Every day it seems that we learn more about Trump.
Yesterday, Vice President JD Vance gave us a clear insight into how he thinks conflicts should be resolved. The solution is, apparently, simple. The aggressor should be rewarded for their efforts. Those who have suffered and been abused should, it seems, accept their fate. US diplomacy now, in that case, extends to a declaration of “take it, or leave it.“ So much for the supposed “art of the deal“.
In fairness, this is nothing more than the transactional world view that we might expect of Trump, who has never revealed any real understanding of what concluding a deal might actually involve, but when it is applied to world politics the consequences are pretty horrible.
The reality is that Ukraine is being told to surrender its territory to Russia.
No doubt, in due course, Trump will endorse the annexation of Gaza, and maybe the West Bank, by Israel.
There is nothing diplomatic about this.
There is nothing that respects the rights of people, states, or international law implicit in any part of this.
Instead,this approach endorses the right of the far right thug to impose their will on whomsoever they wish.
This is not the world I wish to live in.
I am also quite sure that it is not world in which the majority of people wish to live.
I also very strongly suspect, that this is an approach that most of us thought had, long ago, been consigned to history.
And, despite this, Rachel Reeves is in Washington seeking to plead special favours from the thugs that have told Ukraine to surrender who they still apparently think to be the UK‘s best buddy.
Why, oh why, oh why?
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It should be quite obvious that it isnt possible to rely on a Trump led or post Trump USA
So why oh why are our Governments seeking to do so?
One of the great blessings of modern politics, (and economics), is that everything takes so much time to complete.
(Here comes the ‘Cunning Plan’ bit). All we have to do, (the UK and the international community), is proceed at the usual glacial pace that all international negotiations travel at and before you know it Trump’s four years will be up.
Slowly, slowly frustrate monkey!
I personally think that Reeves, Starmer and Andrew Bailey could be perfectly suited for this job. They could halt anything dead in it’s tracks without even trying.
A trade deal, with all the technicalities and difficulties could easily take a year or two to complete to everyone’s satisfaction. A hundred trade deals should take ten years or more at least.
A peace treaty similarly should take a year or two. Four or five peace treaties easily four or five years. Especially one involving Putin, who has absolutely no idea how to negotiate anything. He’s ex KGB for god’s sake, they don’t negotiate: they punch people in the face!
By the time the trade deals and the peace treaties are ready to be implemented Trump will be facing the electorate again after four years of self-inflicted pain from his imbecilic tariffs, and, (if the polls are to believed), he will be thrown out unceremoniously.
The international community can then cancel everything negotiated in the previous four years, create new international trade treaties to make sure it never happens again and give the US enough time and space to lick her wounds before re-writing the constitution to make sure it never happens again.
Clause one, (of new constitution), No dangerous loonies to be allowed to stand for Presi – only harmless ones!
Although this contribution to the blog is written in a semi humorous form, ‘Playing for time’ is a time honoured tactic in these circumstances and is often extremely effective. Trump likes to move quickly and do the unexpected – slow him down and prevaricate at every stage.
I am baffled
The world is shit and you want to slow down the process of change? Why?
I hope – indeed, I expect – that I and many, many others that read this blog will share in your absolute anger, disgust and frustration at what we see our government doing.
On the same day that Reeves admits that no trade deal is coming anytime soon – which means that what Vance said last week was AN ABSOLUTE LIE (I’m getting into the Trumpian way of writing here) – oh, who would have guessed – we nevertheless, see her sliming and sniveling her way to try to get some special deal. All I can add is, what the fuck happened to any remains of a spine or moral compass that she and Starmer might have possessed. FOCUS ON EUROPE AND FORGET THE US, FOR THEY’RE DAMNED SURE NOT INTERESTED IN US.
Today – after Kyiv has been hammered once again, with dead civilians everywhere – we’ll hear Trump and his cronies once again try to blame this on Zelenskyy and Ukraine, with not a bad word against Putin.
And let’s be absolutely clear here – Trump couldn’t give a flying fuck about how many ‘young men’ are getting killed on the front line every day (and certainly not civilians), despite constantly repeating that lie. What he wants is peace on any Russian terms because he thinks that’ll get him the Nobel Peace Prize. He covets this and he’s said as much. THAT’S HIS ENTIRE INTEREST IN PEACE.
This war went past the stage at which the talking should have stopped long ago. By now the supposed European allies of Ukraine should be providing a no fly vote over the country, as they did in the Balkans. To not do that – at the very least – is cowardise in the extreme. And forget what Putin threatens. If you want to know what Russians think of the rest of Europe – and the UK in particular – just spend an evening watching Julia Davis’s Russia Media Watch. So let’s stop appeasing Putin – and Trump – it’s got us nowhere in over three years, and it’s not going to get us anywhere with Trump for the next three.
Watch and be astounded: https://x.com/JuliaDavisNews
Much to agree with, and thanks
A while ago (after the Oval Office unpleasantness) it occurred to me that it would be fun to nominate Volodymyr Zelensky for the Nobel Peace Prize. Not only because he personally is worthy of such an honour, and also as the representative of his people, but because it would really piss off Trump.
I never got started because I have no idea how to go about it, the process seems to be opaque, unless you are a member of the Nobel committee (I am not). Any thoughts?
What deals, agreements, contracts, or even constitutions have been kept?
Why bother when the rule behind the rule is lawlessness pays?
It’s not wise or possible to do a deal where there is scant regard for the rule of law.
Mango-man & the assorted chimps that support him have erm… “no cards”.
The USMango has stopped arms supplies to Ukraine – the EU/UK is stepping into the breach.
Did you know 250 Columbians are fighting for Ukraine? ex-military, & another 2000 odd are possible – subject to funding.
(btw 100,000 Tonnes of Russian munitions went up in smoke the other day – which means more stuff from North Korea)
Mango & co talk about re-starting Nord-Stream 2 – but that is 100% in the gift of the European. Fact
The control of most Russian assets (Euro300bn?) is… in the hands of the Europeans Fact
Access to SWIFT………..in the hands of the Europeans. Fact
USMango – no-cards. Sad.
But the Euros are far too polite to say so.
One other thing: Ruzzia is now educating its next generation for war – nationalism and war is now part of the curriculm (the view from the Ministry of Defence btw).
Stopping the war now – will mean – inevitably – its re-start – with conditions more favourable to Ruzzia. This will, ipso-facto mean an attack on the Baltics + of course Ukraine – & turning Poland into a vassal state ditto much of Eastern Europe. 1950 Redux.
Within Ukraine, the political view is that the Ruzzian empire needs to be broken up.
This is a European war. It is time Europe recognised this and time Ruzzia was sorted out, once and for all.
Thanks
Mike
I’ve read Nixey.
‘Haven’t had such a good laugh in ages but the general thrust (oo-er missus!) of the book is horrific if not portentous. The parallels with Fascism, Neo-liberalism, reducto-absurdism – oh dear.
I can’t get over Thomas Hobbes observations on the abuse of language – words that maketh murder and all that. And to think, in the modern age (!!) we’ve ascribed such banal behaviours to communism and radical Islam when they are self-evidently everywhere in human history.
Thanks for recommendation.
Trump’s approach to ‘diplomacy’ (especially towards Gaza and Ukraine) seems to me to be no different to a slum landlord who harasses those occupiers who refuse to move out to enable him to sell the site for redevelopment.
I agree about describing the current U.S. administration as ‘thugs.
All Pete Hegseth has to do is don some spats, pick up a violin case and dark coat and a hat and he would look like a ‘wiseguy’ – the same with Vance and any number of Trump’s henchmen.
The British here are just trying to look after business because their rich friends and funders have insisted on it. They will be playing the long game and using our politicians for their benefit, picking up on ‘synergies’ and other areas of self interest – anything, as long as the money keeps rolling in. This is what a politics of the capital elite looks like.
1. I ask myself – is the UK one of the 60 countries lining up to, as King Donald would put it, “kiss my ass”? This question is obviously rhetorical.
2. Jeffrey Sachs clearly labels the USA as a rogue state. Why does the UK want to make a trade “deal” with a rogue state? The UK should be distancing itself from rogue states, not cosying up to them. Maintain basic levels of diplomacy – yes. Trade deals – no. The USA, under its current leadership, is untrustworthy. Trump has ripped up the trade deal he made with Canada and Mexico during his first term – I can recall him (at the time) boasting what a great deal he had negotiated, now he says Canada and Mexico have been taking advantage of the USA.
Rogue state. Rogue leader. Stay away.
Correct
Some argue that the U.S. has ALWAYS been a rogue state and I agree. Just reflect on what it has got up to over the years.
So, through that lens, all Starmer is doing is the usual. I’m sure that’s how they see it. An ex-empire siding with the new one.
I read William Blum’s book “Rogue state” in 2003…
And that was his third book, published in 2000, before 9-11 even!
The thuggery runs much deeper than the Deep State, and include Big Pharma and Big Food. In 2003 the profits of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies exceed that of the other 490 companies of the Fortune 500 combined.
I can not recommend more highly, the book:
“The War on Ivermectin: The Medicine That Saved Millions and Could Have Ended the Pandemic” (2023) Dr Pierre Kory. https://amzn.eu/d/2KGpGj1
Despite the title, it describes the utter corruption in an industry that puts profits before people. The book will change your view on the healthcare industry.
Now we know why the UK government is secretly moving to private healthcare, and it’s not for the benefit of the public, nor to save money.
I think the Labour government is still so keen on a trade deal with the US because they are the only other country as closely aligned with neoliberal doctrine. They still believe that it is all about markets and financial liberalism, and that they don’t need to govern strategically or morally because the market is just acting as it should. Don’t have access to the market? Sorry, you must not exist, even though councils are going bankrupt caring for your non-existent self. Labour is brainwashed. They also don’t care about Trump’s fascism, as fascism is just an inevitable stage of the neoliberal pipeline. What better market than a captive market? Millions of people for whom the law controls, but does not protect, ruled over by a handful of people whom the law protects, but does not control. Starmer is probably looking at Trump and seeing what he can get away with.
Reading MSNBC it’s clear that King Donald execution of the Heritage Foundation’s project first phase is nearly there.
The Federal Government is already gutted, staff leaving, funding stopped, beneficial consumer protection laws no longer enforced.
The IRS all but closed down. The rest of the world is to pay for the cost of the US national government.
The incompetent and chaos rules.
As the Colonel says, watch how the UK big money is backing the US and how UK politicos hope to move across into well paid roles in big money firms and to hell with the rest of the UK.
Will the UK public see full publication of any trade deal with the US? Very doubtful. Why? It will be too outrageously one sided.
Thank you John, including for the shout out.
Just before the UK election last year, the Heritage Foundation, part funded by the Koch family, hosted David Lammy and Stephen Kinnock in NYC and Washington. The Kochs met the pair.
The Foundation adapted the big pharma dominated Swiss model for Massachusetts under then governor Mitt Romney*. That became known as Romneycare. The Foundation then teamed up with Citigroup to adapt it nationwide under Obama, Obamacare. This is what Streeting wants to bring here.
As you can see, it’s a US capital issue, not just a Trump one.
Fun facts: Mitt Romney hails from Utah. He worked at Bain in Boston. At Bain, he became friends with a colleague called (again) Bibi Netanyahu. Netanyahu’s father taught in Pennsylvania. As a school boy in Pennsylvania, Netanyahu often went by the name John Sullivan and John O’Sulllivan.
For people who think that it’s a Trump, not American, matter: https://www.left-notes.com/p/democratic-party-class-dealignment and https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/10/how-democrats-killed-their-populist-soul/504710/.
Zone B / the global south is decoupling from the US. It does not matter who leads the US. Trump’s tariffs are one way of securing America’s sphere of influence. I don’t doubt that the Democrats / another president had other tactics, but would pursue the same aim.
I cannot understand why Rachel from the office still wants to do a deal with the US? She is clueless/lacks moral fibre/a supporter of Trump. Probably all three!
I subscribe to The Meidas Touch on Substack. This morning they had a guest writer, a certain Michael Cohen, who used to be Trump’s Personal Attorney.
https://www.meidasplus.com/p/democracy-dies-with-the-first-amendment
I was sufficiently intrigued to look up Cohen’s book on Amazon. I read the first chapter, available free, and was hooked! The second chapter is available too, but I didn’t read it as had already decided to buy the book. The stories he tells are mind blowing – though possible not since we know what Trump is like. Rolls eyes!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Disloyal-Memoir-Personal-Attorney-President/dp/B08HND655V/