This is a crucial point that I’ve been pondering too: “Musk-Trump are creating the bloodily moronic situation in which the United States will have to fight wars to get the things that, just a few weeks ago, were there for the asking.” I hope it’s becoming clearer by the day to everyone that… - ThreadSky

popovaprof.bsky.social • 16 days ago

This is a crucial point that I’ve been pondering too: “Musk-Trump are creating the bloodily moronic situation in which the United States will have to fight wars to get the things that, just a few weeks ago, were there for the asking.”
I hope it’s becoming clearer by the day to everyone that…

Reposted from Anne Applebaum

This, from Timothy Snyder, is definitive, on Greenland open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p...

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daniel22223333.bsky.social•15 days ago

Well, it's moronic in terms of achieving actual objectives. But it's sensible in a political context: pick a weaker ally, who is unlikely to forcefully respond, and bully them on an int'l stage, then gloat about how tough you are. If you think of this Admin like a schoolyard bully, things make sense

popovaprof.bsky.social•16 days ago

There is a humongous and viscerally felt difference between voluntary pooling of sovereignty in alliances/orgs (NATO, EU, NAFTA) and involuntary constraints on sovereignty through vassalization by hostile actors like Ru (Warsaw Pact, CSTO, CIS).

The US is slowly turning into Ru before our eyes.

causerie.bsky.social•16 days ago

Prof. Snyder still calls it “senseless.” At what point do we start to seriously consider that this is not mere senselessness, but something much darker? If Trump and co. were actually doing Putin’s bidding, how different would it look?

popovaprof.bsky.social•16 days ago

Good point. It might be more sinister than senseless

causerie.bsky.social•16 days ago

I’m honestly not one to jump to that conclusion and have been struggling against it, but nothing else makes much sense. And there are far too many people involved with far too much history with Russia for senselessness to be the answer.

goilmo.bsky.social•15 days ago

Mark Galeotti has a plausible scenario
https://bsky.app/profile/markgaleotti.bsky.social/post/3lllcympcl22k

andi-mar.bsky.social•16 days ago

I genuinely think that while the Russians spooks have gotten to him since the 80s, the current situation is more about a deep and real alignment of values between Trump, his administration, and Putinist Russia.

He wants to be the same kind of guy. And to have the same kind of country.

causerie.bsky.social•16 days ago

That’s certainly a plausible alternative argument. In that world an alliance with Russia itself is not out of the question.

popovaprof.bsky.social•16 days ago

That’s my hunch too

andi-mar.bsky.social•16 days ago

There's no place for an alliance like NATO in that world. Only a subservient bunch of vassals like the Warsaw pact.

murieston.bsky.social•16 days ago

"slowly" Far too fast for my liking.

popovaprof.bsky.social•16 days ago

ETA: I say slowly only because Ru is still orders of magnitude worse both internationally and domestically. But the US transformation is too quick for comfort, truly.

porcupunk.bsky.social•16 days ago

RU or Soviet Union? Sincere question as I see parallels to the latter.

popovaprof.bsky.social•16 days ago

There’s parallels to both, tbh

porcupunk.bsky.social•16 days ago

Agreed. I see late 90s / early 00s AND 34-38 brewing and 70s and 80s as almost their goal.

samspade1941.bsky.social•16 days ago

RU, Soviet Union, Imperial Russia.

It's a hybrid of all three, imho.

porcupunk.bsky.social•16 days ago

Like I never thought that Putin is trying to rebuild the Soviet Union. He is trying to rebuild the Romanovs empire and he is not really shy about that.

porcupunk.bsky.social•16 days ago

I'm incredibly biased but I don't actually think that there are any relevant differences between the three but since most people don't I try to be specific and "historically" accurate.

samspade1941.bsky.social•16 days ago

Creeping authoritarianism.

Russia planted the seeds decades ago.

They're successfully germinating in the present.

smteacsmo.bsky.social•16 days ago

Not slowly: quickly.

burgesskr.bsky.social•16 days ago

Slowly?

jonasgus.bsky.social•16 days ago

Totally agree on main point. But slowly?!? Come on. From Biden to where we are now... That's anything but slow.

mrhappyonbsky.bsky.social•16 days ago

Only Orbán manages to stay in such a voluntary org (EU) while simultaneously pretending he is forced to be a vassal of Brussels (PiS in Poland managed as well)

popovaprof.bsky.social•16 days ago

He claims it but I doubt he believes it. He old enough to know it’s absolutely not the same

popovaprof.bsky.social•16 days ago

*He’s

mrhappyonbsky.bsky.social•16 days ago

Yes there was/is this absolutely fascinating YoungOrban account on X which collects speeches from early Orbán when he spoke out against racism, against russia. It's crazy how he turned 180°

popovaprof.bsky.social•16 days ago

Indeed

flannelforever.bsky.social•16 days ago

Turning into Russia without the possibility of offering citizens access to free basic healthcare services like Russia's Obligatory Medical Insurance (OMI) program. Because socialism.

mrhappyonbsky.bsky.social•16 days ago

well, I mean, russia may have that on paper. Reality in russia differs a *lot* from what they have on paper

mrhappyonbsky.bsky.social•16 days ago

for starters you may be forced to die in Ukraine without proper training and also risk catching tuberculosis there without being treated. etc etc

flannelforever.bsky.social•16 days ago

No doubt. True for everything Russian.

artemidorus.bsky.social•16 days ago

"vassalization by hostile actor" - the history of russia, or Muscovy. Really picked up pace with Peter.

kjseamus.bsky.social•15 days ago

I hate listening to JD. The latest blather about Greenland is mind shredding. If anyone was going to attack Greenland, we (US) are SUPPOSED to protect them. The whole NATO of it all. We had over 15 bases there at one point. This is unnecessary dementia leadership.

needmoresleep19.bsky.social•15 days ago

Trump and Vance are seeking to invade Greenland......to help Russia!!!

13bullits.bsky.social•16 days ago

We see them creating so much problems, internally and on the international stage, if they win fine, if they break it also perfect, bc now they can redirect all these anger towards invading another country to distract.

dbluestone.bsky.social•16 days ago

Well said.

As if we couldn’t have worked with Denmark before. But if it doesn’t get ratings, who cares. 😑

smigman.bsky.social•16 days ago

Trump excuse for wanting greenland is to have a partnership. We already have one, and he's ruining it.

evahyldgaard.bsky.social•16 days ago

https://bsky.app/profile/lars-loekke.bsky.social/post/3llhyj2hwgk22

ms-maya-b.bsky.social•16 days ago

the last line is the whole of it.
rightfully.

popovaprof.bsky.social•16 days ago

It must be becoming harder each day to keep calling the Americans "dear friends" while the admin behaves this way

evahyldgaard.bsky.social•16 days ago

He’s a professional😅

popovaprof.bsky.social•16 days ago

💯

thelastboyscout.bsky.social•16 days ago

These guys were not elected because they were smart, they were elected because people have been brainwashed by @foxnews.com.web.brid.gy to believe that the government is evil and must be destroyed. We are being hacked.

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