Its not merely stupid, its fractally stupid. The closer you look the more ways it is stupid appear. The Monsignor gives the game away with "kidding on the square". We're supposed to act like we take it seriously (he's the President-elect! Everything he says matters!) while they snicker writing dad-pun laden columns, or like Bretbug lecture us on its seriousness with a straight face. In the end I honestly believe no one on the Republican side from Trump on down really cares about seizing Canada or Greenland, lowering fees thru the Panama Canal, or bombing the Mexican drug cartels. This is Trump Media Management 101, nothing more. "I know, but lets make the sumbitces talk about it".
he’s also poisoning forever the legitimate security interests NATO has … instead of achieving goals by diplomacy and smart behind the scenes negotiations, he’s taken a massive dump in the china shop of international relations and ruined more things we can count.
And even if he gets his war crimes galore going there is no chance of any of this shit happening remotely peacefully. This has every chance of becoming Vietnam and Falluja on the worst day there. And any pretense of exceptionalism and morality will also be tainted for the next century.
At some point the untenable must be pondered: the union outlived herself and needs triage. Perhaps we can still salvage the good bits, but make no mistake, this marriage is starting to smell from the core … just like orange man’s vicinity
You have to remember Trump sees everything in terms of "deals", and that includes foreign relations. As documented in his ghostwrither's masterpiece The Art of the Deal, he starts with absurd demands and threats. If an offer comes from the other side of the table, he rejects it and walks out if it doesn't he ups the demands and threats, repeat until an offer comes, whether addressing his demands or just a payoff to make him go away. A "deal" in short. Side effects, long-term costs, anything outside the deal is irrelevant to him, only that he gets his cut or gets paid to go away. This is his focus for the next 4 years, maximizing his leverage as The Most Powerful Man In The World to make bank.
Whether the Union holds is a totally separate problem, driven by the Republican party's goal of establishing permanent minority rule in the US. In my opinion it bolis down to what follows after the inevitable economic crash of our current Guilded Age 2.0. Republican economic policy guaranteed the first one, they'll guarantee the 2nd.
Thanks Boss. Your post really is an excellent summary of why it is all stupid without falling into the trap of explaining why any attempt to "execute" these ideas is stupid.
We survived a Gilded Age. We will just have to do it again. We got some pretty nice libraries out of the first one. I can't see where this one is going to come to much good.
Rather than Greenland, we should take over a big chunk of Siberia. We can make it part of Alaska and, strategically, it's well-placed hovering over China like it does. I'm sure Vlad wouldn't mind.
I know it's pointless to act as if facts and reasoning matter at all with these shameless frauds, but if possession of Greenland is "an absolute necessity" to our national security and economic security and military security and security security... how have we survived this long without it?
As a long time (and appreciative) Canadian reader of Rectification and now this Substack I thought you, and perhaps your readers, would be interested in this take by David Climenhaga, a retired journalist who is now blogging on Alberta politics.
Its not merely stupid, its fractally stupid. The closer you look the more ways it is stupid appear. The Monsignor gives the game away with "kidding on the square". We're supposed to act like we take it seriously (he's the President-elect! Everything he says matters!) while they snicker writing dad-pun laden columns, or like Bretbug lecture us on its seriousness with a straight face. In the end I honestly believe no one on the Republican side from Trump on down really cares about seizing Canada or Greenland, lowering fees thru the Panama Canal, or bombing the Mexican drug cartels. This is Trump Media Management 101, nothing more. "I know, but lets make the sumbitces talk about it".
he’s also poisoning forever the legitimate security interests NATO has … instead of achieving goals by diplomacy and smart behind the scenes negotiations, he’s taken a massive dump in the china shop of international relations and ruined more things we can count.
And even if he gets his war crimes galore going there is no chance of any of this shit happening remotely peacefully. This has every chance of becoming Vietnam and Falluja on the worst day there. And any pretense of exceptionalism and morality will also be tainted for the next century.
At some point the untenable must be pondered: the union outlived herself and needs triage. Perhaps we can still salvage the good bits, but make no mistake, this marriage is starting to smell from the core … just like orange man’s vicinity
You have to remember Trump sees everything in terms of "deals", and that includes foreign relations. As documented in his ghostwrither's masterpiece The Art of the Deal, he starts with absurd demands and threats. If an offer comes from the other side of the table, he rejects it and walks out if it doesn't he ups the demands and threats, repeat until an offer comes, whether addressing his demands or just a payoff to make him go away. A "deal" in short. Side effects, long-term costs, anything outside the deal is irrelevant to him, only that he gets his cut or gets paid to go away. This is his focus for the next 4 years, maximizing his leverage as The Most Powerful Man In The World to make bank.
Whether the Union holds is a totally separate problem, driven by the Republican party's goal of establishing permanent minority rule in the US. In my opinion it bolis down to what follows after the inevitable economic crash of our current Guilded Age 2.0. Republican economic policy guaranteed the first one, they'll guarantee the 2nd.
100%
Thanks Boss. Your post really is an excellent summary of why it is all stupid without falling into the trap of explaining why any attempt to "execute" these ideas is stupid.
Nice history lesson, thanks
Nicely done!
We survived a Gilded Age. We will just have to do it again. We got some pretty nice libraries out of the first one. I can't see where this one is going to come to much good.
Rather than Greenland, we should take over a big chunk of Siberia. We can make it part of Alaska and, strategically, it's well-placed hovering over China like it does. I'm sure Vlad wouldn't mind.
I know it's pointless to act as if facts and reasoning matter at all with these shameless frauds, but if possession of Greenland is "an absolute necessity" to our national security and economic security and military security and security security... how have we survived this long without it?
Maybe we all died and went to Hell already. Otherwise it's hard to figure.
Make America Gehenna Again!
Filed under Queensman, (excr)essence
As a long time (and appreciative) Canadian reader of Rectification and now this Substack I thought you, and perhaps your readers, would be interested in this take by David Climenhaga, a retired journalist who is now blogging on Alberta politics.
https://albertapolitics.ca/2025/01/should-canada-be-part-of-the-united-states-maybe-thats-a-good-question-to-ask-canadians/
Thanks so much, that's a great piece!
I thought you’d like it! You should also check out the link in Gerald’s comment linking to The Tyee.