The Cycle of Violence in a Soviet State
Greenland, Panama, and the dear leader.
Three weeks, we have gone three weeks since the incoming President of the United States said, apparently out of nowhere, that we must control Greenland and Panama. When he did so the "very smart people" played down the horror and assured us it was all a distraction, a bluff, a clever bargaining more, our outright trolling.
Elected Republicans began the cycle by first claiming that they had no understanding of it then tried to change the subject. But within a few days the ambitious apparatchiks were already on TV making the case “for war purposes”. Now the incoming VP is on TV claiming it is obvious that we need control so that it is “properly cared for” (whether they want it or not); that the Danes have failed to "secure" it or "empower development" (oil) and reminding everyone that we already have troops in place.
The opinion of Greenlanders and Danes are ignored. They will, we are told welcome us with open arms. The morality and wisdom of bullying our allies to secure access we already have is, from the party of values and so-called realists, completely ignored. And the opinion of Americans is moot. The only thing that matters to the apparatchiks is racing around polishing whatever the boss drops, just as Pravda always did.
Whether this ends in violence, purchase at gunpoint, or just bluster is anybody's guess. But the speed with which the quislings have gone from deflection to justification, to cheer-leading should fill all of us with dread. This is how dictators railroad their party into bad decisions, and it is how they maintain their power by getting their underlings not just to excuse but to amplify, even in advance, whatever comes into their head. And it raises the odds that sooner or later someone will act with disastrous results.
From this quick pivot we can conclude a few things:
The very smart people aren't helping. This may be bluster, a shakedown, or actual planning. It is possible even Trump does not know. But whatever it is, it is clear that there is no one or nothing to stop it spinning out of control. No one has asked Hegseth or Gabbard whether they would authorize using troops to seize an allied country but given their background we can assume the answer is yes. Trump has filled his cabinet, and the senate with lickspittles and quislings like Vance, who exist only to accelerate, not manage, his rants.
The Democrats aren’t fighting. Despite some comments from Blinken neither Biden nor the other Democrats have called this out. And none seems prepared to put Trump or his nominees on the spot. They still want my money, but if they cannot even be bothered to push back against this kind of destruction, then what are they really worth?
There is no way we will emerge unscathed. At the end of his first term Trump tried to end NATO, unwind out overseas alliances, and drive our friends away. He is clearly determined to try again and this time he will likely succeed. Even if he cannot end NATO he can poison our relationships to the point where no "ally" will ever support us again.
Canada, Mexico and Iceland are right to be afraid. The fact that even Vance is pushing this inanity shows that the whole party has absorbed the ideas of Xi Jinping. They do not seek robust alliances or stability but just to dominate the first and second island chain.
This will leave us weaker and poorer. Our reach in the world, our power, and our economy, is based on the fact that other nations trust us. They trust us to have troops stationed on their soil and planes in their air. They trust us with intel, docking, and trade. Once they stop trusting us, all of that will go away.
No sane country will welcome US troops if, as with Greenland, they are pitched as an already-occupying force. No nation will turn their back on us, or work hand in hand with us if they know we can instantly code switch from collaboration to conquest and control, especially for nations that are already on our side and have been so for over 80 years. Even if we pull back from this and do not invade the fact is, we are already bullying them. If they value their freedom they will reduce cooperation now, if not completely kick us out. After all, only toxic weaklings people want to keep bullies and abusers in their lives, and no free nation should ever help them get around.