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Trump’s Oval Office thrashing of Zelenskyy shows limits of Western allies’ ability to sway US leader (apnews.com)

submitted 4 days ago by barrygoldwater@lemmy.wtf to c/politics@lemmy.world

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[-] Makeitstop@lemmy.world 51 points 4 days ago

Honestly, it's for the best that they made such a spectacle of this. They could have been far more subtle and insidious with their betrayal of Ukraine and Europe. They could have drawn things out and let other leaders continue to court US support. They could have feigned being interested in compromise in order to divide allies between those who see through the bullshit and those who don't.

Instead, they alienated everyone at once and seem to be galvanizing our allies to unite without us. They were always going to stab Ukraine in the back and side with Russia, but at least they chose to do it in a stupid and ineffectual way.

[-] chris@lemm.ee 4 points 4 days ago

My original theory was that they wanted this on camera so they could point the finger and say, “see, he’s not serious about wanting peace, he won’t listen to us.” But, the more I watch and read, the more I’m convinced this is solely meant to tear down trust between the US and its allies. Trump has always wanted to be an isolationist president, and a wartime president, and he’s trying really hard to make that happen abroad… And at home.

Donald Trump wants civil war—he wants the opportunity to tell US troops to kill US citizens—and Hegseth and Patel are right there with him.

[-] RickRussell_CA@lemmy.world 33 points 4 days ago

I never thought I'd watch conservatives applaud Russia rebuilding the Iron Curtain.

But, here we are.

[-] uienia@lemmy.world 5 points 4 days ago

You never thought you would watch conservatives applaud a fellow right wing dictatorship trample democracy? Reagan himself would eagerly support a Putin regime had it existed in his days.

[-] Botzo@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago

Do we now pledge allegiance to the flag, and to the republic crumbling in his hands?

[-] eran_morad@lemmy.world 20 points 4 days ago

Fuck did you all think? How do people not understand that he’s putin’s bitch?

[-] JeeBaiChow@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago

Well Harris was so much worse, and the other war was apparently so much more important than this one, so...

/s for the easily triggered, but obviously clueless

[-] chris@lemm.ee 1 points 4 days ago

No, they knew that, and they like(d) it.

Also, remember that Russia is watching this, too. Putin is an asshole, but he’s not so stupid as to not notice how quickly Trump has torn down trust with not just Ukraine, but all of our allies. Absolutely nothing to stop Trump from doing the same thing to Russia, and Russia doesn’t have the economy or the military to stand up to the US.

It’s all really fucked up.

[-] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 13 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Is that what it shows? Another interpretation is that it shows the deep departure between the Administration, in the form of Trump and Vance, from its closest cultural, politcal, and strategic ties, as well as some of the deepest cultural connections the US has, since these were the colonial empires that came together bit by bit to become the US.

It is far more than simply "Trump unable to be swayed". Its that Trump views everything through the lense of him gaining personally. In a sense, he in his own mind, he is the country.

To quote Le guin: "I forgot what a king is, forgot that the king in his own eyes is Karhide, forgot what patriotism is and that he is, of necessity, the perfect patriot." In Trumps world view, he is the country. If it doesn't benefit him personally, its of no benefit to the country. None of these traitors are in it for the good of the nation. It's always been theft for them: but this world is so damaged, they see the destruction of everything for the enrichment of themselves as the most moral thing. And in a sense they aren't wrong. When our world only rewards you for being greedy and destructive, what else would you believe was the highest good?

[-] AfricanExpansionist@lemmy.ml 2 points 4 days ago

Exactly this. The headline is doing a lot of work covering what's actually going on

[-] FaceDeer@fedia.io 6 points 4 days ago

I mean, he's a dementia patient, that limits the ability of anyone to sway his behaviour.

[-] barrygoldwater@lemmy.wtf 0 points 4 days ago

Meh, so was Biden though.

[-] FaceDeer@fedia.io 1 points 4 days ago

Biden wasn't on the ballot.

[-] barrygoldwater@lemmy.wtf 1 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

I never said he was. But he had dementia while in office. And Dems refused to do anything about it until the debate. Then it became too embarrassing to deny. So at the last minute, switched him out.

How did all that work out?

[-] FaceDeer@fedia.io 1 points 3 days ago

Whereas the Republicans didn't switch out their dementia patient.

How's that working out?

[-] barrygoldwater@lemmy.wtf 1 points 3 days ago

It's working out great. We like him and he's doing awesome!

this post was submitted on 02 Mar 2025

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