countries I have in mind are most of the EU, east Asian and south American multiparty democracies, our neighbors Canada and Mexico.

As I see it, these countries share with the US more than with other countries, like African, central Asian or south Asian countries, where liberal democracy and its practice only exists on paper. Up to now, we shared common values like the rule of law, free markets, freedom of the press, political liberalism, atlanticism for our security, our trust in science, institutions and facts… The US was an ally, an indispensable one you might add, even a benign one in some circles.

Now this ally has turned to a bully in an incredibly short period of time: in less than a week trump has started bullying Denmark so they sell Greenland to the US, threatened about taking the Panama channel back, also threatened most of America’s trade partners with tariffs if they don’t do what he wants, pausing aid to Ukraine, in effect condemning that country to be absorbed by Russia within the next 2 years, he even wants an American flag on Mars… what for?

I don’t see why he thinks our trade partners wont also raise their tariffs to our stuff if we do so. What I also don’t understand is why he blames the victim (Ukraine) and cozies up to putin. Not even Reagan would have done something like that.

Autocrats in the world are sure having a good time watching our disunity work to their favor.

I wonder what’s going to replace the post WW2 and post cold war order, now that liberal democracy is being so successfully attacked from the maga right and people trust more what they read on their ecochamber than what centrist, established media report (I’m not saying that the Washington Post, NPR or the LA Times are neutral, but are more neutral that fox ‘news’ or 'news’max).

  • T00l_shed@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    I am skeptical of that last bit. They mental gymnastics things all the time, I’m sure this would be no exception.

    • vastard@lemmynsfw.com
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      2 days ago

      Fair assumption. In this fictional scenario I think there would for sure be a Q-Anon style contingent who would believe the world leaders colluded with some kind of audio deep fake.

      I believe most republicans crave power at all costs and they want their team to keep winning. They will tolerate a cheater and a criminal that gets results but they will not abide a pathetic loser that makes them all look small by association.