07-10-2018, 11:06 AM
(07-10-2018, 10:39 AM)jj22 Wrote: Once again, Trump moves to align America with the East and against the West. Will his supporters uncover their eyes and unplug their ears and stand up for America? Or will these supposedly America first people continue to expose themselves as Anti America/Democracy? And when will we as Americans hold these traitors accountable like we do those who dare to kneel during some song from the 1800's.....
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/07/10/trump-says-putin-summit-could-be-easiest-stop-european-tour-amid-nato-tensions.html
And there are still some who think Trump doesn't want America aligned with Russia and SK and against the West......
First of all, your premise, a NK, Russia and USA triumvirate, is inane and has no basis in fact.
Here are a few rational facts to counter the hysteria. The NATO nations, especially Germany, have long allowed the US to subsidize their national defense. The US pays an enormous amount of money to field the finest military on the planet, freeing up NATO allies to pay far less on their own military as they can shelter under the US umbrella. This allows them to spend money they'd otherwise be forced to spend on national defense on infrastructure, expanding their economy and on social programs. If you're familiar with the old term "guns or butter" the US has been paying for the guns so many of their allies can spend all their money on butter. In this way the US has been taken advantage of by our allies.
Now, there are definite soft and hard power benefits to being the biggest cog, by far, in the world's most powerful military alliance, by far. This does not change the fact that, a few nations aside, the US has been shouldering the burden of defending the NATO alliance. Trump is very correct to attempt to rectify this situation as it is patently unfair. How he goes about doing it is, IMO, often counter productive, and is certainly acerbic and outside the norm, but his central point is a sound one.
Now, on to Russia and NK. It is a truism that you treat the ones you love the worst, i.e. you can be far more rude or inconsiderate to a family member or close friend than you can to a casual acquaintance or work associate. When dealing with potentially hostile, or at the very least adversarial, nations you must be far less strident in your language. I agree that Trump is far more comfortable with world leaders of an autocratic bent. This should surprise no one as the man is used to running a business (spare me how well you think he does this, it's irrelevant to the point being made) and being the final decision maker. Businesses are far more autocratic by nature than western government republics/democracies. Consensus building is not necessary, at the very least not on anything remotely like the scale required in government. So Trump being more comfortable with leaders acquainted with the same leadership style and structure that he is used to makes logical sense.
Where people like you go off the rails, and totally lose any rational non-partisan person contemplating your arguments, is in the assessment that Trump is going to eschew old alliances in favor of ones with autocratic governments. This will not happen and is not in danger of happening. Your side of this argument also loses credibility as in one moment "Trump is going to war with North Korea!" and the next you're complaining, "Trump is actually going to meet with Kim!". Pick a preferred course of action and stick with it, it will at least lend your arguments some credibility. Your argument also loses steam when confronted by the fact that the most powerful autocratic regime in the world, China, is currently dead center in Trump's crosshairs. I've said it from the moment he was elected POTUS, if Trump can peel Russia away from the Chinese orbit, a position they are only in to thumb their nose at the US, then his entire presidency will be worth it. If you want to continue to bemoan the inevitable alliance with Russia and North Korea please feel free to do so, just don't expect me or many others to join your party.
