It’s really hard to think how this could’ve possibly gone worse. The whole thing started with Zelensky’s offhand suggestion of trading Ukrainian minerals for US aid which backfired catastrophically. Trump, ever the opportunist, seized on the proposal like a shark scenting blood. He initially framed it as Ukraine having to hand over minerals for future support, which he quickly turned into a demand for repayment of the $300 billion already spent, retroactively recasting aid as a loan.
By floating the minerals idea, Zelensky handed Trump a rhetorical weapon that let Trump box Ukraine into a lose-lose scenario of either surrendering resources or admitting to owing an unpayable debt. Zelensky got accustomed to Biden’s blank-check diplomacy, and completely misread the room here. Now, Trump has the perfect excuse to cut Ukraine loose. He will say that Zelensky lied about his willingness to make a deal, that he doesn’t appreciate US support, and that he was belligerent. The whole thing is an absolute debacle for Ukraine.
The US according to Powell can’t maintain this level of debt. Interest rates are high because nobody wants to buy US bonds, and you’ve got talk of BRICS ending trading oil in USD altogether. Its not like its just borrowed and the US has no repercussions, this is all future austerity.
If the status of the dollar collapses a reserve currency then the US will absolutely be in trouble. I think it’s going to be a little while yet before that happens, but I do agree we’re starting to see some initial signs of the process starting.
I’ve heard someone speculate he will remove tariffs if other country buy 100 year US bonds. This seems kind of plausible.
lol yeah that’s totally on brand
It was like a scripted show for everyone except Zelensky. Zelensky was railroaded and talked over. Belittled. This was an embarrassment for the US and humanity as a whole. It shouldnt have been televised. What a sad shit show.
Yeah I feel really bad for the guy.
I have even more admiration for Zelenskyy after that. He kept his cool through their childish bullying, while respectfully maintaining his stance. His commitment to his people over his own ego made him the only adult in the Oval Office today.
This was humiliating for Americans. I would’ve been less embarrassed had JD started fucking the Oval Office furniture. Every member of Congress that stands behind this is complicit.
You shouldn’t treat politics as parasocial celebrity drama
You mean when Trump said it “would make great television?”
What a weird moment of pure media spectacle by two TV-actor-cum-presidents.
I hate being american right now
well this is how we feel about americans in the rest of the world, for a lot of decades now.
You must not been paying attention your whole life then
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Majority of people who voted. That is not the same as the majority of eligible voters nor is it anywhere near same as the majority of Americans.
Also, if it were a Dem Pres, we’d have more or less the same outcome just less crass and with more political theater/obfuscation.
What do you think life will be like for the rest of the world if USA, China and maybe Russia are all allies?
Ending the war is good for all of you/us, I promise. Team Russophibia/Ukraine without US on board will end up worse than when US was setting you up on the team. At any rate, making better friends than Ukraine helps dealing with US.
“Time to end the war 1!!1!”
Said by brain dead comments that don’t inlcude what that means.
I know what continuing the war means: more Ukrainian casualties and more Ukrainian territory lost.
Trump surrendered to Russia on Ukraine’s behalf, that’s not the same as “ending the war”.
Exactly. I see i was downvoted, but my intent was that stopping the war now means stopping the war on Russias terms, which is not right.
And at what point will it be right? Ukraine is inevitably going to lose this war, prolonging the war only worsens the peace terms for Ukraine, this is pretty much a textbook sunken cost fallacy.
Spoilt westerners really do think it’s just a tv show made for their entertainment and that real lives aren’t on the line. “Isn’t right”, fucking hell, grow up.
You’re right. Ukraine will take Moscow any day now and then they can force Russia to surrender on their terms. They definitely won’t just lose more ukrainian lives and territory.
One could say it is not “far right”
That’s what they’ve been saying since 2014
