"If you take it, we take every single base of the Americans from Aviano to Ramstein, from Romania, to all the other military bases will be confiscated, and you will lose it, and the whole position of American power since World War II, if you take Greenland, you have to leave,"
Gunther Fehlinger, chair of Austria's NATO Enlargement Committee
So, there's that.
3 weeks ago
"If this isn’t prodding, it’s the Art of the Deal"
You realize, I hope, that The Art Of The Deal was a ghost written piece of Trump fluffing bullshit.
Right? Just ask the guy that wrote it. Who now regrets it.
3 weeks ago
'I don’t think anyone actually supports the CCP. Unless you voted for Bernie, Zohran, Waltz et.al"
I voted for Walz as VP.
Go ahead and try to claim I support thee CCP. Or that I'm a summer child, in any way, shape or from.
3 weeks ago
"The second point looks implausible"
Actually, Ross (the officer who shot Good) had been dragged alongside a car during a previous attempr to arrest an alleged illegal immigrant.
He ended up in front of Good's car because he was walking around it while recording the incident.
This is not a guy who should be walking around with a badge and a gun.
3 weeks ago
"Worth noting that a single US Wasp-class amphibious assault ship..."
I don't think the question on the table is whether the US could prevail in a military takeover of Greenland.
As Stephen Miller notes, rule by brute force and hegemonic domination by the strong has been the way things worked since the beginning of time. Among other things, this led to several centuries of almost continuous warfare in Europe and elsewhere, culminating in the two world wars of the 20th C.
After WWII we - "we" being most nations on the planet - attempted to establish a regime under which we would do things differently. It was imperfect and imperfectly successful. But we've had about 80 years of sort-of peace, at least relative to historical standards. In general, and with the exception of the Soviet Union, we haven't had a lot of wars that were based on "we want your stuff, we're bigger than you, so we're taking it".
Which has been a pretty good thing.
Trump is ripping that up.
I'm pretty sure that, were he to stop threatening to take Greenland by force of arms, folks there would be happy to discuss our security needs and accommodate them to a sufficient degree.
Trump is incapable of dealing with counterparties other than by threats and attempts at domination. With, of course, the notable exception of Russia under Putin. Other nations are not obliged to accept that.
3 weeks ago
bc, which of the concerns you list justify seizing Greenland by fiat?
The comments by Trump, Miller, et al are far beyond stupid and unnecessary. They are threats.
The people in Greenland, by an overwhelming majority, don't want to be part of the US. That should be the end of the discussion.
3 weeks ago
"How can one be even-handed about this?"
Thank you.
Maduro was not the legitimate winner of the recent election in Venezuela. So a POTUS who exactly five years ago attempted a violent autogolpe to remain in power is going to remove him.
Maduro allegedly is involved in trafficing narcotics. So a POTUS who quite recently pardoned another corrupt leader who was in jail for the crime of trafficing narcotics is going to remove him.
This was an exercise in naked power. Folks around Trump have their own various reasons for championing it. Trump's own reasons are obscure, but could be as simple as his enjoyment of exercises in naked power. Most likely he thinks there is some upside for him, personally, most likely because one of his minions told him so. Good luck to him with that.
I am beyond confident that none of them - not one - is motivated by a desire for a free and peaceful Venezuela. Venezuela is just another example of, to quote Ledeen, a crappy little country that we can throw against the wall.
And Miller's observations about what makes the world go around is how we get world wars. The man is a cancer on the nation.
3 weeks ago
"Maduro is a narcoterrorist and was illegally importing cocaine"
What acts of terrorism has he committed?
"Panama, Grenada and Libya show this to not be so norm-crushing as some might think"
Precedent does not equal norm. Also, FWIW those are also not the greatest moments in our history.
"The US has wanted Greenland for a long time."
It's not our fucking island. Full stop.
3 weeks ago
"The Danes, and the Canadians better get to work on a nuclear deterrent, and hope it’s ready in time."
France sent a nuclear sub to a port in the Maritimes back in the early days of Trump II. Both France and Canada are NATO nations.
As are we, for that matter. So who knows what was intended, or how any of it would play out. But my understanding is that it was... unusual for a French nuke to show up in North America .
Trump is basically flipping the tables. Who knows where it will all end up.
4 weeks ago
"Well, he just executed the arrest warrant from the Southern District of NY for among other things illegal possession of firearms and intent to acquire such."
What jurisdiction does the SDNY have over the president of another country?
"If you take it, we take every single base of the Americans from Aviano to Ramstein, from Romania, to all the other military bases will be confiscated, and you will lose it, and the whole position of American power since World War II, if you take Greenland, you have to leave,"
Gunther Fehlinger, chair of Austria's NATO Enlargement Committee
So, there's that.
"If this isn’t prodding, it’s the Art of the Deal"
You realize, I hope, that The Art Of The Deal was a ghost written piece of Trump fluffing bullshit.
Right? Just ask the guy that wrote it. Who now regrets it.
'I don’t think anyone actually supports the CCP. Unless you voted for Bernie, Zohran, Waltz et.al"
I voted for Walz as VP.
Go ahead and try to claim I support thee CCP. Or that I'm a summer child, in any way, shape or from.
"The second point looks implausible"
Actually, Ross (the officer who shot Good) had been dragged alongside a car during a previous attempr to arrest an alleged illegal immigrant.
He ended up in front of Good's car because he was walking around it while recording the incident.
This is not a guy who should be walking around with a badge and a gun.
"Worth noting that a single US Wasp-class amphibious assault ship..."
I don't think the question on the table is whether the US could prevail in a military takeover of Greenland.
As Stephen Miller notes, rule by brute force and hegemonic domination by the strong has been the way things worked since the beginning of time. Among other things, this led to several centuries of almost continuous warfare in Europe and elsewhere, culminating in the two world wars of the 20th C.
After WWII we - "we" being most nations on the planet - attempted to establish a regime under which we would do things differently. It was imperfect and imperfectly successful. But we've had about 80 years of sort-of peace, at least relative to historical standards. In general, and with the exception of the Soviet Union, we haven't had a lot of wars that were based on "we want your stuff, we're bigger than you, so we're taking it".
Which has been a pretty good thing.
Trump is ripping that up.
I'm pretty sure that, were he to stop threatening to take Greenland by force of arms, folks there would be happy to discuss our security needs and accommodate them to a sufficient degree.
Trump is incapable of dealing with counterparties other than by threats and attempts at domination. With, of course, the notable exception of Russia under Putin. Other nations are not obliged to accept that.
bc, which of the concerns you list justify seizing Greenland by fiat?
The comments by Trump, Miller, et al are far beyond stupid and unnecessary. They are threats.
The people in Greenland, by an overwhelming majority, don't want to be part of the US. That should be the end of the discussion.
"How can one be even-handed about this?"
Thank you.
Maduro was not the legitimate winner of the recent election in Venezuela. So a POTUS who exactly five years ago attempted a violent autogolpe to remain in power is going to remove him.
Maduro allegedly is involved in trafficing narcotics. So a POTUS who quite recently pardoned another corrupt leader who was in jail for the crime of trafficing narcotics is going to remove him.
This was an exercise in naked power. Folks around Trump have their own various reasons for championing it. Trump's own reasons are obscure, but could be as simple as his enjoyment of exercises in naked power. Most likely he thinks there is some upside for him, personally, most likely because one of his minions told him so. Good luck to him with that.
I am beyond confident that none of them - not one - is motivated by a desire for a free and peaceful Venezuela. Venezuela is just another example of, to quote Ledeen, a crappy little country that we can throw against the wall.
And Miller's observations about what makes the world go around is how we get world wars. The man is a cancer on the nation.
"Maduro is a narcoterrorist and was illegally importing cocaine"
What acts of terrorism has he committed?
"Panama, Grenada and Libya show this to not be so norm-crushing as some might think"
Precedent does not equal norm. Also, FWIW those are also not the greatest moments in our history.
"The US has wanted Greenland for a long time."
It's not our fucking island. Full stop.
"The Danes, and the Canadians better get to work on a nuclear deterrent, and hope it’s ready in time."
France sent a nuclear sub to a port in the Maritimes back in the early days of Trump II. Both France and Canada are NATO nations.
As are we, for that matter. So who knows what was intended, or how any of it would play out. But my understanding is that it was... unusual for a French nuke to show up in North America .
Trump is basically flipping the tables. Who knows where it will all end up.
"Well, he just executed the arrest warrant from the Southern District of NY for among other things illegal possession of firearms and intent to acquire such."
What jurisdiction does the SDNY have over the president of another country?