The Imperial Presidency, Part 2

[Jinx999]

https://bsky.app/profile/rgoodlaw.bsky.s...ovlpjf6c2z

Armed robbery. The new principle that the US stands for.

[classicdrogn]

To quote some of the comments there,

(the US claims a nation's right to self-defense,. but can't Venezuela retaliate with the exact same justification?)

Usha's wedding ?‬
‪@lngnstrt.bsky.social‬
· 1h
VZ might not do that. They probably won't. But, that's exactly what happens, historically, when the world is set up like Trump seems to want.

We know where this leads because it was the way the world worked at one time. There will be more, not less, conflict.

It's either hubris, or ignorance.

‪

jeawel71.bsky.social‬
‪@jeawel71.bsky.social‬
· 1h
It’s both hubris and ignorance.

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boomerama.bsky.social‬
‪@boomerama.bsky.social‬
· 1h
A very dangerous combo

[Dartz]

I think the US has stuck it's dick into South America on average every 4 years over the last century. It's the last decade or so that's been the abherration.

Otherwise the European political reaction seems to mostly be 'This was a terrible thing to do and the wrong way to do it and a terrible president for international relations, but couldn't have happened to a more deserving stocking of shite.. anyway.'.


Also - what happens if Europe decides to dump all the US debt and bonds its holding at once?

[classicdrogn]

With the way all the markets are connected and the chunk of it that the US occupies, global financial collapse, most likely. Even if not, a lot of very bad times for a lot of people, vanishingly few of whom would be among those who could be said to deserve it.

[robkelk]

Analysis: Why Venezuela has Marco Rubio’s handprints all over it

Read the article for context, of course, but these two quotes should be enough for those who can interpolate:

Rubio, 54, the son of Cuban immigrants, grew up in Miami, steeped in Cuban culture and anti-communist sentiments that many in the community shared.

Indeed, one of the possible side effects of Maduro’s capture is the destabilization of Cuba, a country that has long relied on discounted oil from Venezuela, its close ally.

[robkelk]

So, I hear His Orangeness is pulling out of various international treaties, including the Paris treaty.

* robkelk goes and looks

Oh, the 2015 Paris Agreement, not the 1783 Treaty of Paris.

Any chance you folks could abrogate that Paris treaty, too?

Spoiler

Because we're currently renovating Parliament Hill. If you're going to go back to being provinces the way that history says you should have been all along, we need to know now how many physical seats to put in the House of Commons and the Senate.

[classicdrogn]

I wouldn't put it past Dumkopf to announce that he was pulling us out of it by mistake...

[robkelk]

Denmark sends additional troops to Greenland

To be clear: The Danish military buildup in Greenland is not a NATO mission — something that would require the sign-off of all 32 member nations, including the United States.

But a handful of NATO allies, including Germany and Sweden, have signalled they're willing to send troops to Greenland as part of a bolstered presence.

[Jinx999]

I'm kinda reassured that Trump is trying more tariffs. It means that he isn't going to be doing something REALLY stupid.

And I don't consider "surrender national sovereignty or I tax Americans more!" to be the kind of flex he seems to.

[Labster]

I'm kinda reassured that Trump is trying more tariffs. It means that he isn't going to be doing something REALLY stupid.

And I don't consider "surrender national sovereignty or I tax Americans more!" to be the kind of flex he seems to.

Don't feel too reassured.  They're not really tariffs, they're economic sanctions on NATO nations specifically for deploying troops to defend another NATO nation.

Canada is so fucked right now.  If the USA continues on its course to leave NATO, it's going to be really hard for them to find allies that can project power into North America.  Trump's Anschluss plans continue apace, I guess.

[robkelk]

I'm kinda reassured that Trump is trying more tariffs. It means that he isn't going to be doing something REALLY stupid.

And I don't consider "surrender national sovereignty or I tax Americans more!" to be the kind of flex he seems to.

Don't feel too reassured.  They're not really tariffs, they're economic sanctions on NATO nations specifically for deploying troops to defend another NATO nation.

Canada is so fucked right now.  If the USA continues on its course to leave NATO, it's going to be really hard for them to find allies that can project power into North America.  Trump's Anschluss plans continue apace, I guess.

And if His Orangeness does annex Greenland, then we'll be nearly surrounded by a single superpower. (The only direction we won't be is over the pole, and that leads to Russia.)

So, yeah, we have a huge interest in upholding the rule of international law right now.

[Labster]

The stationery isn't real, but the message is real, it was sent by text message to the leader of Norway.



Soooo umm yeah. That was written. Did not get Nobel Peace Prize -> let's try war with allies?

And if His Orangeness does annex Greenland, then we'll be nearly surrounded by a single superpower. (The only direction we won't be is over the pole, and that leads to Russia.)

So, yeah, we have a huge interest in upholding the rule of international law right now.

Canada ought to consider a nuclear deterrent. They don't even need an expensive delivery system -- Seattle, Detroit, and Buffalo are right there.

[classicdrogn]

A tractor and box trailer would suffice for a delivery vehicle if the situation became tense enough for that kind of action... and, well, Canadians who've decided it's time to be imp9olie...

[robkelk]

And Denmark has absolutely nothing to do with the Nobel Peace Prize.

[Labster]

A tractor and box trailer would suffice for a delivery vehicle if the situation became tense enough for that kind of action... and, well, Canadians who've decided it's time to be imp9olie...

It's not.  Nuclear bombs are detectable for quite a long distance from the radiation they emit.  They'd be detected while still stuck in traffic on the 99 before they ever crossed the border in a truck.  Artillery can easily hit this distance, though.

What I'm suggesting here is essentially the North Korean nuclear doctrine.  Basically, South Korea's army could roll over North Korea – but not before ten million people in Seoul died.  If all you have to do is shoot across the Han River, any crappy tech would work.  Pretty much every other brag about their military strength is for domestic policy only.  Scaring Japan is domestic policy, really it is.

[robkelk]

I wasn't sure whether to post this here or to the "meanwhile, in Canada" thread.

Mark Carney's full speech on middle powers navigating a rapidly changing world

Given to the World Economic Forum meeting.

Let me be direct: We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition.

Middle powers must act together because if we're not at the table, we're on the menu.

But I'd also say that great powers can afford, for now, to go it alone. They have the market size, the military capacity and the leverage to dictate terms. Middle powers do not. But when we only negotiate bilaterally with a hegemon, we negotiate from weakness. We accept what's offered. We compete with each other to be the most accommodating.

This is not sovereignty. It's the performance of sovereignty while accepting subordination.

[robkelk]

American Express: Don't Leave Home Without It

American ICE in Minnesota: Don't Leave Home.

[Jinx999]

These are the countries that have joined Trump's "board of peace". The corrupt and the inconsequential.

[Dartz]

The Axis of Shithole

There's part of me that think's it's all a distraction puppeted by some members of the regime to hide something else (Minnessota, some more paedo shit). There's another part of me starting to doubt they're even that competent.

I can't even see what the aim actually is anymore beyond filling the newsspace with Trump and reactions to Trump so that he can see the entire world talking about Trump and how great he is.

----

Meanwhile, Elon Musk is picking a fight with Michael O'Leary.

And it really is like a fifteen year old on 4chan desperately insisting that Milhouse is a meme.

[robkelk]

I wasn't sure whether to post this here or to the "meanwhile, in Canada" thread.

Mark Carney's full speech on middle powers navigating a rapidly changing world

Given to the World Economic Forum meeting.

I've had a chance to actually hear parts of the speech, followed by parts of the speech that His Orangeness gave the next day.

Mark Carney got a standing ovation from the money-men in attendance.

They laughed at His Orangeness.

[classicdrogn]

He should try adding balloon animals to his act. The kids always love those.

[robkelk]

These are the countries that have joined Trump's "board of peace". The corrupt and the inconsequential.

* robkelk looks up what the "board of peace" is supposed to do

Bingo incoming! Depending on how many US citizens have been deported, which nobody is willing to admit to keeping statistics on... but I'd say one citizen killed by ICE counts as at least a hundred illegally-deported people.

[classicdrogn]

Oojh, ooh, whadda we win, whadda we win!? Is it a MvDonalad's gift card and a lifetime supply of tan-in-a-bottle?

[robkelk]

I don't know what you get, but we get a "get out of dilemma free" card.

Finance minister says Canada will not pay $1B US if it joins Trump's 'Board of Peace'

Trump says he's withdrawing invitation for Carney to join his Gaza 'Board of Peace'

[robkelk]

Analysis: By suddenly declaring a deal on Greenland, Trump demolished his case for owning it

U.S. president's capitulation, along with contradictions in his Davos speech, revealed holes in his arguments