The Thinking ‘Kat: Mad Kings
As Donald Trump draws closer to taking the White House, a troubling trend is emerging. Trump has long been prone to flights of fancy, and displays of cognitive malfunction that his worshippers seem content to ignore. Will they ignore his latest, troubling suggestions?
Leaving aside his idea of yet more trade tariffs (betraying yet again his ignorance about tariffs, and how damaging they will be to the average American), Trump has refused to rule out military action against a NATO ally. You read that correctly. Trump wants Denmark to give up Greenland, and he has refused to rule out both economic or military action in order to get it.
This is beyond insane, yet this appears to be the world we are now living in. Trump has threatened similar measures to take control of the Panama Canal. Are these the comments of a man who can be trusted, or an unhinged wannabe tyrant? When did satire become normal, and when did the absurd become the routine? Truly, I have to fear what the world will become, with a man like Trump in charge of the world’s most powerful country.
Don’t worry so much. We tend to worry about the wrong things anyway.
Here is what I think is on Trump’s mind. The West is already in a low -level conflict with China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. These nations are building up their military strength, undermining our economies, infiltrating our communities with deadly, addictive drugs, stealing our secrets, bribing our political leaders, corrupting our cultural institutions, actively deploying cyberweapons against our infrastructure,… Therefore, Trump is looking for ways to counter the threats our enemies pose.
When Trump negotiates, he plays hardball. Greenland provides a strategic base and access to mineral assets. We need Greenland to counter the efforts of Russia (in combination with China) to seize the north. So, Trump is trying to get his allies asses in gear. He wants Denmark understand Greenland, and the north pole has to be protected somehow, some way. He wants Panama to throw out the Chinese Communists. They are operating both ends of the canal, and that’s crazy
I dare say it’s right to be at least a little concerned with Trump’s proposals and statements, considering he is about to retake power. Suggesting even the possibility of military action against an ally to seize their territory is the sort of move that Putin would approve of. It’s a destabilising message.
When you add this to all the other crazy surrounding Trump, being worried makes perfect sense.
Yep! Crazy is a very effective negotiating strategy.
Actually, Trump did not suggest military action. He simply refused to rule out that option in advance. Why should he?
Note that Denmark has no capacity to defend Greenland. The USA is defending it. Kind of odd, don’t you think?
I don’t think crazy is necessarily a good look, not least of all in this instance. I dare say you are splitting hairs RE military posturing, and since NATO is already involved in the defence of Greenland via Denmark’s membership, why even hint at the possibility of taking an ally’s territory by force?
Who does this posturing benefit the most? I’ll give you a clue, it’s someone who thinks seizing territory by force is absolutely fine, and someone who most certainly does not have your best interests at heart. It’s someone who would love to see NATO undermined.
I believe it was Talleyrand who cynically observed that nations have interests, not friends. Europe has not changed much since Talleyrand made that observation.
NATO has to be kicked in the ass to get it to pay for its own defense, but we are supposed to be thrilled to have you as allies. After two world wars? Get a life.
What has happened in the USA, letting Liberal Democrats run our country is just dumb, but for the time being we have learned our lesson. Meanwhile, too many Europeans (and some Americans) are worried about Trump invading Greenland. When are you going to notice you are being overrun by Islamists, and Russia, China, and N. Korea would just as soon nuke you as not. How much are you going to increase your defense budgets so the USA cannot invade Greenland?
Form matters less than substance. No matter how beautifully you carve it, an ice cube makes a lousy chair. Some politicians may be beautifully charming, but you don’t want to follow them. These are just swindlers. Trump may be irksome, but he is made of the right stuff. He won’t rob us blind, but he may make us laugh.
You are right on one score Tom – substance is what matters most. Trump has shown you his substance, or lack thereof, for years. Failed businesses, a poor performance as president in his first term, plenty of bleating and whinging about the allegedly unfair media, ‘alternative facts’, and now treating an international defence treaty like a protection racket.
I realise you see Trump as the Saviour, to the extent where if I am being blunt, I cannot recall a single instance, here or on your blog, where you have criticised him, but open your eyes Tom. He will not only rob you blind (what do you think his proposed tariffs will do, make your life easier?), he will do it whilst you, and many other Christian conservatives, thank him for his efforts, fawning over him. I mean, come on – you’re virtually praising him now, agreeing that he should be bullying other nations into surrendering territory!
Your conspiracy-laden dog-whistling about Russia/China/etc aside, who do you think benefits from Trump the most? I’ll give you a clue, he lives in Moscow. Even a tacit implication that the territory of allies can be coerced or even forcibly taken (with no regard to the sovereign wishes of that territory) weakens NATO, and that benefitsRussia, China etc. I would have thought that was obvious.
At any rate, it’s hardly a worry. I just find it interesting that Trump decides to spit rhetoric like that, and you have no issue with it, even going as far as to passionately defend him. Can Trump do anything wrong in your eyes, I wonder?
I have to criticize Trump to prove Trump is not my Savior? I wanted Trump to get elected, and his opponents were telling so many lies…. Do you ever practice what you preach at your opponents?
You are calling me a conspiracy theorist? Have you considered what you just wrote?
Contemplate the depravity of the Democratic Party. In 2020 Democrats schemed to put Biden in the White House pretending Biden was a “moderate.” Biden was not a moderate. Moderate do put men and girls restrooms.
Biden just wanted power, and he wanted it even though he was already suffering symptoms from dementia. In fact, many Republicans figured out Biden was already suffering from dementia, but it can be difficult to prove such a thing. The legacy media defended Biden and called Republicans extremists. And Big Tech censored us. But the truth eventually came out anyway.
But you are still peddling nonsense. That is sad!
You don’t know anything about me. You ought to consider why. Consider the foolishness of your insult. It is no secret that I pray for Donald Trump, not to Donald Trump. My Savior is Christ Jesus. Trump is brilliant, but he is still a man, and this universe is too much for us. We cannot save ourselves. Only God has the power to save any one of us for eternity. Hopefully, Trump is already or will be saved, but that is up to God too.
Whether they know it or not, our leaders serve the bidding of God. If the Lord intends for Trump to do a good job, he will. If the Lord has other plans, Trump will do whatever that entails.
The wise obey God because they love Him, and the wise don’t put any person, place, or thing before the love of God. This life will pass away. God is Eternal. It is only by His Grace that we have life.
Tom, firstly, I apologise if I overstepped a mark, but consider your own words – do you think Trump never told a lie, at any point, during his campaigns? Do you honestly believe your own rhetoric?
Everything that has been against Trump, you have dismissed as conspiracies and lies. You have believed Trump and his ilk, seemingly without question. You speak of dementia – Trump is not exactly a beacon of cognitive function, as numerous examples show, yet you voted for him anyway. Trump is clearly and obviously in bed with big business (surely you cannot fail to see how much Musk now pulls his strings), yet you voted for him anyway. Trump has a history of depraved morality, yet you voted for him anyway. I’m sure you’ll complain this is all nonsense, yet you have not offered anything substantial to support your outlandish conspiracy theories either.
Trump is a convicted felon, a status I am sure you have already dismissed, because Trump himself has told you he can do no wrong, and you have unflinchingly believed him. He lost a civil defamation case against one of the many women to accuse him of sexual assault, and the implications of thatare pretty clear. Once again, I am quite certain you believe his word, without any doubt whatsoever. Anything negative about Trump must be the result of Democrat lies, right? Anything Trump says that can be construed in a negative light is waved away.
It is ironic that you say Biden just wanted power. What do you think Trump wants? Do you honestly believe that a man who ruthlessly rose to be a billionaire cares for what happens to the average American?
@Ben
You cannot win an argument on the merits. So, you launch a personal attack. Do I have to be perfect to be right? Well, I can’t prove I am perfect, and I am not going to try.
“Everything that has been against Trump, you have dismissed as conspiracies and lies”
Everything? What does everything cover? Does Trump have to perfect to be a better choice? That is all an election is about, picking the best candidate.
Do you understand why candidates launch negative campaigns? They don’t have any issues upon which they can run and win. So, they tell us how bad the other guy is. You say Musk is pulling Trump’s strings. That’s your latest issue?
Trump ran on his accomplishments and upon fixing the things the Biden administration had broken. Musk is an obvious convert, and I am quite happy to see such a talented man fighting for the ideals which made America a great place to live. I very much appreciated it when Musk bought Twitter and exposed the government’s involvement in censorship.
BTW, it is not a crime or a sin to be rich. The sin is putting money before God, and Musk doesn’t seem to be doing that.
Look at what YOU are doing to Trump. If one accusation has some truth, Trump must be a bad man. If he makes any mistakes, he too must demented.
The notion that Trump is a convicted felon is a miserable joke. Trump is an OBVIOUS victim of lawfare. You say he was convicted by a jury, that some woman won a civil suit against him based upon a rape that supposedly took place in the 1990’s?
Consider the obvious. Trump got the majority of the vote. The American people looked at what the Democratic Party was doing — is still doing — in disgust. The legal system in New York, especially Manhattan, has serious problems.
I try to avoid making broad, sweeping accusations. So, I will just give you one good reason why we know Liberal Democrats to be corrupt. They refuse to accept an obvious truth. There is a profound difference between men and women. Instead of recognizing that obvious truth, Liberal Democrats would have us believe that the truth about our sex is whatever we want to believe, and we have the inherent right to force that truth upon others.
Why did Trump want to be president? Trump wanted to make America great again, and that is what he used the power of the presidency to accomplish in his last term. Biden, on the other hand, used the power of the presidency to force people to believe lies. For example, Biden wanted us to believe that boys who call themselves girls have the right to be in the girl’s locker room. So, he granted himself legislative authority (by altering an existing law) to make that happen.
Tom,
With each of your comments, you are ironically solidifying the very point I raised earlier. You are repeating Trump’s mantra about lawfare, a tired notion that holds no merit.
You cite that all Democrats do is lie, that they hold no moral authority, etc etc. Trump lies as well, regularly, and has dubious morals, yet you don’t question or challenge that, instead, you take Trump at face value, seemingly in all things. This is not an insult Tom, this is an observation. Moreover, you are far from alone. Maybe you don’t see him as a Saviour, but then again, much of the conservative right in the USA now seems to worship him, and refuse to believe, even for a second, that he is anything other than perfect. That should worry you, but it doesn’t. There’s no way Trump acts out of altruism, he never has.
I was supposed to vote Biden or Harris because Trump has character issues?
The fact is that Liberal Democrats made no effort to run on the issues. Instead, they tried to paint half the country as extremists, and they started throwing people in jail. Their lawfare was aimed at more people than just Trump.
When Trump pointed to the Harris/Biden record, he didn’t have to lie. He just had to point to an abominable record. That is why you have not talked about it.
The ‘abominable record’ you speak of is arguably one you believe because Trump told you to believe it. Trump has had his own failures as a president and politician, including some spectacular ones, and meanwhile, he successfully distracted you through his wild conspiracies. There was no lawfare. That is a combination of Trump’s persecution complex, and the lie he has pedalled, which so many conservatives have swallowed, that he could not do any wrong.