When I see someone make a complete prat of themselves my first reaction is to laugh at them and their stupidity. Then my conscience cracks in and I feel sorry for them, and especially for their supporters/family. This is where I am about Trump. The derision has passed – America is a laughing stock – when the Daily Mail comes out against a former ally and hero we know that his stock is irrepably tarnished. Trump has surrounded himself with puerile sycophants – criticising Zelenskyy for not wearing a suit and not saying thank you enough times. Tactics or just moronic behaviour.
Things may yet go spectacularlywrong – Does Putin feel embolden by Trump. Will Europe rearm and form an alliance of sorts (Canada and Turkey may also participate). Already Starmer has released £1.5 billion of Russian funds to be used to make anti-aircraft missiles in Belfast. American weaponry is not streets ahead and I am sure Europe could develop its own. Remember that Trump has also alienated the Arab world with nonsensical bollocks about Gaza. China is already alienated. Cutting aid has surely alienated much of the poorer world. So he has friends in Israel (until their next election!).
He has preached isolationism but behaves like a NY Mafia boss from the 1930’s – bull in a china shop is too sedate as a description. Europe has its own internal problems with migration – but the main stream parties will surely benefit from jingoistic policies inevitable with rearmament. A trade war with the USA would result in the development of new markets in Asia and Africa. The British Press are left inthe dire situation of supporting the EU against the bloated capitlism of the USA (The Express is already making an effort to decry Starmer).
On which a digression. A friend has said that his is all a godsend for Starmer when his policies are failing at home. There maybe an element of truth – taxes and prices have risen, energy costs are rising, NHS waiting lists are not noticibly down. But I am also aware that there are no quick fix answers to 15 years of Tory misrule. Energy costs are a world wide market – but more home grown green power generation will ultimately lower costs.
Back to the crunch. Is the world safer? As much as I hate to say it, the USA has been the worlds policeman for the last 75 years. And yes, like the Met.Police, they have screwed up big time in the past. Maybe Libya was their worst digestion, but the contra wars in Nicaragua and adjoinung countries, abandoning peoples in many countries but in general we have had peace since WW2?
Russia has said there will be a new world order decided by them, the USA and China! Russia has diplomatic relationships with both. But they ignore Europe. What I love about Europe is the lack of hegemony – it is diverse and organic. Bits are reforming at all times. And whilst I believe an EU military force is inevitable, the volition of Europe is what gives it the edge.