If Xi can pull the plug on Putin anytime, what’s the point of America kowtowing to Putin and turning into Russia’s PR office? Putin is now in the rather drab and desperate process of trying to get help from North Korea as the Russian military continues to evaporate.
Within 24 hours of the “tantrum heard around the world” — the rest of the world signed up to support Ukraine. Zelensky no longer has to put up with the brattish US position on peace, insane demands for “compensation” for US policies, or anything else.
Trump was talking to Zelensky about not having any cards. There’s a metaphor worth looking at here.
If you play poker, you may well know that while playing, you don’t stomp around global media for months telling everyone what a lousy hand you’ve got.
Ukraine does not need the US to be involved in a peace. The Europeans can be far more effective without the melodrama.
Ukraine was never under any obligation to accept any third-party deal.
Nor was Ukraine obligated to pay for aid voluntarily provided by the US.
Nor did Ukraine have to accept an appalling deal for its mineral resources.
So in ten minutes, that hissy fit freed Ukraine from even the theoretical need to listen to the drivel.
Aid to Ukraine increased immediately.
The world could simply buy and cancel Ukraine’s debt.
Ukraine is still making diplomatic noises, but it holds a lot more cards than the US can under these circumstances.
That’s a huge global win for Ukraine.
The US had only one ultra-lousy very low card, played it, and lost badly.
America’s credibility took a critical hit.
The world, which even some Americans have heard of, was spectacularly unimpressed and reacted very negatively.
Trump proved beyond doubt that he can’t deliver on his own big-ticket policies.
Real “mob bosses” don’t go broke and humiliate themselves every 5 minutes.
The domestic backlash to this insane self-inflicted debacle has been furious and is likely to be politically very expensive.
The very queasy looking US domestic economy is about to be “blessed” with the fallout from the vast tides of policy failures.
Trying to start an unwinnable Vietnam-like global trade war, especially the big rift with Canada and other issues, are going to be very bad for US commerce.
Being seen to be totally ineffectual usually isn’t a good move in global relations.
They’ve fired just about all competent people who know how to manage the mess in a month.
Now let’s be a little less patient with this infantile idiocy.
The world can wait for this house of very low cards to fall apart.
US debt and US revenue need more than rhetoric.
The debt is a serious and perhaps fatal vulnerability. Who’s going to lend what to the US based on tantrums as collateral? Expect borrowing to become a lot more expensive sooner rather than later.
Government by DIY disaster fools nobody.
Sympathetic for infuriated Americans as the world may be, Trump has just lost the plot and the pot in the global game of poker.
This administration has done more favors for anti-US interests than all previous administrations combined and can’t even claim to have won a press release.
Here’s a suggestion: –
America – GROW UP. That was not a question.
Ukraine – Check your cards. You’re holding a far better hand than you think.
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Disclaimer
The opinions expressed in this Op-Ed are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Digital Journal or its members.
