Let’s talk about Trump’s latest antics, shall we? I mean, it’s like he’s trying to outdo himself in the absolute madness department (and I’m not even being sarcastic here, it’s just…wow). So, according to this article, Trump’s Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered US Cyber Command to stand down from all planning against Russia, because, you know, peace negotiations and all that jazz.
But wait, it gets better – Trump’s also been spewing some pretty wild rhetoric in his meeting with Zelensky, like how Ukraine is in big trouble and can’t win without the US (because, you know, they’re just not capable or anything). And don’t even get me started on his emphasis on Ukraine’s dependence on the US, it’s like he’s trying to drive a wedge between them or something (oh wait, that’s exactly what he’s doing). I mean, can you imagine if someone said that to you? “Hey, you’re only successful because of me, so be grateful”? Yeah, no, that wouldn’t go over well.
And what’s with this “reverse Nixon” idea that’s being floated around? You know, the one where Trump is trying to ally with Moscow against China? Give me a break, it’s a total fantasy. As this article points out, Nixon succeeded because Moscow and Beijing had already fallen out, but today they’re allies, so it’s just not going to happen. But hey, if you want to buy a book about Nixon’s diplomacy, you can find it on Amazon.
But I digress, because the real question here is, what’s going on with Trump’s obsession with Putin? Is it like he’s trying to prove some kind of point or something? I mean, this article says that people are saying Russia is winning, and Putin is on the inside now, so maybe that’s what’s going on? Maybe Trump’s just trying to ride the wave of Russian success or something (ugh, I need to stop thinking about this, it’s giving me a headache).
And don’t even get me started on the EU’s response to all this, I mean, Germany’s incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz is like, “Hey, we need to strengthen Europe and become independent from the US”, and I’m over here like, “Yaaas, finally someone gets it”. But seriously, it’s like the EU is finally waking up to the fact that the US is not always going to be there to save the day, and that’s a good thing. Maybe they’ll even start buying their own military equipment instead of relying on the US.
But what’s really worrying is that all US allies should be worried, according to Trump critic John Bolton. I mean, the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network, the Australia-UK-US consortium to build nuclear-powered submarines for Australia, and the export-control rules designed to keep rogue states from acquiring weapons of mass destruction – are all at risk, apparently. So, yeah, that’s just great, just what we need, more instability and risk. Maybe we can all just buy some security systems and hope for the best.
And in the midst of all this chaos, Australia is just over here like, “Hey, let’s acquire more F-35A fighter jets from the US”, because that’s clearly the solution to all their problems (note: it’s not). I mean, come on, can’t they see that the world is changing and they need to adapt? It’s like they’re stuck in some kind of time warp or something. Maybe they should just buy some history books and learn from the past.
It’s going to be a struggle, folks, a real struggle. But hey, at least we can all watch from the sidelines and enjoy the show, right? I mean, it’s not like our lives are going to be affected by any of this or anything (oh wait, they totally are). So, let’s all just sit back, relax, and enjoy the absolute madness that is politics these days. And if you want to learn more about it, you can check out this newsletter.