Now this is an interesting article. Anne Applebaum points out something which should be obvious, and which on some level, we probably all know. Specifically, it is that Trump, far from being the "very stable genius" that he claims to be, actually has very limited understanding. Especially when it comes to how people will respond to his counterproductive words and actions, which more often than not prove to be quite destructive.
Case in point, look at how he treats our allies. Apparently, he knows that they are supposed to be our allies, because he used that word, specifically, recently when asking for help. Prior to that, however, he lambasted Europe and other allies for not stepping up more in terms of NATO spending, added them among the very long list of countries which he was imposing tariffs on, and then threatened to invade and take over Greenland. He also blasted them for not being appreciative of American efforts in World War II, a conflict which ended 80 years ago, although you might not know that listening to Trump. It was as if that conflict had just happened.
Trump keeps burning bridges with people, being abusive and so on. Then, he expects people to be willing to work with him later on, even though his behavior shows a decided lack of loyalty from him, as well as, frankly, a serious lack of stability.
Who would want to work with someone like that?
Yet it seems like Trump gets outraged and acts shocked - Shocked! - when our allies (honestly, I was kind of surprised he was familiar with that term) seemed hesitant to get involved in a war which Trump himself started, and which they were not even informed of. Trump belittles the efforts that other allies put in recent wars in the Middle East, particularly Afghanistan, which clearly suggests that he won't take their efforts - should they decide to get involved - seriously, either. Plus, he already declared victory, saying that it was won within the first hour. So why would he even need help?
Still, he asked for help. And then, according to reports, he exploded with outrage when every single ally rebuked him. This guy has such an outrageous sense of entitlement, that he seems to think that they should all drop and give him exactly what he wants precisely when he wants it, or else they will be subjected to one of his trademark temper tantrums.
As Applebaum explains:
This week, something broke. Maybe Trump does not understand the link between the past and the present, but other people do. They can see that, as a result of decisions that Trump made but cannot explain, the Strait of Hormuz is blocked by Iranian mines and drones. They can see oil prices rising around the world and they understand that it is difficult and dangerous for the U.S. Navy to solve this problem. They can also hear the president lashing out, as he has done so many times before, trying to get other people to take responsibility, threatening them if they don’t.
Exactly.
Why should allies get involved in what sure seems like a high risk/low reward situation, which surely Trump would not appreciate, anyway. At best, he would take credit for any and all successes, and at worst, he would not hesitate - not for a moment - to blame them as a scapegoat if things go wrong.
Trump, I suspect, is his own worst enemy. He has a big mouth, and just cannot ever keep his mouth shut or insert his foot into his mouth, time and time again. Maybe he does not act ashamed (although he should), but everyone else sure recognizes the gaffes and inconsistencies. And apparently, they might just finally be catching up with this man, the "real Teflon President" if ever there was one.
Everyone but Trump Understands What He’s Done by Anne Applebaum, March 17, 2026:
Allied leaders know that any positive gesture they make will count for nothing. By Anne Applebaum
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/03/trump-iran-war-allies/686423/
Everyone but Trump Understands What He’s Done - The Atlantic
No comments:
Post a Comment