. Why you ask. Because PUTIN has his eye on Poland! If he gets his way with Ukraine (and Trump is sure as hell trying to help him do so) Poland is next on his hit list.
Well, as I said the White House is furiously pushing back on the notion there is a broader, unpublished version of the NCC that will be the actual guide for policy moving forward. Sure Donny Boy. You’d never LIE now would you? Of course there is a broader strategy that goes all the way back to what Trump tried to do for Putin in his first administration. Pootie still has his hooks in Trump’s fat pasty butt and is yanking.
The linked article has more to say regarding what’s in the actual NCC Trump intends to try and implement. It discusses his saying pretty much that just as (he thinks) our country has been ‘ruined’ by immigrants all our allies in Europe have been too. Trump’s private version of the NCC also takes Europe to task over Ukraine. Like Putin, Trump thought Ukraine would quickly become the westernmost part of Russia. Also, like Putin he’s awfully upset that Ukraine is still fighting, AND that the EU and the members of NATO other than the United States have continued to support Ukraine!
So, it looks like instead of one “Big, Beautiful Breakup” Trump (egged on by Pootie I’m sure) is going for a piecemeal approach. Four countries to start with. Austria, Italy, Hungary and Poland. Hungary just might go along and sooner than we think. However while what I’ve read on this doesn’t tackle the inclusion of Poland on the list I think that country is the big prize.
THAT is the one Putin most wants out of the EU and NATO too these days. He’d have gone in already if it weren’t for NATO’s Article 5. Even if a normally complaint GOP sucked up to Trump and allowed him to prevent the U.S. from fulfilling its treaty obligations the rest of the alliance would “stand to” – send in troops to help Ukraine drive Russia out. Trump would have fits, and only himself to blame. Remember how in his first term he made a BFD about NATO countries needing to spend more on their militaries? Then tried to break up the alliance?
Well, that as I said earlier got them to dial back squabbling and start talking about a world in which the United States was not only not leading, but couldn’t be counted on at all. If they’re not where they would like to be, or frankly need to be collectively they are more than a match for Russia/Putin. It looks like important people over there see the writing on the wall and are getting others to take their own look at the new reality:
As Europe is forced to spend more to replenish depleted defence industries, Nato’s secretary general warned on Thursday that the continent should prepare for a war “like our grandparents endured” and boost defence spending to deter Russia.
“I fear that too many are quietly complacent. Too many don’t feel the urgency. And too many believe that time is on our side. It is not. The time for action is now,” he said.
“Allied defence spending and production must rise rapidly. Our armed forces must have what they need to keep us safe.”
Add in Trump’s tariffs, his dumbass trade war and they will settle down and build on the head start TRUMP caused to happen. Ah, I just love the sound of Trump screams as he’s hoisted on his own Petard.
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