Quick question, did anyone foresee this and the Trump chat becoming the same? I mean we’re talking about USA starting WW3?!
In the words of Mugatu - I feel like I’m taking crazy pills
I think we all thought there were a risk of it, but only ever meant it jokingly.
That it is now a very real threat, despite the lack of truly hostile activities so far (just the threats of them) is a step that has taken quite a few people by surprise.
I expected to see more isolationism and protectionism, rather than systemic imperialism and territorial expansionism. Changes more internal to the US, rather than outward-focusing.
I think America was always going to be a part of it, I just didn’t think it would be so direct, and against us/Europe.
Maybe they’re so sick of being ribbed for being late to the last two world wars, they’ve decided to start the next?
Trouble is if Trump goes for Greenland and we have to respond then Putin may see it as an opportunity to advance more on Europe.
That’s exactly what would happen: which is why NATO members won’t be fighting each other over Greenland.
Allowing China the opportunity to take Siberia.
Is there anyway to war game this? The only real way I can think of is using a version of tabletop simulator with a tweaked version of “axis & allies” global.
A few months ago the question of how we would react if Trump used military force to take Greenland came up. It’s a question that at the time I thought so preposterous that it wasn’t worth wasting energy thinking about.
Now, however, there’s a scared bit of me that thinks it could actually happen. And if it does, we’re all screwed. NATO gone. US relations gone. Probably actual fighting amongst western allies. It could be a disaster like nothing we’ve seen in recent times.
All because America elected a moron as their president who does things without thinking and for no real rhyme or reason. In this case, destroying the west as we know it because he didn’t get a Nobel Prize. And since Obama got one, it’s all he seems to think about.
All we can really hope for, is that the checks and balances finally creak into action and the toddler in chief gets fired.
I am not holding my breath.
This is my hope too. Congress do not want this. No one wants this it would appear, other than Trump.
Don’t forget that there’s a movement of absolutely despicable people behind this. Yes Trump, but there’s also a clear intent behind it that runs so much deeper.
See that commentator who said “Western nations exist at the pleasure of the USA because we are the world power.”
I mean, war breaking out over Greenland would kinda prove this right… whether in the way it was intended or otherwise.
We’re alright, he’s got distracted by the new shiny thing again now…
Interesting piece by former Trump advisor from IBM
I think he’s kept this in his back pocket until needed.
no.
i started the Trump thread as i expected there to be hilarity much like his first term - see Google results for " Covfefe" as a starter for ten.
I did so on the day of his inauguration day - 20th Jan
6 months later @Farmerdan started this thread…
he will claim “to Make America Great Again”
the issue i have with that statement
1 - it suggests America is not “great” now
2 - doesn’t define when America was “great” to know what he is trying to get back to
Given USA is already a superpower/THE Superpower it makes it difficult to understand how USA is not already “great” - while all countries have internal problems, on the international Stage USA is top.
which suggests it is internally where the problems lie…yet he’s done nothing but put ICE on the streets internally which in turn is causing disruption, demonstrations and general feeling of unease.
while i am all for a politician improving a country - there appears to be no method to the madess DJT is using, even more so when so much of it is either swinging bigger than any POTUS in 40 years on an international stage, and offering nothing positive on a internal one
A lot of America’s problems stem from the fact that the USA is in serious debt, rather like us, but they are trillions in debt. Trump, I thought, was trying to redress this by getting NATO members to contribute far more for defence thus relieving the burden on the USA.
It turns out he wants to spend even more on defence with his Golden Dome, Buying or invading Greenland and the USA is also behind the Chinese and Russians as far as Hypersonic missiles are concerned.
He’s tried to force companies to manufacture in the USA but that has not worked as 2 huge Japanese car companies have changed plans and moved to Canada. Canada are buying Swedish Grippens rather than F35’s
He’s also cutting benefits and their basic medical services so the poor suffer more.
We have also seen him trying to get rid of immigrants and he seems to alienating large swathes of the country.
He’s been bust a few times himself. Perhaps he will destroy confidence in those who lend to fund the USA deficit and have to go cap in hand to the IMF? Wishful thinking perhaps!
Let’s hope the tide-term elections redress the balance in the House of Representatives and Senate.
With regards to NATO defence, the USA doesn’t pay loads more than anyone else. Lots of people wheel out the chart showing defence spending, but this is what they spend on their own defence. Trump has pledged to increase this even more, but this is nothing to do with NATO. NATO doesn’t get the money. The US contributes just under 15% to the NATO budget, which is the same as Germany. You could actually say we are subsidising the US in NATO.
In terms of capabilities, NATO of highly dependent on the US for people with experience of commanding large formations, logistics, air-to-air refuelling, intelligence, etc.
Elements of our own CSG deployments might not have been possible without Arleigh Burke class escorts.