And now we have indisputable signs that Trump wants to put distance between the US and Europe (he wants to do lots of other unsavoury things as well, but let’s keep it simple for now.) The old post-1945 security connection between the two is seriously under threat and might soon be a thing of the past.
One result of this is that the British Prime Minister has now undertaken to increase defence spending and says that it will be funded by a reduction in international aid. Just when the world seems to have entered a phase in which the common humanity of people everywhere is recognised – and the rich and powerful undertake to help the poor and vulnerable – it is being thrown out of the window. Mr Starmer justifies this – and it does have logic to commend it – by saying ‘the British people must come first.’ But isn’t there an unholy whiff here of ‘America first’ and ‘Germany first’ and ‘Italy first’? It seems that the fires of dangerous nationalism are being stoked in the whole western world by Trump’s complete disregard for humanitarian values.
But let’s accept for the moment that this is simply a major shift in the prevailing political wind. Increasing defence spending to build up and train an increased military profile will take several years to make a substantial difference. So what happens if Trump’s new best buddy Putin decides to start reviving the Soviet bloc by invading one or all of the Baltic States next week and Trump says ‘Tough’? That would certainly test America’s commitment to NATO, wouldn’t it? Might we then witness what would effectively be the start of WWIII, and might it lead to America (and presumably China) remaining aloof and picking the best bones off the battlefield? (That’s as long as the losers don’t unleash the N word, of course.)
Is this Trump’s big stratagem? Is Trump capable of thinking that far ahead? Or is it all just me giving vent to wild fantasies again? I certainly hope so.
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