Alternately, the Trump administration has now made large swathes of its domestic political agenda dependent on the domestic political stability of El Salvador - ThreadSky

aphclarkson.bsky.social • 2 days ago

Alternately, the Trump administration has now made large swathes of its domestic political agenda dependent on the domestic political stability of El Salvador

Reposted from Josh Marshall

More serious point abt today's White House event. Bukele is actively and publicly conspiring to violate American domestic law and orders of American courts. Trump won't be in power forever. The next Democratic administration won't be like the last one.

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aphclarkson.bsky.social•2 days ago

If Bukele faces serious domestic instability (most authoritarian regimes do at some point), then Trump will have strong incentives to intervene militarily to save an autocrat who is becoming systemically crucial to the MAGAfication of the US government

aphclarkson.bsky.social•2 days ago

The more things change, the more....

mikepjones1.bsky.social•2 days ago

Are there plausible substitute regimes which would be willing to provide equivalent services? (Unlike trade, I don’t think distance would be a dealbreaker. I don’t believe in the gravity theory of concentration camps🤷‍♂️)

aphclarkson.bsky.social•1 day ago

Don't think anyone is as seamlessly aligned with MAGA as Bukele.

mikepjones1.bsky.social•1 day ago

Interesting, thank you.

I’d imagined there were a few who could be persuaded if given a big enough payoff.

mbdrapier.bsky.social•1 day ago

There would also be the problem of keeping Trump prisoners already in El Salvador from gaining freedom.

mikepjones1.bsky.social•1 day ago

I don’t think he’d care.

This is about performative cruelty, not law enforcement.

aslak.bsky.social•2 days ago

Trump administration policy and Bukele's behaviour both appalling in this respect, but the line of argument a lot of the US left is pushing now that El Salvador is a small country that the US should be able to push around is also not great

ohmydays.bsky.social•2 days ago

Sometimes coups are good actually

beechandelm.bsky.social•1 day ago

US foreign policy has oft involved a thug with a gun on behalf of the US govt saying, "We want X, Y. You will build 500 MW generation capacity. Understand." One has no idea how complicit a foreign government is - if under threat.
Of course not saying this is the case - just demonstrable US history.

ianford.bsky.social•1 day ago

Similar to the power Rwanda had over the various Tory govts who had gone all-in on presenting Kagame as the solution to all their problems.

mikepjones1.bsky.social•2 days ago

I can’t see how this could ever lead to unintended consequences, can you?

grannyshere.bsky.social•1 day ago

It's cute how you think there will be another election.

melissahbuckner.bsky.social•2 days ago

Remember Otto Warmbier. Mr. Garcia better be alive and healthy.

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