People sometimes ask what Lincoln or Reagan would have made of the peculiar character who leads their party. Today I'm thinking of Theodore Roosevelt, who said, "Talk softly and carry a large stick." Trump might talk loudly, but who knows what "big stick" he would ever use on the one man he never criticizes?
He got his phone call, though--after being made to wait and being cut up by Putin amongst his real homies. His 30-day ceasefire was pretty much rejected, as Putin heaped thoroughly unacceptable conditions into the mix. Trump seems unfazed that he has been disrespected, again.
Trump, the irascible, the petty, the critic of or his critics--he doesn't feel any need at all to respond to Putin? What gives?
Ever-savvy Fiona Hill can give us some idea of how Trump-Putin exchanges go. But it's not just that something is missing in translation--it's that something is fundamentally wrong with how Trump views Putin. He doesn't understand what the man's goals are. He believes Putin must want peace because Trump himself wants credit for making peace happen. Trump speaks positively about his and Putin's relationship based on what he wants it to be--and doesn't seem to understand they are not buddies. We have two competing narcissists, but only one understands the touchpoints of the other. And it isn't Trump.
Trump went in thinking he and his buddy would be discussing dividing up Ukraine's resources, because he is a materialistic greedy idiot. His buddy gave him nothing on Ukraine, but keep an eye on how Putin also wants to dictate US response regarding Iran. We know where his shaheds come from. People (the media) might miss that they are not on the same page about energy, Iran or the details of any ceasefire.(Because they invest in personalities, not experts. So how do regular Joe and Jolene Schmoes get with what's going on?)
Trump talks about cards and doesn't understand American power. We have cards for days. People are out here playing Old Maid when we've got all the good cards in Uno. We are great. Biden and Obama both undersold what an impact-player we could be if we wanted to be. Understanding what Putin is, once you really get it, is knowing you don't go light, you don't expect him to change his mind, you fuck his shit all the way up and keep your knee to his neck. He has imperial dreams with a middling economy and 1 out of five households having no flush toilet. Under the right light, we shouldn't be asking, we should be making. Arm Ukraine right, back them the whole way up, and fully voice support for NATO.
That's a fucking trump card. And Trump is playing solitaire and doesn't even have a full deck.
And while Trump is trying to pretend he accomplished something today, Russia again bombards Ukraine. Showing they exactly don't want peace very clearly.
So--who is going to let Trump know? Because he isn't going to figure it out on his own and surrounded himself with people like Tulsi Gabbard who wouldn't tell him shit if a sewer main broke.
5 comments:
I worry about a lover scorned. Even in our atrophy he can do the world a lot of harm if he realizes all this and turns on Putin. Who was it, Bush, Reagan, who advanced the madman keep 'em guessing approach to the world?
Truth be told Vlad should probably wipe that smug look off his face ...
The madman theory as advanced by "sane" folks with the specter of mutually assured destruction was one thing--that I suspect Trump is actually the real deal is um. Problematic? And then surrounded himself with drooling sycophants.
Actually, it was Nixon who first advanced the madman theory of diplomacy. But Trump is more likely to be beholden in some way to Putin. Don't forget that in his first administration they held a meeting in which no American note taker (but not Russian) was permitted. Even today, no American but Trump is aware of what Trump's marching orders were.
Trump made a deal of some kind, you know, a quid pro quo for Putin to keep his mouth shut. Now we have a Ruzzian puppet as actual POTUS.
His game is obviously slipping. A few years ago, his phone call with Zelenskyy was perfect. This week, his phone call with Putin was very good. What's next? A phone call with Mark Carey that sucks ass?
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