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Last edited Mon Feb 6, 2017, 09:20 PM - Edit history (1)
Trump as Nero
Europe Must Defend Itself Against A Dangerous President
The United States president is becoming a danger to the world. It is time for Germany and Europe to prepare their political and economic defenses.
A Editorial By Klaus Brinkbäumer
There are times in life that really do count. Times when a person's character is revealed, when the important is separated from the unimportant. Soon decisions are taken that will determine the further path a person takes. With some, this can be tragic, and the moment comes too soon in their youth at a time when they aren't mature enough yet to foresee all the potential consequences. They make the decisions cheerfully and they lead to either luck or bad luck. But countries and governments are seldom as innocent when it comes to their decisions.
That's the kind of situation now approaching. The people who will soon have to decide are already grown up. They now have to start preparing, even if it will be painful.
Germany must stand up in opposition to the 45th president of the United States and his government. That's difficult enough already for two reasons: Because it is from the Americans that we obtained our liberal democracy in the first place; and because it is unclear how the brute and choleric man on the other side will react to diplomatic pressure. The fact that opposition to the American government can only succeed when mounted together with Asian and African partners -- and no doubt with our partners in Europe, with the EU -- doesn't make the situation any easier.
So far, Germany has viewed its leadership role -- at least the leadership understanding of Chancellor Angela Merkel and Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble -- as one that is by all means in opposition to the interests of other European countries. Whether Schäuble's austerity policies or Merkel's migration policies, it all happened without much co-coordination and with considerable force. It is thus somewhat ironical that it is Germany, the country that is politically and economically dominant in Europe, that will now have to fill in many of the gaps created by America's withdrawal from the old world order, the one referred to by former German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer as "Pax Americana." At the same time, Germany must build an alliance against Donald Trump, because it otherwise won't take shape. It is, however, absolutely necessary.
It is literally painful to write this sentence, but the president of the United States is a pathological liar. The president of the U.S. is a racist (it also hurts to write this). He is attempting a coup from the top; he wants to establish an illiberal democracy, or worse; he wants to undermine the balance of power. He fired an acting attorney general who held a differing opinion from his own and accused her of "betrayal." This is the vocabulary used by Nero, the emperor and destroyer of Rome. It is the way tyrants think.
A Serious Threat
Donald Trump and his fire-starter Stephen Bannon discriminate against certain people by decree, but not against those from countries in which Trump does business. The contempt the president of the United States and his most important adviser have for science and education is so blatant that it's almost difficult to write. But their disdain for climate and environmental policies has to be stated, because four or eight years of it could become a serious threat.
Among the things that counted as true progress during the 20th century were multilateralism and free trade. The world has become so complex that no single country can solve the major problems on its own -- that was our recognition. Organizations like the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, NATO and the EU were all created for this reason. None of these organizations is perfect, but they are what we launched -- and we do need them. Bannon now wants to wipe them away, and either Trump is executing Bannon's intentions or he shares them.
That's why under President Trump, both the justified and the contemptible will be melded. Injustice is a major issue of our times, as are fears of digitalization and globalization -- and rightfully so given that the division of society and the speed of modern life is, in fact, extreme. Trump fuses these worries of his voters with nationalism and xenophobia. That's how demagogues work and it is how they become effective. The fact that the United States, a nuclear superpower that has dominated the world economically, militarily and culturally for decades, is now presenting itself as the victim, calling in all seriousness for "America first" and trying to force the rest of the world into humiliating concessions is absurd. But precisely because this nonsense is coming from the world's most powerful man, it is getting trapped by him.
This is not a threat that will somehow resolve itself. The German economy has become the target of American trade policy and German democracy is ideologically antithetical to Trump's vision. But even here, in the middle of Germany, right-wing extremists are trying to give him a helping hand. It is high time that we stand up for what is important: democracy, freedom, the West and its alliances.
This does not mean escalation or that we must abandon our contacts with America and all the working groups between our governments. What is does mean, though, is that Europe must grow stronger and start planning its political and economic defenses. Against America's dangerous president.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/a-1133177-amp.html
http://thehill.com/policy/international/europe/318123-german-magazine-germany-must-stand-up-to-trump
chillfactor
(7,573 posts)Glad to see other countries waking up to the danger the orange man and bannon are to the world.
malaise
(268,694 posts)Scary
KittyWampus
(55,894 posts)malaise
(268,694 posts)I can't believe this madness - the lunatics are in charge
Dark n Stormy Knight
(9,760 posts)nothing would be done.
What a freakin' nightmare this admin is. I thought I was expecting the worst, but I guess I wasn't, because I'm surprised how awful it is already.
Tarheel_Dem
(31,222 posts)Phoenix61
(16,993 posts)but it just makes me want to cry.
TomCADem
(17,382 posts)Given their history.
Amaryllis
(9,524 posts)it looks like close up.
WheelWalker
(8,954 posts)"Germany knows a fascist".
Ezior
(505 posts).. because I've always felt protected thanks to the US. The US (along with other countries) got rid of Hitler, and the US taught us democracy, and now we have a very nice, and also pretty liberal country. You've made Germany great again. (THANKS!!) The US was a strong leader of the free world, ready to help protect smaller countries in case things go bad. (And Trump is right: We should devote more resources towards NATO.) Now the US has turned into a strong country ruled by a crazy dangerous president who might be unable to read more than 140 characters at a time.
I still put a lot of trust in US democracy though. I'm absolutely certain that there will be proper elections in 2018 and 2020, unlike Germany after 1933. I also don't think that Trump is as bad as Hitler (I have my doubts about Bannon). I don't think "D-Day 2.0" is required to bring back democracy to the US. They might be able to abuse your democracy, but they can't take it away that easily.
A month ago I preferred Trump over Pence, because I'm gay and Pence hates gays. Now I'm desperate to have Pence as US President (and get rid of Bannon) to reduce chances of a global disaster. He is much worse than I thought.
So there will be 2-4 years of absolutely horrible US politics from a liberal POV. Those will probably hurt many people. Some people will die (bye bye Obamacare, hello hate crimes). It's very bad. However, you'll have a chance in 2 years and another chance in 4 years to fix that mess. And I'm sure you will use that chance.
Don't worry about foreign relations to EU countries too much. I guess most of us realize what kind of a situation you're in and I hope everything will be back to normal once your next President takes office. Trump can't burn all the transatlantic bridges within 4 years, I hope. The Iran and China situation is worrisome though.
erronis
(15,181 posts)and thanks for the positive votes about a possibly positive future.
The apparent track for this presidency-in-name-only is to dismantle the pieces of the US experiment in democracy as quickly as possible. Do it before the dunces that allowed the USSR puppet to rule figure out what happened to them.
Your hoped for 2-4 years of horrible US politics could be a lifetime for many of us. If you're not one of them (homophobic, white, rich, male) you may not survive. If this little puppet and his master gets their way, there won't be a new election.
By the way === Welcome!
longship
(40,416 posts)MFM008
(19,803 posts)Happen. We KNEW it.....
madokie
(51,076 posts)Yes we fucking knew it!
raging moderate
(4,292 posts)Eisenhower warned against the precursors of these people. He thought they were too stupid to pull it off. They have been trying to gain power for decades. More than a decade ago, I tried to warn Republican teachers in my school district, but they wouldn't listen. Probably they still don't realize what Betsy DeVos is going to do to the schools.
Dark n Stormy Knight
(9,760 posts)in the 90s and I could just not understand it. She happily took all the pay and perks, but would not support the union. Lousy teacher, too. Constantly taking her class outside to play or passing out coloring books and crayons instead of teaching. Arrrrrrrggggghhh.
ginnyinWI
(17,276 posts)the so called president.
They must have seen the protests.
Ezior
(505 posts)We've seen the protests.
And we're puzzled how a single country can have lots of religious fundamentalists with very backwards opininions (the catholic church in Germany appears to be über-liberal in comparison), while at the same time there is legal weed, silicon valley, gay marriage in other parts of the country. It's crazy, because one half of the country will always feel oppressed I guess...
Tikki
(14,549 posts)Last edited Mon Feb 6, 2017, 11:37 PM - Edit history (1)
close.
Now they say trump was sent from god to lead...not even close, again.
These religious* people are angry and disturbed because they can't find a person 'sent from god' who
can govern worth a s**t.
Actually, nearly all of the trump lovers are racist, sexist and homophobic.
Tikki
* I can't define the religion, but when someone uses the word god, I am correct to assume religion.
Brother Buzz
(36,375 posts)I believe the word, fundamentalist, might be closer to what you are thinking. Delving into religion is a totally slippery slope, but members of the The United Church of Christ, a liberal evangelical church, might take umbrage at being associated with the white wing fundies.
Tikki
(14,549 posts)god sent trump to lead us is who is to blame.
Maybe they are a religion all of their own.
Tikki
brer cat
(24,523 posts)but it is absolutely chilling to read it in a foreign editorial. Diplomacy is dead until this maladministration is gone.
raccoon
(31,105 posts)DK504
(3,847 posts)"It is literally painful to write this sentence, but the president of the United States is a pathological liar. The president of the U.S. is a racist (it also hurts to write this). He is attempting a coup from the top; he wants to establish an illiberal democracy, or worse; he wants to undermine the balance of power. He fired an acting attorney general who held a differing opinion from his own and accused her of "betrayal." This is the vocabulary used by Nero, the emperor and destroyer of Rome. It is the way tyrants think. "
The next President will have to go on a real apology tour since the Republicans seem to want to blow up the world. I have to wonder what the military will do when he starts issuing illegal orders. How fast will the SOB get impeached when he really goes around the bend.
world wide wally
(21,738 posts)We have put a cerifiable madman in control of the most powerful military the Earth has ever seen.
Thanks, GOP
Thanks deplorables
gademocrat7
(10,644 posts)zentrum
(9,865 posts)....must cancel the visit. Danger trumps protocol in every case, doesn't it Liz?
workinclasszero
(28,270 posts)the fascist killer Putin in Russia.
Hope it's not to late for them.
burrowowl
(17,632 posts)He can do better than NERO he has NUKES!
dalton99a
(81,392 posts)triron
(21,984 posts)having 'elected' this evil moron.
3catwoman3
(23,947 posts)...a big sign that said "I did NOT vote for that jackass."
I think everyone would know who I meant.