Mr. Trump took his one man show to Europe last week and it got bad, bad, reviews.He is toxic and unable to cooperate.People are leaving his administration in droves because they cannot tolerate his chaotic behavior.He is anathema to everything American and does not represent to the world what Americans want.Wait if you can, friends and allies until Americans go to the polls in November and elect citizens who reflect our values.Please do not judge us by this oddity in the White House.
4
If the US placed a priority on feeding and employing ALL its citizens at a living wage and reasonable quality of life instead of exporting violence around the world, the rest of the world could reduce its military spending.
2
Because if the US had universal health care, China and Russia would behave differently?
1
France can certainly defend themselves.
However, they can't really defend anyone else or maintain freedom of navigation of the seas.
Comes back to what does Europe believe its role in the world is going forward?
1
No, the US would be a happier, healthier place. Its citizens might then have enough self confidence to feel the US does not have to spend so much on its military might to co-exist with China and Russia, and the China and Russia would then feel comfortable reducing their military expenses..
1
Trump has been very clear in the past - he prefers to deal with countries one-to-one, because then the US has the power advantage. So his goal is the same as that of Putin - divide and conquer.
1
NATO was formed to confront a common enemy in the Soviet Union. Now the European members are faced with another belligerent adversary who threatens democracy and undermines the international order. I hope that they will again rise to the occasion and counteract Trump’s scheme to upend the alliance.
3
European union is breaking into pieces and it will implode as USSR. Italy is following great Britain and Britain will probably be disintegrated into pieces. EU can blame Trump all they want but there problem lies within bloody European hegemony. Companies are finding it easy to work with corrupt asian economies than chaotic EU regulations. Trump is just showing the mirror to fascist Europe, people in Europe can move easily yet there are cultural segregations that are beyond repairable. No nation should expect to be defended by another nation when they lack any courage. Russia annexed Crimea, shot down passenger aircraft and created migrant crisis of unknown precedents and yet they all are happily playing FIFA in Russia. EU is just a spineless farce of little countries and Trump is rightfully showing them their place in history.
1
I can't help but think that Trump--with his lack of knowledge of history, culture, government, international relations, et. al.--must be getting his "divide and conquer" playbook from the master himself: Vladimir Putin. Are they talking privately? Can that be found out?
1
Very naive and myopic. The alliance with Europe has been mutually beneficial and only aided America both militarily but financially and economically. We are much better off with a strong Europe, NATO and the EU. Why do you think we formulated NATO to begin with. There is nothing mutually beneficial to be had with Russia. We don't need their natural gas or petroleum, it seems the only other thing they export are skinny porn stars and computer malware. Our economic trade with Europe is beneficial and lucrative for American markets as well as European markets. Read the article carefully. It does a good job in debunking the narrative that our relationship with western Europe is only one sided that is the current meme of Trump and his supporters. Fox news will not provide you with the facts you need to understand this. Broaden your horizons.
1
"...strategy: to [a] undercut European solidarity in NATO and the European Union so [b] the United States can exercise its economic and military power to shape relations with individual countries, just as China and Russia.
[a] is obvious.
[b] is not
Rather Trump seeks to divide so [c] Russia can conquer the EU. He is a Russian asset.
Why?--because Russians own him and tip him. His aim is to be a Russian oligarch.
He hopes the US withdrawal from NATO will be succeeded by the Putin/Trump thugocracy. Hitler was his idol.
But in this scenario Trump is not Hitler but Marshal Philippe Pétain; and the USA is Vichy France--Hitler's puppet.
1
This is actually a pretty balanced article which is not easy to come by these days.
Indeed, Europe is not clear on their purpose/role in the world and have benefitted greatly from living under an American umbrella. It is indeed time for a clarity of purpose to develop.
It is also clear Europe is a beneficial partner for the US and should be treated with care and respect even if some of the messages being delivered are difficult.
2
So an important meeting will take place between two world leaders. All the difficult issues facing the world will be discussed. Other senior officials from each government will be present and the summary of what was discussed will be made public to the world. Steps will be in place to implement the decisions. That meeting is today. The French are proud of Macron's skills, intelligence and diplomacy. And then we will have Monday...
1
The most annoying part of this is the assumption that the current level of defense spending must be maintained. I vigorously reject this idea especially when our elected leaders are so reckless with the use of our military as was GWB, Rumsfeld, Cheney and the rest. Thank God Trump hasn’t played that card yet. Time will tell.
6
Ah! Sarcastically speaking, Europe’s security dependence is so obvious that France makes the US pay for the maintenance of its nuclear arsenal and carrier submarines. Now, the US becoming an enemy because of its lousy electorate ain't funny at all.
Its too bad we cannot just ignore him. Come November things are going to change, and not in a good way for Corporal Bonespurs.
2
Whoever the Democratic candidate is in 2020 had better be very smart, likable and cool as well as qualified to lead a very mixed up country.
5
It took time, but the Europeans (and others, including China and Russia) have finally figured him out. Trump is not just behaving as a Man-Child. He is trying to dismantle multi-laterism. He believes (accurately, I think) that the US needs to use its ultra super power status to extract financial deals from other (individual) countries. Why would a General Contractor want to negotiate with a Union of plumbers when he can pick off individual plumbers with ease?
The problem, of course, is that it is a uni-dimensional view of the world .. one based on one-off financial deals. What happens on other dimensions (such as fighting terrorism or nukes or chemical weapons or disease or environmental damage or human trafficking or genocide)?
There are much better (and hugely less damaging) ways of achieving his goals that do not create chaos, hurt our long term credibility and severely damage our ability to influence world events into the future.
5
You nailed it. He is all about money. His strategies are rooted in the seamy world of NYC real estate development. It is the only thing he knows.
1
Who's the outlier here?
US GDP:$19.4 trillion
EU GDP: $15 trillion
China GDP: 12.5 trillion
Japan GDP: 4.8 trillion
... (India, Brazil)
Russia GDP: 1.6 trillion
EU defense spending is about $240 billion. The US spends $600 billion. China about $220 billion. Russia? 65 billion.
Americans simply haven't grasped the fact that the Russian leadership is desperate for an alliance with the United States. Russia is politically, economically, and security-wise caught between a strong EU and a strong China. It has ceded an enormous amount of real estate to the EU, and is in the process of ceding central Asia (all of the "stans") to Chinese influence. And it doesn't have the heft to turn around either situation.
So it's embarked on this haphazard project of manipulating the Republican Party, while doing what it can to harass, delay, and confuse the development of the EU. It's benefited from the Middle East (and African) chaos and surge in migration to Europe. It has also watched closely the apparent US over-reaction to North Korea, and the likelihood that the US will ultimately blame China for using NK to disrupt US relations with SK and Japan. It's clear to me that both the Chinese and the EU (admittedly divided) leadership understand these Russian moves. It's less clear to me how the American leadership actually sees its path forward, particularly in its concern over a rising China.
Do Americans want a Russian alliance, and if so, on what terms, for what purpose, and what cost?
24
If the US would be as strong as Trump claims, why is he acting as if he is trying to turn the table on a lost game?
1
because the US has been using a self distructive game plan
The lost game may be quantitative easening in need of replacement with some real taxes to fund deficits? This trade war approach feels a bit like indirect taxation through higher prices for goods in the end.
Trump's supporters brag about Trump's accomplishments like rolling back environment rules, his tax cut for the rich. They are very proud of him. I believe this is nothing compare to Putin's dream come true that never stop giving. Today, with the indictment of 12 high ranking Putin's agent we can start to see why Trump is head over feet with Putin. I hope that the seriousness of the situation will evoke some coherent response from the GOP. Unfortunately, the probabilities are not favorable...
7
Let them think as they may. The US has spent long enough spending money on Europe while Europe engages in socialism at our expense. Europeans, It is time to pay the piper and stop accusing the hand that feeds you. America never asked for your wars and all we have received in return are a few patches of land where we buried our dead.
3
Is it not more sensible to reduce military spending in the US down to something like 1.75% and improve your social welfare instead? The EU already has the largest military budget in the world after the US, and if we work effectively together there is no credible threat against us, even after such significant cuts in US military expenses.
12
Hey it's not a one way street you know. America fought for a free Europe for a reason - if Europe is not free neither will America be free. We are social cultural mirrors of one another.
Meanwhile, it speaks of a lack of education and experience when Americans denounce European "socialism" - like you are doing - I know you suffered great trauma during the cold war about communism and all, but that's just not what we are about. However, in the European "awakening" we have realized that there should be a certain universal social contract of mutual responsibility between the state and the citizen including first and foremost free education and universal health care. That is probably the greatest social political achiement in human history and I can only feel sorry for the fools who don't recognize that.
11
Thank you, Mr. Erlanger, for an excellent analysis. It's far past time for Americans to stop standing around with our jaws dropped, shocked and astounded at Trump's latest outrageous behavior. It's time to understand that he simply wants to smash the world order and our country, either for the reasons stated in this article or simply because, if you knock everyone else down, you're the last man standing. We really don't need to know more than that. Trump wants to hurt you, me, and everyone else, and we need to oppose his every attack.
12
There is the stuff that “the smart people” think. Examples of “smart people” would be university professors and politicians like Barack Obama.
Trump is “way, way smarter” than those people, and so he just looks at the stuff those people like (health care, mass transportation, progressive taxation, gun control, free trade, et cetera), and he suggests the opposite.
He is the smartest guy around, so obviously he is right.
2
Recommend allies consider disengagement from Trump— a hopeless narcissist— and engagement with sympathetic leaders in America— business leaders, Secretary James Mattis, Secretary Mike Pompeo, Senate and House leaders, Think Tanks. The Republican House and Senate just rebuked Trump with all-but unanimous resolutions to reaffirm NATO. This depth of leadership is where continuity, stability and careful strategic analysis lie in America. The narcissist in chief has a low attention span; can‘t be bothered with details; he lies or is simply plainly wrong; and much more can be done with American depth of leadership in Trump‘s absence. Much less painful; the room will smell much better without Trump in it; and much can be accomplished in Trump’s absence. Europe and Japan have little to lose with this approach, and we may hope for a Democratic win in the fall, which would weaken the Narcissist and strengthen the hand of our allies.
6
According to NATO figures, spending by these nations didn't soar under the Obama administration.
1
Until this country gets a demonstrably saner congress and president, I urge our European allies to strengthen their interdependence and stand firm again this bully/would-be tyrant as you would against any other. With luck (and with reawakened active political participation by Americans to the center and "left"), electoral hacking, dark money and gerrymandering will be overwhelmed and sanity and honesty will begin to be restored in November. It's going to be a long slog; please, Europe, don't give up on the majority of us.
11
Our nation's president has disgraced America by his treatment of this country's allies. I never thought the day would come, but judged by Trump's actions and words, it is looking increasingly like Putin has placed a Russian agent in the White House.
6
TrumPutin 2020
Just sayin
Over 3,251 trump LIES in 17 months (not including the latest whopper lies from his UK visit). Tweets away for the debased base.
1
The EU and other European countries need to stay strong against Trump and for now America. We need their military bases more than they need us. We need their markets; it's not a one way street. The short term hurt is worth waiting until saner times return. One must stand up to the bully and call him out on his boorish ways.
8
Appeasement will not work, it never has. It only further encourages the bad behaviour of the bully. A unified response in banking, and especially with respect to Trump's businesses--which is mainly what he cares about--would put some pressure back on him. Find out how and why he needs anything from Europe, then withdraw from those. What does he need, personally for his businesses, from Europe? He's a real-estate developer and that field is filled with money laundering because it is one of the least regulated industries in the world. It is full of secret deals, hidden investors, corrupt contractors, kickbacks to politicians, phoney billing and tax avoidance. Go after that--mainly via Deutchebank and Russian money. If the Americans won't put him in the docket, where he ought to be, then perhaps the Europeans can.
7
I believe Mr. Kornblum said it correctly and diplomatically: "The European nations’ great accomplishments — continental peace and social welfare — have led them “to become self-righteous in their pride about them, but in reality these steps forward were only possible within an American bubble.”
The issue is that the Marshall Plan has been over for a long time, but previous administrations continued to support trade policies with the EU that are not beneficial to the US blue collar middle class. I used to provide consulting services to manufacturers in the Rust Belt and now the Rust Belt is hollowed out. The blue collar workers who do not want to be retrained in AI, but just want a decent paying job with good benefits (i.e., like they use to have). We have negotiated their jobs away under the guise of Free Trade (i.e., not necessarily Fair Trade). Why is it that the Canadians and Europeans can afford to keep their steel mills open, while our mills are either closed or downsizing.
4
What about outsourcing by U.S. corporations? Surely there's plentiful evidence that's hurt America along with H1-B Visas.
1
As you probably know to improve on its Trump Campaign strategy, Cambridge Analytica teamed up with Leave.EU, the largest UK group advocating for Brexit to help them communicate with UK voters. CA claims, "We have already helped supercharge Leave.EU's social media campaign by ensuring the RIGHT messages are getting to the RIGHT voters online...." CA boasts "whether you are trying to reach out to a voter, change hearts and minds about Britain's EU membership, or move product, the more you know about your target audience, the better you will be able to engage, persuade, and motivate them to act." The Russians also had a hand in Brexit: "Russian bid to influence Brexit vote detailed in new US Senate report" - UK political system vulnerable to anti-democratic meddling via social media and ‘possibly illicit’ campaign funding, report says. Now if they'd only spend as much time to protect and secure our voting, funding, and social media systems against cybersecurity and manipulation.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/10/russian-influence-brexit-v...
https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/big-data-better-donald-trump/1383025
2
"The blue collar workers who do not want to be retrained in AI, but just want a decent paying job with good benefits (i.e., like they use to have)."
The world has changed, as have the industries of the past. Decent paying jobs with good benefits often require a different skill set and perhaps some training. Adapt or wither.
1
As part of their self defense against Trump, the EU might consider an alternative banking system so they are not dependent on US banks. Trump's goal of reinstating sanctions against Iran depends, apparently, on the threat that American banks will be withdrawn as a stable source of funds used in international trade. Even now American Tbills are seen as a safe haven for overseas funds. But remember, Trump has said he would favor a default on those bills, relying on his own bankruptcy history. The Times has run several articles on Bitcoin use, the most recent involving Russia's interference with US elections. If Europe can develop a stable investment bank, perhaps based on completely alternative currencies, then it can avoid dependence on the US and tell Trump he will be bankrupt in the world markets. Perhaps bad for the US, and certainly a result Trump has never considered.
5
That is exactly what the Euro was invented to be.
2
and it failed in that task. just ask Italy and Greece
Maybe the US doesn’t need Europe since the US spends more on defense thsn the next 7 countries combined. The US has wanted it this way since the end of WW2. The US practically forbid either Japan and Germany from having a military.
So why do we spend so much on our military? Is it payoff for significant campaign contributions? Is it about high paying jobs in the weapons business. Given military turnover, our debt to military retirees for medical care, retirement and disability takes up at least 25% of the military budget. This is just one more hidden cost of the Vietnam and Iraq wars.
And China sits back while raking in the money, holding lots of US debt and the US seems to be getting weaker because no country can trust Trump. I think China and Russia both know that the US is led by someone who is not right in the head. Trump trusts Putin more than any other foreign leader. Trump is oblivious to the fact that Putin does not want the US to do well and Trump’s gullibility makes the downfall of the US all the easier. Hard to believe that Trump has made America weaker because of his weaknesses. MAGA is a lie.
23
Trump likes to bend people to his will. Once he thinks he has done this by their flattery, he acts nicely nicely.
That he trusts Putin demonstrates his true nature. Traitor.
19
It is becoming clearer that Trump is following no larger grand strategy sourced from within American foreign or military policy circles, but from the Kremlin. He has only spoken of pieces of his approach to Europe - getting NATO to spend more, trade imbalances, a friendlier approach to Russia.
Its only when you put together all these pieces and the Kremlin's attack on the US election system that you can see that Trump is so much an American president, but a Russian operational asset hiding in plain view behind the powers of his office.
9
Enough is enough. Time for Europe to act.
Stop buying US weapons on security grounds. Stop subsidising the 150 US bases in Europe. Spend that money on your own troops.
Crack down on the tax evasion of the US service industry and prepare for a trade war in conjunction with China and Japan.
Once the Muller report is out, extend the current sanctions against Russia and include all Trump companies and associates.
Start working with the US States on climate change, investment and trade. Engage with Congress. Ignore the White House.
72
Excellent and practical list, Holger.
We consistently try to explain Trump's words and actions as if he was an ordinary person who says what he means, means what he says, has a thought out goal in speaking to us and is capable of learning from others and from his own experience. In fact he is none of these things. Yes, he's ignorant of history, of the history of the complicated relationships between the U.S. and Europe and between European countries themselves, and of the ordinary niceties of diplomacy let alone of polite behavior.
Trump is a psychologically and developmentally stunted person, completely unable to empathize with other people and with himself. He blurts out whatever appears in his childlike mind without the ability to notice the effect his words have on others. He will say one thing one moment and the next moment completely contradict himself.
He cares only about being noticed, being liked in the most primitive sense and being agreed with.
He is dangerous in the same way a bull in a china shop would be dangerous. We don't blame the bull for behaving like a bull. We should blame ourselves for putting him in a job for which he is so woefully unsuited.
51
Molotov-Ribbentrop redux
10
Could not escape the photos of the Queen standing glumly between Donald and Melania today. They don't pay her enough, really.
31
Amen
'Divide and Conquer', that's Trump alright, but to no end, which makes it maliciously destructive. Normally, a child stops seeing the world as circling around him the first few years of his life; but not so with Trump, who stopping growing mentally by the age of 12 or 13, and remains self-centered to this day, unscrupulous to no end. Having been elected president, don't you think we need our heads examined, and figure out what went so awfully wrong, choosing such a cruel misfit...and expect sanity?
17
It is Putin's strategy to divide and conquer.
The grifter is merely a tool.
23
Excellent article. Excellent reporting. In better terms he has taking a mobster-like approach to foreign policy. He is in bold and every time no one calls him out or stands up to him. It is also an amplified gun rights approach that is global. If he increases everyone else’s defense spending that’s good for the
armament industry. So we are all being jacked up by the Trump mob for all the money in our pocket and we run out and get more weapons to fight off this enemy. We justify increasing defense spending under the guise of national security and warding off threats. And “bad guy“ never materializes but we are paranoid about one another and suspicious. His strategy is death threats from the mob and paranoia about your friends.
Please keep digging further into this strategy. He is not an idiot. He is quite a very sly fox.
23
Yes. Similar to Putin’s
3
The strategy European leaders must take is clear: punish all the Trump enablers, starting with the Koch brothers, Murphy's and Mercer's ecomonically. Treat them like the enemies they are. Seize their assets where you can, boycott them, prosecute them, tax them, put tariffs on them. Destroy this evil.
11
Yes, indeed, as do I. But I think it may be more than Trump's insatiable need for unilateral control over all things Europe. This man is most probably being controlled by Russia. He is the perfect puppet...weak, egotistical, power hungry himself, dishonest, and culpable. I still contend that Putin has something or somethings on Trump...most likely financial with a "nod" perhaps to his sexual prowess. This soon-to-be "summit" will be telling. True, we will not hear anything from Trump's mouth if he gives in to Putin's craving for global dominance. But we can be assured that any ceding of our sovereignty will be blasted loudly and clearly by the Russian media. Indeed the world is Trump's stage, but his presidency mimics a Shakespearian tragedy.
16
If anyone thinks Trump has any strategy to his buffoonery they are mistaken. He has no knowledge of history, has never studied any of the subjects in which he is now immersed. Like Boris Johnson he lied his way into a position of power, never expecting to win, and is simply trying to make good on his foolish promises. He has no idea what he is doing.
9
Just like America Europe must be willing and confident in their beliefs and just wait this bully out. In the meantime Americans will eject the Republicans in November.
3
I guess Europe gives Trump more credit than I do, they think he is capable of a "strategy". What I see is a bully - and what is worse - a bully towards our allies. I can not even imagine the amount of time it is going to take to repair the global damage he has done.
11
Everything Trump does is in complete alignment with Purin's goals for the U.S. and the West.
6
Trump is right in that Germany has a shamefully underequipped and undertrained military together with an enormous trade surplus. Somehow, it has been free riding NATO, mainly at the expense of the French. Somebody had to say it. I wish it had been Obama.
7
The common 'free riding NATO' argument is funny as long as Kai doesn't tell to us all where to ride. Shall NATO defend against, or attack, Russia, or whom, and for which scope?
If you have no common foe you need no common defense mechanism.
In addition, this 2% commitment is easy to commit but difficult to implement by politicians ("Pedro Sánchez, Spain’s new Socialist prime minister, outraged the leftist lawmakers who helped put him in office when he pledged to raise his country’s military spending to 2 percent from the current 0.9 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.").
Trade surplus? The size of the German was 246 bn € in 2017. 2% of a German GDP? Roughly 3.5 trn € x 2% = 70 bn €. If Merkel would order Scholz (German finance minister, SPD) to order to the defense ministry 70 bn € for buying some nice atomic bombs in Moscov - for the scope to balance the trade surplus of 246 bn € slightly - what Kai would say - in particular when it comes to the question of the common scope of the NATO defense mechanism?
1
We wanted Germany and Japan to have a weak military after WWll.
Trump doesn’t understand the concept of allies. European countries can only be competitors.
The POTUS has too much power, US elections have too many consequences.
That one man can completely reshape America and reverse decades of foreign policy in one term is nuts.
27
Yes, but don't forget that the Republicans allow him to
get away with outrages. Without a balance of parties in
Congress, there's little check on his power.
By the way, T's support base is said to be 30 or 40
percent of voters... that is a minority. What ever happened to MAJORITY rule?
9
Majority rule has never been a feature of American government.
The Electoral College is loaded toward smaller states, to the advantage of the slave-holders of 1789. State electoral rolls are biased toward the registration of property owners, of the well-educated, and of those in desk-and-office jobs where you can take time off to go stand in line.
The purchase of electoral might is measured in money. The golden rule is that the gold rules.
Nothing ever "happened" to majority rule. It hasn't occurred yet.
.
1
Trump cozies up to Putin, ignores the Russians meddling in the election, and works actively to tear up NATO - all to Putin’s advantage.
But there’s “no collusion.”
No - it’s not collusion; it’s treason.
9
All humans are corrupt Stephen. The institutions do not govern world order,people do. People like Putin, Duterte ,Trump & Bernie believe themselves as saviors . They are the problem & why we have these organizations. Throwing the baby out with the bath water ,leads to war. Laws save us from the dark ages & murderers. Any organization has problems because humans are not perfect. You ignore the last 2000 years of human history ,Stephen.
1
We need a good psychiatric evaluation of Trump. Not sure there is all that much organized thinking behind his actions. He likes chaos. He's good at producing chaos. Whether there is actual philosophy behind all that chaos is questionable. Basically I think he's too dumb to plan that far ahead. Sociopath for sure. Would like some opinions from the mental health community on his behavior.
13
Russia is America’s number one foe. A meeting between Putin and Trump means Trump is openly colluding with Russia and is willing to play low man on the totem poll to our gravest enemy. Such an act will destroy him personally and give our country into Russian hands.
17
Europe has Trump pegged exactly. We need to vote out Trump/GOP before they do total damage to America. Ray Sipe
3
When does media stop the diversion of trump and become focused on Robert Mercer and his cohorts who are also involved in same political maneuvers in France and England! As well as do an expose on the Heritage Foundation, these are the true offenders, as well as shine light on the Republican owners who place weak and corrupt politicians!!! Don't be swayed by the trump diversion! Go after the real architects!!!!
13
Better to shine bright light on ALL of these corrupt manipulators.
Sunlight is a great natural disinfectant.
The GOParty OVER Country is a toxic organization... led by a walking talking tweeting malignant tumor, who is enabled by a large group of spineless sanctimonious hypocrites aka republicans in Congress.
Please VOTE them out BY SUPPORTING and VOTING for DEMOCRATS.
The whole world is watching... and most are hoping for this.
1
Mr.Trump is toxic in Western Europe but he is toxic here ,too.Please believe NYTimes readers abroad that people here are marching to oppose his policies and that we will be out in droves to vote in November.Be angry at Trump and his policies and the base which supports him, but please know that most Americans do not support this anti-democratic imposter.
14
Another point: most of these European politicians are going to be overthrown by actual fascists in the coming years. Who really cares what they think?
That's a term that gets thrown around a lot these days, but contrary to Trump's domestic enemies, he is not even close to being a fascist.
2
Remove him from off - January 2019!!!!! It should happen sooner, but his fellow traitors in the Congress are protecting him. THIS IS A mistake - they will pay a price.
5
There’s no ‘strategy’. Trump is simply carrying out the will of his Russian handler, Putin. Just as he did when signaling the ok for the GSU to hack Hillary’s emails and get the election rolling him right into the White House.
2
“'The truth is, we can’t get along with Trump and we can’t get along without the U.S.,' [former German foreign minister Sigmar] Gabriel said." Most of America feels something similar. I hope our friends and allies recognize that Donald Trump is a gross aberration, however much he fuels the rage and resentments of his aptly named "base." And he too shall pass, and if America has any sense (not a sure thing, true), an aberration that will not happen again.
3
So the Trump rhetoric matches up with Putin’s bidding, mitigating the European check on Russia. I wonder if Putin thinks a prolonged Syrian war and bolstered number of refugees helps to debase EU as well? Trump comments on Syria? Get out and leave it to Russia. Hmmm. Another match to Putin biddings.
1
I find this so disturbing. The president is supposed to represent us, citizens of the U.S. How many Americans want to break up NATO? Probably not a majority. But who does want to break up NATO? Trump’s friend Putin. It’s amazing that Trump doesn’t see how suspicious his behavior looks: his associates (and possibly he himself) are being investigated for colluding with Russia in the 2016 election and he goes around doing and saying exactly what Putin would most like for him to do. He sows instability wherever he goes. Every now and then he makes some small anti-Russia statement, like he did in Brussels last week, but the pro-Putin actions and words far outweigh and outnumber the anti-Putin ones.
4
We have entered a new version of 21st century dark ages . This will not go away easily and will last well beyond men like Trump , Boris Johnson , are no longer around agitating for their own egos and monied interests . If successful , watch for the rapid rush to arms by all . Kim Jung um is not stupid , he will play Trump and sit it out until all countries again become separate entities , without any mutual agreements or sanctions to impose . Putin I'm sure is rubbing his hands together .
1
If he didn't have one before -- he has one now -- a MASTER PLAN!
It isn't just trump's playbook. Europe has lived with backstabbing American presidents for 70 years.
2
Trust me it'll come exactly that way. Maybe not the american "cowboy" stile but the result is going to be exactly as you described.
Trump is not smart or savvy enough to have a strategy of this magnitude. Someone is whispering in his ear (after they flatter him). It’s no doubt some nut from the far, far right. I'm betting he wants to give Putin a green light to do whatever he wants in exchange for whatever it is Putin is holding over him. History is not going to be kind to Trump...or the Republican Party.
4
Trump is not about dividing and conquering Europe. He IS indeed a supporter of the replacement of traitorous leaders who place political correctness and its attendant miseries over the interest of their citizenry. Theresa May and Angela Merkel come to mind. Good riddance.
2
Trump is very good at destroying things and has no plan to build anything. With 4 bankruptcies and numerous judgements it is clear that he is all bluster. America will soon learn what New York always knew.
5
Y es, Trump wants to divide and conquer but unfortunately he himself does not know what he is talking about. That is unless he is talking about himself. Throughout history we have had malevolent leaders but at least they were consistent and we could understand the whys and wheres.
I do not understand how and why the Republican Congressmen stick with Trump. Are they so afraid of him. Where are the Statesmen of America.
5
Trump a strategic thinker? And long term, no less?
2
Trumps plan is disruptive change for disruptive changes sake. He like Bannon believes before they can rebuild,they must destroy. Sadly, Trump is too immature to think about, or even care about what comes after his carnage.
3
It is the ultimate aim of the EU to supplant the United States as the leader of the Western world. It is the ultimate aim of the European bankers to have the Euro replace the dollar as the world's reserve currency.
Trump is lousy in so many ways, but I would not trust these Europeans, they are firmly under the thumbs of the European capitalists. Trump is just their excuse to pursue the policies those capitalists want: chief among them to keep American corporations out of their market (the EU).
Americans are often far too naive about China and its motives, it's probably also time for them to lose their naivete about the EU.
4
Exactly - this is the real reason for the Trump bashing coming from Germany and a few other EU countries, but not the UK, and not Italy, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovenia, all of whom have anti-globalist and controlled border governments.
It is quite surprising that the Western powers have not yet unraveled his secret approach which they can repeat to combat him. Here are the weapons:
1. Create and maintain a narrated reality (NR) detached from the truth
2. Say what will elate you at a given point in time in front of a particular audience
3. Using the NR, deny what you said in #2 and lie about saying its exact opposite
4. Claim you have achieved great results using NR
Ah! You cannot do these because they will strip you of character and humanity? But, he will. Make no mistake about it. The Narrated Reality is his biggest weapon and his supporters will jump into that reality even when it hurts them.
3
Kornblum's right: modern (western) Europe's a child, raised inside a protective American bubble, so far incapable of formulating a way to be powerful and independent on a global scale (other than by the Germans producing machinery, which is not sufficient to address the problem). The French inadvertently acknowledge this in their phrase "les trentes glorieuses" -- which, it turns out, were given to them by the Americans. Trump's called them on it: they have no intelligent response except huffing and puffing. Then of course there's Juncker, who suddenly develops a case of "sciatica", stumbling up and down the steps and calling out for a wheelchair. I must say I admire him for this: there goes a man who is said to immoderately enjoy his drink. Bottoms up, Jean-Claude! And God help the rest of Europe, since, seemingly, they can't help themselves!
3
You tell him Lars! (Lokke Rasmussen of Denmark) - "Danes had suffered as many casualties per capita as the United States had in Afghanistan" and it wasn't even Denmark's fight! Almost, for this Dane though, as I dodged falling debris from the 2nd plane that impacted WTC2 straight over my head.
Europeans are not fearful of trump or America. Rather they are aghast that such a person could have been elected by a minority of American people with Russian help and Republican cover.
As the new enemy in their midst, trump takes full credit for NATO members increasing their military spending - just like the old Soviet Union gets credit for the creation of NATO.
"...he wants to dismantle the multilateral order created 70 years ago that he believes limits American power.” Clueless as he is, trump doesn't realize that it's the multilateral order created 70 years ago that America successfully leveraged to make the USA the power that it is.
Imagine trump as POTUS right after WWII - he would have imposed the trump-plan, of conquest and subjugation of Germany and all other European countries devastated by the war as the spoils for his own exploitation.
I hope the CIA and the NSA bug trump during his meeting with Putin. After all, as an American outside the US borders he has no expectation of privacy or Constitutional rights, for that matter. We can then finally get the evidence needed to explain the gross infatuation trump has for Putin, and end this global nightmare.
7
Trump on immigration said today: “I think they better watch themselves because you are changing culture.” Right because maybe just maybe a simple, environmentally friendly, animal loving culture could be banished with a mercenary, environmental bashing, Manifest Destiny bunch. YEAH that would be sad wouldn't it?
1
Clearly Europeans are smarter than the average American. They see this fake president for what he is. There's no explaining how his base sees him.
2
I would think it's not that Americans are less smart. It's because of the diversity of needs of peoples in the 'United States'. Everyone sees their own world and needs as being local. Add to that a manipulative media that plays on their prejudices. Trumps strength is in understanding this and using it for his purposes.
2
I would think it's not that Americans are less smart. It's because of the diversity of needs of peoples in the 'United States'. Everyone sees their own world and needs as being local. Add to that a manipulative media that plays on their prejudices. Trumps strength is in understanding this and using it for his purposes.
Trump is isolated from the world and reality. He is attempting to create a world that works like "The Apprentice." Of course it is an irrational reality show but Trump lives in the delusional world of reality TV. He can't read, he tells everyone how educated and smart he is, how great he is yet he has about a 200 word vocabulary and Use"very, very" excessively. He tell everyone hoe everyone thinks he is so great. He lives in an isolation chamber, quite like someone who has spent too much time in solitary confinement. People like him, people with borderline personality disorders can wreak havoc on the world without warning or justification. Since he has such an easily bruised ego and a vindictive willingness to destroy anyone who challenges his ill-gotten authority, Trump will go to the ends of the earth to seek retribution against those who he perceives belittle him.
4
It would appear that Trump’s agenda is to change the American flag to a hammer and sickle and rename our country Russia’s America. The meeting with Putin must be canceled.
4
Re: Just what Putin wanted ..
The big looming conflict for the US will be with China - determined to kick of the US from its #1 position, economically, scientifically, and ultimately, military.
NOT Russia.
The natural ally of the US in a conflict with China is Russia, that occupies large territories that China considers , with history on its side, to be being part of China.
The optimum ally configuration for the US is Japan on the East side of China and Russia on the West
NY Times comment writer ought to think about about useful allies against China, before writing critical comments on Russia.
You do not have to like Russia, but also you must remember that the enemy of my enemy is my friend
Our natural ally against China is the EU not Russia
I doubt that Mr Trump's brain has the staying power to have a strategy, let alone maintain one. The man is pure impulse, a con artist, reactive in the moment, changeable. The past and future repercussions don't come into it. Bad news for America and the world.
6
I wonder if spending more on defense means buying more American fighters or tanks or submarines. Are there not McDonald's stores, is there not Coca-Cola and Starbuck's in every European country? It would be interesting to hear more about the economic ties between the US and Europe.
2
"...underneath...there is a strategy: to undercut European solidarity in NATO and the European Union so the United States can exercise its economic and military power to shape relations with individual countries, just as China and Russia seek to do."
This interpretation only makes sense if Trump is thinking long-term and is on some level a serious nationalist. But neither assumption is true. Trump believes in nothing other than enhancing his own personal power and fortune. His espousal of nationalism is purely an exercise in political opportunism.
And, bizarre as it may perhaps sound, the evidence increasingly points toward, first, Trump being a longstanding Russian asset and, second, the impending exposure of this fact by the Mueller investigation. For Trump the only items now on the agenda are his immediate political and legal survival and pleasing Putin. Although Mueller's probe gets far more media attention, Trump is also subject to being brought down by Putin if he should become displeased with his client. Thus Trump appears to be walking a tightrope between Mueller and Putin, both of whom have the potential for causing his glitzy empire to tumble.
In short, causing immediate chaos everywhere has become an end in itself. There is no sophisticated master strategy. Trump's best shot is to cause enough havoc to overwhelm the Mueller investigation with a flood of more compelling crises and, in his perfect scenario, justify emergency imposition of authoritarian rule.
6
100% correct. Couldn’t have put it better myself.
3
Most Americans including the Trump opponents have no idea how much Trump is hated in Europe. Even among the present rulers there is not one, except maybe Orban form Hungary, who has any sympathies. The animosity however happens at least on two levels. There is the personal chemistry and there are the considerations for their respective countries. Not being able to slap Trump in his face, which would be an appropriate action in a pre-school or kindergarten if an ill behaved child acts like Trump, does not mean that all of them, with no single exception, are not already making plans for a defense without the need of a US. Trump is actually accomplishing probably the exact opposite to what he (or most likely his cronies) planned. Like: - England gets a hardliner to complete Brexit, its not BoJo because he does not want to take the blame afterwards - the Kingdom looses NI and Scotland - the rest of the EU recognizes only together we can master the future - and the NATO survives as a EU Defense Forces - not mandated to buy their armory in- and severed from the US - maybe in a a face keeping, loose partnership - Kornblum is right when he remarks that the EU has not defined its leadership role, however one needs to understand that it was not desired at all during the US hegemony within the NATO. Germany actually had to reduce, as a result of the 2+4 negotiations. its defense spending from a US % level to the present level, although the fall of the iron curtain contributed.
1
Mr Kornblum nails it to the head.
As someone who spent over 20 years in Europe as well I can note that United States was a big fan and supporter of EU until it turned against the US under their bureaucratic umbrella.
Specifically, the highest EU institutions are dominated by German politicos who relentlessly work against American interests whether it’s iran, trade, or NATO. Needless to say, the overt feeling in Germany for the longest time was to commit as little as possible to NATO while ride its benefits to the fullest.
After 9-11 NATO invoked article 5 however that was just in PR statements as most European countries dissented when USA went to iraq and Afghanistan. Dissent as you will, but real allies do not descent when other ally is attacked.
EU has been relentlessly “investigating” and fining billions of dollars American companies operating in EU, where it’s google, Apple or Facebook.
For all that’s going on with Trump, trade, NATO and Brexit, EU has only itself and it’s policies to blame.
1
it is his strategy. Consider: if Theresa May throws over the EU for US deal she'll be on such a weak bargaining position that generations will be substantively empovorished. If she doesn't Trump will withhold for even better terms
Well - make sure that the he and the Reps get the bill presented at the mid-terms. It be in our mutual interest
3
America First! I agree that we should act in our own interests instead of spending trillions to try to save the world. We cant afford it. I would be okay with it, but wimpy Congress never seems to understand that there are limits to our debt. So we have to spend less and get more. We can be benevolent later.
1
Trump seeks discord within his own inner circle as a matter of policy, the man is the exemplar of destructive. He has a personality disorder, reason and rational thought have little impact on his behavior. The best anyone can hope for is to limit the damage until he's gone.
2
Lau, in Die Zeit:
"Germany has to do two things at the same time: to stop NATO's internal decomposition through higher defense spending and build a European defense without the US. In the end, that probably costs well over two percent of German wealth. In other words, it will not work without upgrading. Not for Trump, but against him."
3
But of course. The bully in the sandbox usually gets bored quickly with stirring that up. Then he turns to the whole playground. Isn't that how it usually works?
2
We need to start a narrative, before things get worse, that tells our friends and allies Trump is merely a care taker president with just 2 more years to go and if they would just hold on and not lose hope a Democratic president will undo the entire Trump agenda with the stroke of HIS executive order pen.
2
This isn't 45's strategy, it's Putin's strategy.
And it's working...
4
That's exactly what his strategy is. That became clear with the "America First" position, and has become even more evident as he has shunned multi-lateral trade agreements in favor of dealing with each individual trading partner. Throughout his business career, President Trump has always conceived schemes to make sure his "partners" and/or opponents come out on the losing end of deals. The plan begins with the biting, brash take it or leave it attacks coupled with denigrating whomever he is going to war with, followed by bullying tactics until his opponents cower. A strategy by any US president is sure to alienate the rest of the world.
1
Trump's goals are not for 'America' but for the enrichment of himself, his family and the individuals who put him in power.
3
@sophia (London). I applaud your comment with the exception of your conclusion -- the majority of us did NOT actually vote for Trump.
I'll repeat: We did not, in fact, vote for Trump.
I know it's difficult to understand the way our election system works (most Americans don't fully understand it), but you must not and cannot blame American citizens for the unethical, corrupt and probably treasonous way Trump creeped his way into office...
Trump was "elected" into office (against the will of the majority of American people!) by an antiquated and arcane electoral system (that has been manipulated in favor of a conservative minority), which does not represent the popular vote, ie, the majority of our population. Trump, in fact, lost the national popular vote by a wide margin.
Fox News and conservative media wish to make it appear as if Trump has support of We The People. But those "news" media groups are nothing more than propaganda machines. To this end, I won't deny that Trump does, in fact, have support of a minority of Americans (mostly working class, rural and southern whites); however, just because his supporters yell the loudest and get the most media coverage, doesn't mean one should mistake that crazy noise as representative of the majority of Americans.
3
“The victor sends the one who is defeated, and who began the war, CARE packages! Imagine that. It doesn’t happen too often.”
That was a very nice gesture on our part. Likewise is what it says on the Statue of Liberty. Does that mean it has to be forever though? Even the deepest well still has its bottom.
1
Europe should stop with trying to get along with Trump. It's never going to work. It's not like he's FDR, and is going to be around for twelve years, he's going to be gone soon enough.
1
Glad this article cleared up for me Trump’s strategy. I never knew he had one other than maybe his plan with Putin to destroy the world as we know it.
1
Despite the President's actions, I believe Europe will maintain patience for the short-term. There's a good chance there will be a correction in the House this November, checking the President. Another in 2020 will prove Trump a spike, not a shift.
Should he win reelection, or retain a Congress with no real check on his impulses, then they should worry about a true shift in American policy.
Six months is an easy wait for an alliance that has lasted nearly seventy years.
3
Yes, we still have a chance in November to make a correction.
1
Trump rightly is pointing out that certainly not all but some allies, namely Germany, are shirking their commitments to NATO, even though Germany is a powerhouse and could afford to meet their 2% commitment. For this, he is criticized and is being accused of dividing and conquering?
The UK people voted for Brexit via the democratic process. It is more than obvious that some of the powers that be in the EU want to thwart the will of the UK with a very diluted Brexit. Trump is just very ironically calling them out on these very ironically undemocratic forces, who are trying to reverse the result of a democratic referendum. For this, he is criticized and is being accused of dividing and conquering?
Trump has a different world view than Merkel, but he is aligned with the Brexit voters and the leaders of Italy, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovenia - all conservative leaders who were elected via the democratic process.
Like many of us, Trump probably holds all European countries in high regard, but not the bureaucratic and undemocratic globalist EU.
It is ironic that his nationalist views are more in line with democracy than the globalist views. His views are increasingly more ascendant in EU voting booths, and Merkel's globalist views, descendent. For this, he is criticized and is being accused of dividing and conquering?
6
It's become so bad that I now find myself begging for our economy to implode. The sooner the better. Please, I say, bring economic hardship and distress to every corner of this nation, to every home. Maybe then, just maybe, Trump will get his wings clipped. I'm willing to suffer mightily to see that day come.
3
Well put.
3
I think Trump's goal is to divide NATO and the European Union, and I think that would be a tragedy of horrific proportions. Fortunately, he is inadvertently helping Europe appreciate the value of NATO. There is a better than 50/50 chance that Trump's power will be reduced next year, and that he will be limited to one term. So hang in there, at least you only have to see him a couple of times a year. And if anyone gets up to 2% ahead of schedule, that is a good thing.
2
From your pen to Gods ear regarding 1 term. I’m saying my novinas now
2
I don't think Trump has a strategy for Europe (or for anything else), but will gladly co-opt the concept presented in this article. Stop giving him ideas.
7
Is there an underlying Trump strategy for both trade and defense? Does he know really what he wants for America? I don't think so - not in the way he is dealing with allies and foes.
3
The destruction of NATO, WTO, NAFTA, et al will lead to the world organizing in another way. With the US pull out of the Iran nuclear treaty, Russia has stepped in with money and technology to help the Iranian oil companies. The EU has refused to support the Trump administration by suspending their trade agreements with Iran. US Treasury is doing nothing. As a matter of fact, the American news media is saying little about this.
Obviously, Americans and Trump have forgotten how WWII was won: It took most of Europe, the USSR, and the United States to beat Germany. A country the size of Montana! Underestimating the abilities of other countries is not wise. While the EU does not presently have the weaponry that the US has, it has the capability to create it. A nations size has little to do with how powerful it can be. Witness North Korea. A few ICBMs and nuclear weapons, voila, a country to contend with. As Americans, we should not be naive, the EU and Japan may be pushed into creating their own nuclear umbrella.
These tariffs may cause Europe to take a look at its trading partners and make changes. China has already shifted some of it agricultural trade to Russia. To wean itself from depending on agricultural trade, Saudi Arabia has purchased land in Africa for that purpose. There are many countries in the world with economic problems but a lot of arable land. Arable land for economic help may be next.
As for AI, more countries investing in technology will yield more AI.
4
Arable land for economic help is well underway. The Chinese doing it for at least 10 years in Africa. We need NATO; not as a military deterrent against Russia but as an act of solidarity with Europe. A problem with the EU is that it is legislation by international committee - as you point out they are not supporting our position against Iran. The US needs relationships with European countries, not the EU. Good points you made
1
To call Trump's "divide and conquer" predilections a "strategy" is to suggest that those predilections can change; that they will change as the rationale for said "strategy" becomes increasingly subject to rational critique. But what we're witnessing isn't a strategy. Rather, it's behavior that's virtually hard-wired, much like Trump's greed--and a terrier's prey drive. To keep on top of this, we all must stop analyzing Trump in terms that convey the notion that, in any sense, he's in charge of how he behaves. He's terrier. That's it.
12
I am an American who strongly opposes Trump's attempts to destroy the post-World War II order. With that said, hopefully this will encourage Europe to became a much stronger union. The United States traditional strength has reduced the need for Europe to exercise world leadership. Perhaps this will encourage that type of leadership. I do offer my apologies to them for a President that they dislike as much as I do.
15
Not surprising, the US has had "divide and conquer" since Roe v Wade legalized abortion. The politicians, from both parties, figured out how to polarize the population, and create wedge issues. The end result was Trump getting elected in 2016, and both parties are either extreme right or extreme left, with the majority of Americans somewhere in the middle.
It is no surprise, that Trump, and the politicians, is doing it on a wold wide scale. And, a number of democracies, have their own internal version of "divide and conquer". Why? Amassing more wealth, from the 99% that they 1% does not have.
In the end, the world will slip back to the days of very few, autocratic "haves", to a very many poor "have nots". This will be accomplished by dividing the world in to earring factions, for ultimate control. I contend Trump, and his allies, are using "1984" as their textbook.
8
If the Democratic Party were extreme left, the extreme left within the nation would have voted for Hillary. They voted third part or stayed home. Division on the left was also cultivated by propaganda. Read some news. The complaint of the far left is that they are not represented by the party. It’s reported on often.
1
Please state the basis for describing the left in this country as extreme. Just because the right has gone off the deep end resulting in a wider gap between the parties doesn’t mean the left is extreme.
2
John 1/3 or more of the voters, in the US, are unaffiliated. Most, because both parties forgot about those in the middle. Both parties are polar opposites of each other.
The divide and conquer strategy is exactly what Mr. Trump wants to do with NAFTA. He wants to cancel NAFTA so he can negotiate directly with Canada and Mexico because he would have more strength against them separately than if Canada and Mexico negotiated jointly against the US. Mr. Trump has a good teacher, Mr. Putin. All the interference with elections that Mr. Putin has done in other countries is to divide countries so that Russia can go against them one on one. China tries to follow the same divide and conquer negotiating strategy.
5
A strategy to divide and conquer Europe? well it seems to work to his advantage in the US. But I remain convinced that it isn't about achieving anything t for the US - but only for Trump himself.
And he will announce his victories - everything he does is a victory of course - and denounce those who who fail to toe the line - only that line will be moving all over the European continent depending on his whims and need for adulation.
There is nothing wrong with rethinking NATO's mission, financing and organization - - but he isn;t really interested in that . . .
5
I’m a Trump supporter, but even I know that he doesn’t really have a grand strategy.
He is a transactional brutalist, not a strategist.
He simply believes that the U.S. is getting a bad deal in terms of trade and defense spending, and his role is to get a better deal. Nothing more, nothing less.
11
@John (Pittsburgh)
As a Trump supporter AND an American, I'm interested in how you reconcile the connections Trump, his family and those in his immediate circle have to myriad Russian channels leading to Russian oligarchs and Putin.
Russia meddled in our elections and democracy. That's an attack on our nation. As a patriot I cannot understand how an American overlook the facts and evidence.
10
Reader X:
Nothing to reconcile.
After more than a year, the Mueller investigation has produced nothing. I don't believe it ever will. No collusion. No obstruction. Just some minor, short-term campaign figures indicted for things having nothing to do with the campaign.
Trump and a group of Republican Senators have been emboldened to visit Russian and/or meet Putin. They wouldn't have dared to do this unless they knew that the Mueller investigation will yield nothing of significance.
(If I'm wrong and there is proof of collusion, I'll feel differently about Trump.)
"Meddling" is the new buzzword. My gosh, the U.S. "meddles" in virtually every election in the world, ranging from funding for NGOs opposed to governments, to proclamations from government officials, to many other more clandestine activities. I'm not especially opposed to this as long as it benefits the U.S., but I'm also not naïve enough to get the vapors and clutch the pearls when Russia does the same to us.
We need to takes steps to secure our voting infrastructure and limit foreign influence in social media as much as possible. Beyond that, there isn't much that we can do.
2
John, you make a compelling reason why not to be a Trump supporter. When your neighbors start losing their jobs (when the tariffs hit), and when they cannot make ends meet, with stagnant salaries and rising basic costs (food, rent, energy), it could turn real ugly, real quick. But, the real ugliness will come, when they try to figure out their tax return, and discover, they owe taxes and penalties, because they under withheld.
You, and your fellow supporters, were lied to from Trump, in so many ways. And, he continues the lies. While I have no respect fro politicians, of both parties, Trump has become the low of the low. He makes sleazy used car salespeople look good.
6
Trump wants to divide and conquer our NATO allies? That sounds like a foreign policy objective of Vladimir Putin, not an American president. Who exactly is Trump trying make "great" again: America or Russia?
16
The headline’s wording sure got your attention. Whether that’s his real intention we’ll never know.
A little late, but at least they're figuring it out. Donald Trump is the enemy and the American people are along for the ride. I wonder, will Europe take us back once we've realized our mistake? Chip, chip, chip, Trump chips away...
3
Dear Europe,
The opinions expressed by the President do not reflect those held by the majority of us.
Respectfully,
America's Citizens
49
Stay strong and united, Europeans! We wish you the best of luck. We’re even more exasperated by Trump’s conduct than you are, and we’ll try to vote him and his minions out of office ASAP.
8
This is a harsh assesment of Trump, and it may be a valid description. By the same token one could have described the previous administration policy as appease and accomodate, our European friends. When countries, like Germany have for years used protectionist trade policies, while we protected them with our military from the Soviets and Russia, we have to act for our interests. Many of these European countries have just been plain sneaky toward the US.
4
No, no, no. as a former European, I can tell you that Steven Erlanger has been had by self-serving claims by bad Europeans.
After all, if Trump was out to undercut European solidarity in NATO, why would he demand that European governments live up to their promises to adequately fund NATO?
If Trump was out to harm NATO, why would he call Germany out for weakening NATO by giving Putin the means to blackmail Germany into caving in to Russia by shutting off natural gas exports to Germany?
It was Germany that betrayed its European neighbors by arrogantly ignored pleas from other European governments -- and from Obama -- when it cut this appalling deal.
No, what is really going on is simple. European leaders are scrambling for cover because Trump is telling the truth about them. In response they have shown extraordinary imagination at inventing over-the-top conspiracy theories about how it is Trump -- not them -- who is hurting NATO. In turn, these theories have been swallowed whole by an American elite that automatically believes anything bad about Trump.
4
Strong American Presidents have no difficulty
dealing with strong allies, but Trump is a weak man trying to look strong, with the tried-and-true strategy of making others weaker and dependent wherever possible. Lies are part of his stock in trade.
The problem, for those who care to think about it, is that weak men follow stronger men, and in Trump’s case this appears to Putin.
It’s sad, because the Office of the President of the United States has (or had) the money and the prestige to engage the best of the best that America could call to the nation’s service. But Trump surrounds himself with the dregs of American public life, and being himself not much better, seeks his patrons from among the dregs the planet.
We can be very sure that the Macrons, Mays and Merkels of the world already know this. If their words sound overly polite and conciliatory, we are simply hearing the voice of the psychiatrist trying to calm an escaped lunatic with a handgun. Their relationship with the asylum will be changed, but only by a little, so long as the keepers regain control, and have an acceptable excuse for their lapse.
24
The NYT reports "The atmospherics have been awful. Mr Trump happily broke protocol at NATO and in Britain, skipping appointments, with other world leaders, forcing changes in the agenda, scolding other leaders, calling an early news conference to get onto morning television programs in America, making unfounded claims about agreements and giving an interview to the British mass-market tabloid The Sun that deeply embarrassed his host Prime Minister Theresa May". Now, I think I'm a patriotic American, middle income, middle age, middle child, stuck in the middle with you, a common man who is totally appalled by this behavior. The problem is 40% of the country will get there news from FOX who would report the same story, using the same words, except for the first sentence which in the FOXhole would read "The atmospherics couldn't have been better.
8
The problem is, he only knows how to divide. At every opportunity to bring us together he CHOOSES to be the divider. It's as if he FEARS that if it becomes common knowledge that he actually did the right thing once, people might expect him to do it again ... and he knows he's incapable of doing it.
6
He might be trying to divide and conquer, but today the United Kingdom was truly united in showing its loathing of Trump.
London, Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Glasgow... and more demonstrations to come tomorrow. The London demonstration looked much bigger than his inauguration crowd!
I'd always intend to protest his visit but his railing against long-standing allies at the G8 and NATO while kow-towing to Russia and North Korea amongst others makes it even more imperative that we must all unite against Trump. His capacity for destruction extends far beyond the US.
Our PM cannot have failed to see today what the people of the UK think of her "friend". We can't do much more here so I say to all our true American friends... please get out the vote in November and get Trump's GOP enablers out of office!
20
Trump is trying to undermine Europe, yes. But for the benefit of Russia, not the USA.
25
None of this is about the U.S., its policies, governance, interests, or allies. It is ALL about the overweening arrogance, greed, insecurity, dishonesty, absolutism, and anger of one person.
18
Formar colonial powers in Europe are now tasting the drug they they practically invented and perfected during those colonial days. They should be thankful to Trump to find at least one reason to unite and mature as a common union of countries.
1
You can ask Sarah Huckabee-Sanders or Sean Spicer if Trump has a plan. How many times has he told them to say something publicly and then literally an hour later he is tweeting the complete opposite?
My mother was bi-polar and on her worst day off meds, she was more centered than Trump. I only caught my mother in two lies throughout her life - Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.
Donald reminds me of myself during a complex-partial seizure. My body is walking around, I am having conversations with people but I am not there. Eventually I will black out somewhere and come to a couple of hours later. Then, people tell me things like I walked down the main street in town in my underwear in the month of January and told some young North African woman in traditional clothing how beautiful her skin is. But I can't remember anything that happened in the last 48 hours.
6
Divide? Isn't fascism rising up in multiple countries? It seems that various countries around the world are more united than ever, via their corporate sponsorship. (Now whether the actual, everyday inhabitants of these countries agree with fascist rule is another question entirely.)
3
Trump's strategy is to promote himself – no need to think deeper than that.
2
Everyone gives Trump too much credit. He doesn't have any goals or plans or policies - evil or otherwise. He, very simply, is what he is. He says whatever pops into his mind, not knowing or caring what the consequences are. And like most simpletons, he doesn't know he is one.
But he sure loves attention. And the press sure loves to give it to him.
7
The irony here is that not only Europe, but the West was comfortable, after WWII, seeing the US as this flawed though mostly benevolent force in the world, watching over the international order. And let's not forget, this was not for free. The US got very rich in the process, even if this wealth was not fairly shared. Sure, American democracy is a mirage of sorts, with its electoral college, its rampant inequality, its guns, its money-rigged political system, its Racism fed by poverty, a despicable interpretation of Christian values, and white supremacists. But America has been overall a positive force, out there for good. Kind of like all those movies where Nova York is effectively the world's capital. But no more. Trump is trying to put an end to this as a sad delusion. Trump's America is just the greatest bully on Earth.
Donald Trump has now set up three separate points of attack on Europe; The tariff war, the sanctions war, and now, the NATO war. They are all inter-related. He is basing the tariffs on National security. The sanctions are tied to National security. NATO is all about security. If Europe tries to push back on the sanctions, who does not believe that Donald Trump will not threaten America's NATO commitment over the Iran Sanctions or even over a more protracted National security tariff war.
4
Even when they try to sound strong, Europeans are WEAK! All this talk about needing America so much...last I checked they had a slightly higher GDP even if it is lower per person. They do not need America any more or less than America needs Europe. But you have to have the will to stand up for yourself. They can't figure out the strategy for Trump? It's simple, call him out and stand toe to toe. The USA is in no position to take on Europe and China. Cut the US out of everything you can. Don't invite Trump to anything! Just let him tweet and ignore him. In the end, business' and the military will panic. Just remember you soft, weak Euors, sometimes you have to fight and when you do, you cannot guarantee you won't take any punches. It will good for you as a continent to get a sense of dignity back. a
1
Europe was razed by World War ll, and some are alive who survived it. The Europeans and Japanese have much to teach us.
1
An old New York power play, act schizophrenic ,say everything & anything as loud as possible but claim you meant nothing. Get people off balance. Smile & deny,do it all again. No one wants to deal with a crazy person ,let alone a crazy president. Scotland ,thank you for baby sitting .
4
I hope the Europeans realize that many Americans are as appalled at the current situation as they are. Trump is a divider and destroyer. He and his pack are inhumane and cruel, greedy. Civilization is taking a huge step backwards. For the life of me, I cannot understand how any Christian can support Trump.
9
Europeans are wasting their time trying to figure out Trump's "agenda". What agenda does an ego-maniac have except to attract attention to himself and to put himself in the center of the public arena?
3
Hello? It's not Trump's agenda - he's too dumb to have thought more than :30 seconds ahead - it's Putin's agenda., co-authored by Steve Bannon. What sound sleepers McConnell and Ryan have proven to be - military brass bands screaming the Russian interference fight song doesn't wake them from their democracy-wrecking thunder.
I'ts simply stunning how far this country has fallen, and half of it is letting it happen, all because they couldn't stand a black man in the White House.
18
I NEVER knew how many people HATED, DESPISED AND LOATHED Obama. Boy, it's sure clear now, that those of us who elected him were naive to think that it would be totally acceptable to have a Black man as the most powerful leader of the free world. If I, for one, had known how utterly, horrendously racist many of my fellow citizens are, I would've begged him not to run. He could've done more permanent good as a senator.
Some people say that we must maintain civility in order to be good Democrats. I say it's time to fight fire with fire. It's like when a fire is started to stop a bigger fire.
United we stand. Vote in November, PLEASE!
2
And, mr. Mike, that they wouldn't stand a female president!
2
Interesting how Obama ridiculed Romney in the debates declearing that Russia in not a threat to the US. Evidently it was the previous administration that allowed Russia to become a bad actor. Madam secretary`s silly Russian reset button did not work.
2
I don't think he has any strategy but simply goes on the gut feelings and urges of a bully. Bullies always suck up to those they respect or fear and trash or hurt those that they perceive to be weaker than them. Trump is just behaving like a typical school yard bully, albeit on a world stage.
10
For a man without a strategy, he does a remarkable job of hitting on things that Moscow likes.
1
e has no strategy. Putin does.
1
But Donald's blank check will satisfy
Trump does not care about anything except feeding his ego by way of his voter base's cheers OR business kissing his fanny OR making financial arrangements for another Trump Tower. Trump is entirely amoral. Trump has no other agenda that this. On the 'up side' Trump's behavior has exposed what we all, including my EU friends, knew for years - The EU is unsustainable in its current form as a federation whereby 100% approval is necessary for passage of rules. . .this precludes compromise and allows for general lack of efficiency. EU, 'man-up' to the challenge. UK - tell the Brexitter to take a breath and vote again on your own special stupidity. We Americans have our own special problems that we must address, beginning with Gerrymandering and the thoroughly deficient electoral college system. Trump is not the problem, Trump is the man of mud, the golem, that has arisen from decades of voter negligence and stupidity.
12
"they have begun to believe that underneath the presidential narcissism, sarcasm and bluster . . ." Let's not omit Trump's sadistic streak and willful mendacity when posturing on the world stage.
"we’ve never dealt with this sort of political animal before,” Mr. Valasek said" Was Hitler just a rat in the kitchen flour bin? Enough about the Hitler experience, except to say don't forget or ignore it.
Trump is like a dangerous animal that gets trapped in your back yard and can't find it's way out on its own. If world leaders can do nothing else, open a gate to let the nasty critter out. Then make sure he can't get back in.
Many Americans are grateful Europeans invited him over for a few days in the heat of summer so that we had a break over here. We also apologize for the inconvenience of his bad behavior.
2
I have lived in the US on two occasions, two of our three kids were born in the US and hence are American and Dutch. We truly loved living in the US and whilst there were always things/attitudes that I would/could never understand or accept, these were always more than outweighed by the fundamentally positive and good values of the US and its people. Today with Trump in charge, with a GOP and a very large proportion of the US population actively supporting and enabling him, I feel that those values have disappeared. I do not think this is just down to Trump but that we are seeing a fundamental change in the US mind-set which has been building for a good number of years. As a European who used to be fervently pro-US - often having to accept severe criticism from many of my friends on the left of the political spectrum - I now know that I will never trust the US and Americans again. The US’ intent is indeed to destroy and undermine European unity, to destroy all that we stand for, which is liberal democracy, freedom of speech and all that is associated with these fundamental pillars of what we have built - with real support from the US - during the last 70 years. Europe needs to and will stand up and take responsibility and it will need to accept that the US is akin to Russia, to China I.e. a power block which we need to deal with but which we need to treat as (potentially) hostile to our interests. No longer an ally and a nation and people that has lost my trust.
42
Dear Jacques,
Please bear in mind that the majority of voters, voted for Hillary Clinton. Almost 2.9 Million more people voted for her than Trump. Also, bear in mind that we had severe interference with our election courtesy of Russia. Since then there have been victories by Democrats in areas that had voted GOP. I would ask you to be patient and wait until November. Hopefully the November elections will bring us a totally different Congress. If we fail in November- then I totally understand if you disown us.
10
Dear Rufus, I sincerely hope that November will bring a change but I very much suspect that this is unlikely to happen as your electoral system means that the Dems need a massive swing for control of the house to change. What is more, at least when observed from far away Europe, the Democrats do not seem to have a very clear alternative narrative beyond being anti-Trump, that is not much of a platform to build on. In short, I do not hold out much hope for November and Trump does not need a lot of time to destroy things especially as he does so with the active support of the GOP and US business establishment.
Dear Jacques,
I agree, the democratic leadership is a mess and it's time for some of those dinosaurs to retire. However, the good news that the Senate and especially the House races to tend to be more local than the national stage and the candidates and the messages they present are more recognizable to the voters . For example, in TN -no doubt it will be a tough race for Democratic contender Phil Bredesen, but he was a well liked governor here for 8 years and that means something. Please keep your fingers crossed.
1
I'd say it's really Putin who is dividing an conquering, and it's probably going much better than his most optimistic pre-2016 projections. Trump is just the tool by which he divides and conquers.
...and then, there's much that we brought upon ourselves. We neglected to educate our own population on America's role in the world, the importance of its own Constitutional institutions, and its alliances and treaties.
13
I suspect that this whole effort to harass Republicans who dine out is instigated by Russian trolls who continue to have a media presence in US.
3
You are painting Democrats with an extraordinarily broad brush. "Still incredulous..." ??? Really??? You don't think some of us are appalled about what is happening right now -- not two years ago -- with the eroding of our Democracy? Calling journalist "evil" and "the enemy"? Did you see the spectacle hearing on Capitol Hill yesterday? And in my opinion, for what it is worth - maybe not much -- the hysteria and resistence is more of Russian trolls on social media trying to sow even more division in our society. It is straight out of Mueller's last big indictment of Russians and their social media interference efforts.
3
he's really not smart enough to have any strategy at all
15
Prior to hitting the links at his Scotland golf course, Trump spent the NATO summit “teeing up” his excuses to throw our European allies under the bus driven by Putin.
9
Rattle. That is what Trump does.
Attacks and lies to someone’s face leaving them in shock. Then he comes back with compliments, the attackee somewhat relieved. Whiplash.
13
He wants to pit countries against one another and use U.S. power and wealth against the others for his advantage.”
********
Boy do they have Trump's number. He's doing the same thing here, only on a much more personal level. It's too bad that the Republicans approve of his behavior.
42
Clearly, Trump’s administration wants to break the back of the EU so that the US can cut bilateral arrangements with each weakened state and play each against the other. Any such bilateral trade arrangement, of course, wouldn’t be worth the paper it was written on, as the U.S. would summarily change it to accommodate the latest Trump donor or special interest. This is why Trump loves Farage and Boris Johnson: they make the UK easy prey to US trade leverage. And this is why Trump was so snarky to May: she’s trying to find a “soft” Brexit.
15
Oh my, who knew Trump had a strategy ? But I digress
Divide et Impera
attributed to Philip II of Macedon, was used by Cesar and Napoleon and described by Traiano Boccalini (b 1556) as a common principle in politics
That was 5 centuries ago.
3
To the rest of the world: Trump won the election by a minority of the vote. He does NOT represent most of us.
There is an American colloquialism, "when the chickens come home to roost." (May also be known as "Karma.")
In the meantime, thank you for your protests.
20
Trump's "policy," if it can be called that, is not American policy. That requires consent, consent of the Congress and consent of enduring majority of the citizenry.
7
Umm, are they also putin's puppets ticking another box (see: trump's speech about "Germans")?
Trump speaks for the minority. "The United States" isn't doing anything— except trying to survive the disaster that is trump. But if the little man and the small hands can capitalize on the division by insinuating that "The United States" has bad intentions well, then that would suit them just fine.
4
The US has undergone a coup masquerading as an election.
tRump is an extension of Putin; when the dust settles if it ever does, my guess is the true extent of Russian meddling will include vote tallies in critical counties in purple states.
Why would Putin stop at vote tallies?
20
The global institution that manage the 'liberal world order' - UN, multinational trade pacts, and NATO have become corrupt.
These institutions do not serve the interests of the US population anymore, and in fact are not necessarily designed to serve US citizens, but rather create the conditions to maximize profits that do not benefit or produce outcomes acceptable to large portions of the US population.
This is the undercurrent of the Bernie/Trump movement. And it's not going away - Trump or not.
6
The only real question raised by the chaos that Trump engenders both at home and abroad is: What will it take for Trump supporters to see what a truly dangerous and vile man he is? Or has the Republican base, traditionally blinded by the fantasy that it was liberals who hated America, become what they falsely accused others of being? Liberals never embraced a foreign adversary such as Putin whilst legitimizing the loyal political opposition in this country; and liberals never trashed our Allies whom we recognize are one of the key sources of our strength abroad.
Have Republicans lost their minds forever, addled and brainwashed by their own prejudices and extremist media environment, or is it a temporary condition that can and will be washed away by the waves of undeniable and painful reality that will wash over them before the next election?
17
Divide and conquer? Yes.
For America’s benefit? No.
For Russia’s benefit? Yes.
In return for what? Money.
Why should Putin spend trillions, and run very real military risks of subjugating Europe, when he can spend a few billion (out of his $250-billion hoard stolen from ordinary Russians) and buy Trump’s services? Trump will serve up Europe on a silver platter.
42
More evidence that the New World Order is taking shape. Comprised of Evangelical Americans, Likud Israelis and Sunni Muslims, it appears to exclude Europeans and Canadians.
Meetings between Trump and both Bibi Netanyahu and Saudi Arabia’s King Salman go fabulously well, with each roundly complementing the other. Trump does not give side interviews to, say, the Jerusalem Post or Arab News, disparaging Netanyahu or King Salman. The latter have not been criticized for allowing thousands of refugees into their countries. Presumably both countries are meeting their defense spending targets, as we have not heard to the contrary.
Maybe if a nation wants “in” with Trump they should observe and then follow the examples set by Israel and Saudi Arabia. They must be doing something right.
3
We are constrained by our politics here, republicans control all branches of government. The rest of the world is not. Bury him. Bury us. We need it.
17
There is no deep strategy here. This is Donald Trump. The behavior stems from a purely atavistic desire and primal instinct to eviscerate anything that he sees as being heterogeneous. If all European nations were as homogeneous as say Norway or Sweden, then he would be praising the EU as being the best thing in the Universe since lynching.
But Britain has a very vibrant Muslim population, the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is not only a Muslim but one of the most popular politicians in Britain, France is literally one of the worlds greatest melting pots, Germany is moving decidedly left, most of the European countries are more progressive than the US Northeast or Northwest, and therefore something has to give.
Remember that this is a man who surrounds himself and loves the advice provided by dangerous bigots like Stephen Miller, Steve Bannon, John Kelly, Sebastian Gorka, Michael Flynn, Robert Mercer, Sean Hannity and others. So did you expect anything less?
19
Not a Trump supporter and didn’t vote for him...but the daily obsessive hysteria exhibited by ‘The Resistance’ is beyond tiresome. The Dems...still incredulous that they lost the election...have drifted so far to the Left, they’re beginning to resemble the totalitarians they claim to despise.
We’re moderate liberals. Guess whom we won’t be voting for in November....
9
Should we guess for whom you will vote?
13
Most of the Dem candidates where I live are pretty centrist, and most Repubs are pretty far to the right and also support Trump. Your comment makes it sound like all Dems are super-liberal so you will therefore vote Repub across the board. Are you not going to look at each candidate on their merits? If not then your comment makes no sense. You will essentially be voting for support of Trump although you are not a Trump supporter.
4
Please be specific. As a "moderate liberal," I'm curious what you personally believe in and stand for, how it aligns with the way Trump and the Republican Party have governed, and why you think the Democratic Party is further away from your values than Trump. Thanks in advance.
2
The EU better come up with the key pretty fast. trump has said that all trade with Iran must cease by November 2018 or he will sanction the EU. If the EU allows themselves to be mousetrapped by trump in this, it is game over for them and their economy. We will dial back 100 years. Look at history and you can see that this will not end well if the EU does not stand up and bite back pronto.
6
most americans came to this conclusion during the campaign. always remember he lost the popular vote by millions. Europe finally catches up.
what a loser we have currently as president.
16
"So we have to show him that we are strong.”
Right on, Herr Gabriel.
Tell him to remove U.S. troops from Europe and take care of your own defense. And then make clear that Europe will no longer exports its products to the U.S.
That would really teach President Trump a lesson.
Please.
4
If the President can stop whining, complaining and crying for a moment and look around the sandbox he might discover he's the only one there.
13
Me. Trump is a gas lighter. You can call it ‘divide and conquer’ to legitimize it but in essence it is really “Lie and of it sticks great”.
NYTimes: please stop helping him with attention to any tweets or lies.
2
That strategy would assume that he has the best interest of the US at heart. You are spinning his anti-European and pro-Russian behavior just as Fox "News" would.
Actually, his strategy is to keep his puppet master in Moscow happy...
9
Plus have the Trump Organization, and its cronies, fleece the USA just as any politician will do if given the chance.
1
Trump has an agenda that inimical to planet earth...EU and Britain are just collateral victims.
15
Divide and Conquer is not new in the Republican Party. They, along with the Koch brothers and several others including Scott Walker, used that strategy here in Wisconsin and it worked for them. Expect to see more of it.
15
The Democrats should follow the Republican playbook, openly oppose the policies of the executive office and directly speak to European leaders. And while they are at it, speak to Iran. In 2015, Senator Tom Cotton sent a letter, signed by 47 other Republican Senators, to Iran's leadership that cast doubt on the Obama Administrations authority to sign the Iran nuclear agreement. The Republicans also invited Netanyahu to speak to Congress in opposition to the Iran agreement. Democrats should make it clear that in opposing Trump's badly conceived policies, they are doing what is best for America and the world.
103
You are assuming there is some sort of leadership in the Democratic party. Big stretch. Schumer is a money-raiser, not a statesman or even a strategic thinker. Like Trump, it is all about the money. He will get back to you after he hears what Wall Street wants him to do.
1
Trump was doing theater to entertain his base, which is as "base" as he is. He counted on the Europeans to be far more temperate than he in their comments. I suspect he sees that as weakness. He needs to be metaphorically hit up the side of the head with a two by four to get his attention. It is all he would understand. He would admire whoever did it. Brutality is the only "strength" in his book.
We must get the Democrats in control of Congress. The Republicans left the place back in January 2016. They left the lights on and the door open ajar. Push right through it.
1
Trump was doing theater to entertain his base, which is as "base" as he is. He counted on the Europeans to be far more temperate than he in their comments. I suspect he sees that as weakness. He needs to be metaphorically hit up the side of the head with a two by four to get his attention. It is all he would understand. He would admire whoever did it. Brutality is the only "strength" in his book.
We must get the Democrats in control of Congress. The Republicans left the place back in January 2016. They left the lights on and the door open ajar. Push right through it.
" Europeans are now convinced that Mr. Trump has an agenda that is inimical to their interests"
anyone who listens to Trump would find it hard to believe there is any plan past the current moment...
18
Art of the Deal is not to put your counterpart in a position where they HAVE to walk away from you.
"Even more, Mr. Trump’s insults and his unpopularity among European voters make it harder for European leaders to do what he wants them to do, like increase military spending, even when they think they should do it.”"
5
If trump is not careful he may find himself spending billions on defending the EU nations that he is trying to dismantle against a Russian invasion. The EU nations would be wise to pursue their defense and mutual economic interests devoid of trump and the US as he has no interest in fostering their well being.
10
they finally got it. Trumps MAGA is really all about self gain, no partnerships, common purpose, shared values or all that fluff.
14
Personally, I don't even think he's smart enough to have an agenda, I think he's doing it all off the cuff. He has no brains, no class and is a liar. Put those things together and you have the most inept person to ever be elected president. He revels in the chaos he's sowing, the attention he's getting. He's an utter loser. And we are the worse for it.
106
He's a reflection of the average white American.
9
It seems to me that Trump's effect will be to cause the rest of the developed world (excluding Holy Mother Russia) to realign itself in a multilateral trading relationship that doesn't have the United States at its centre. The rest of us, excluding perhaps China, have not chosen this, it's been forced upon us. Knuckle under to a man whose demands have no limit or find a way to do without him - and his country.
15
Non, he is just a « temperamental child ». It is that simple.
4
Of course it is. He's just so stupid not to realize it as his base.
Let's see if Putin brings an army with him to the Finnish one-on-one.
2
Trump's past tells us one thing: no plan. No plan whatsoever. Just bragging, attention seeking, constant need to be pampered.
His about-face on Brexit is not only embarrassing, it indicates a very seriously deranged mind. That we knew already. The believers in chaos, Steve Bannon variety, are having a ball. Those who admire the U.S. are deeply saddened, and grin and bear it until Americans see the light. Will they? The appalling ignorance of so many is a grave reason to worry. Little by little, the U.S. are falling behind; how long will their armed forces suffice to push people around? Even Trump worries about that. But then, he might change his mind tomorrow. G7, Nato, Brexit, will the Putin meeting be another freak show?
13
Still waiting to see those tax returns which would disprove the theory that Trump is a money launder for the Russians which is why he is dancing to the tune of his paymaster Putin. And since he is now told the British how to run their affairs, would Trump release that plan for having the Mexican pay for the Wall that he promised.
10
Exactly. If the EU falls apart, Trump will put his foot on each country’s throat, one after the other. That’s why he wants a hard Brexit, so he can step on England.
41
Trump may be using a divide and conquer strategy, but didn't he also use his typical, all purpose strategy of harassment? Trump's position as president is analogous to Trump running a beauty pageant. He can sexually harass the pageant contestants without them complaining because they crave his approval. Given a choice between enduring harassment to increase the chances of becoming the beauty queen and being ethical, they choose the harassment.
4
It may be excessive to attribute a sort of grand world vision to Trump. He sees himself as a businessman, and thinks like the kind of businessman he is, a right-wing troglodyte (like the ones who financed Brexit, or finance all those think-tanks and organizations in the US). They hate government, or the European Union, because governments set rules, and they want to be as free as XIXth century robber barons. They nearly are thanks to the climate brought in by Reagan and his hand-maiden Thatcher, but too much is never enough for people like that.
Trumps hates the EU partly because he has given enough proof of being a xenophobic, racist lout, but mostly because it is the largest political entity in the world (bigger than America in people and GDP) who upholds rules to control business, the environment, and all the things that prevent semi-educated crooks from making money in every way possible.
12
There is no policy except whoever was Best Friend with Obama in the past, Trump won't be a friend
7
Europeans need to learn the lesson taught by Nancy Reagan: Just say NO.
Trump is a bully and a coward; if they push back he will look for other rat holes to go down. His narcissistic personality is predictable if disgusting and annoying.
13
This, too, shall pass. It is hard to imagine but Europeans have seen far worse than an orange-haired inarticulate wannabe alpha male thumping his chest in the last century. Which is precisely why we have decided that we are better of together. You are overrating Trump’s influence if you believe he would ever be able to change that conviction. We will not allow him to wreck what has been painstakingly and lovingly built over decades.
49
I find it difficult to believe that Trump's bravado isn't focused on dividing the EU and Putin, even further than it is today. His scheme is diabolical and Americans who support him are being conned. Vote to return to international order with our allies and enemies this fall.
MAGA is one dangerous step from MAGATE.
6
I think that you're giving him way to much credit for having a strategy. Orderly minds like to think that everyone has to be that way so they give Trump an agenda. But beyond his own narcissism he doesn't have one. Really.
He will say and do whatever he can to play to the nationalist and racist insecurities of his political base, period. Foreigners (and political enemies) are dumb or crafty, foolish or rapacious, depending what will most rile up the base. The 'other' takes their jobs, lives like socialists and don't speak American.
They love him, and he loves that they love him, for acting like the Alpha of their dreams.
55
The rest of us are still a majority so VOTE
If we just sit back they will persist and our country will change for the worse as it is doing now.
3
Nope, there's no strategy other than the 'Look at me, me Trump' strategy.
Even a strategy as easy to comprehend as 'divide and conquer' is too nuanced and complex and bothersome to understand.
This will not end well.
6
Well, they figured that out right quick, didn't they. Trump doesn't want to put America first, he wants America only, with himself at the controls. He views our closest allies as adversaries. He is absolutely using a divide and conquer approach. The really terrifying aspect of his strategy is that he is allying himself with authoritarian dictators to accomplish his goals. Why is that?
Birds of a feather flock together. He admires and envies their accomplishments at gaining power. Putin is his hero. Putin has developed a cult of the personality to cement his power in Russia in addition to a few well placed murders, invasions, and imprisonments. Trump wants to be like him. And more to the point, his American supporters want Trump to be more like him. They want an authoritarian.
Listen to them. They say Trump is "getting things done", or "he is making it happen". Populism is the avenue of his support and populism selects dictators.
His people really want a tribal chief. Trump is the chief of the white male tribe who will restore their power. Chiefs are dictators. They get things done. The power is intoxicating to them, and they gleefully accept the results. The chief knows best because they picked him.
Europe has to fight back. They have no choice. Trump will sell out Europe every time. The EU must stand together and oppose Trump. They should be very aggressive with the trade war. The EU must save us from ourselves. Save us from Putin.
70
Divide an conquer is Trump's masterly approach to gaining and holding power, something he obviously craves. And it works. He, or more probably his advocates, have realised that Trump's election success comes not from uniting a nation but dividing it. He focuses on an issue - 2nd amendment, abortion rights, immigration, white supremacy, trade deficit etc. - with specific groups who hold these issues as their number one concern such that they will support him no matter what. There is no way that he could succeed by unifying people because he offers nothing to unite around.
5
They are correct. Every postwar president of the US has supported a united Europe. Moscow has not spent decades attempting to undermine that unity. It spent well in the UK on Brexit and well in the US on Trump. That is undeniable, unless the Times is purveying fake news.
The mention of CHina is a canard; it has not aggressively sought to undermine European unity. Putin has, and Trump has, the latter more directly. Whether Mr Erlanger and the Times wish to see it or not, the reason is obvious.
8
China does not want to undermine EU. Not out of self-righteousness but as a strong force competing with the US. There were three and Trump is trying to make it 2, US and China
1
Strategy? Divide and conquer?
Look at the man. He has never changed, and it has always worked for him. He is a liar, a cheat and a con man. Why ascribe to him such exalted strategies as "Divide and conquer"? This isn't Genghis Khan we're talking about. He has no strategy beyond the scams that he's always run.
It's time that we all start to see him with the unfiltered eyes of a child. The emperor has no brain. Let's not read into him qualities that he doesn't even understand.
President Twinkie is is a Phantom Menace.
141
This appraisal is to underestimate the man. His political nose is spot on. Trump fishes in waters few politicians dare to and engages with those who liberal globalism left behind (the West Virginia coal miner, the Brexit voter) . We need to fess up to being part of the problem.
1
He does have an agenda. He's had one since the 80s. Do not underestimate this man, even if he is a narcissist. He's dangerous.
1
The greatest danger in dealing with Trump has always been undestimating him, just as you do here. Yes, he's a vile, ignorant, petulant man, but exactly the personality to do real damage to the postwar order. He already has.
2
Divide and conquer. The new Trump brand.
3
Well, I doubt this strategy should be attributed to #45. The credit must go to his Master Putin. Congrats, your Manchurian Candidate is right on schedule, working beyond your wildest modus operandi expectations...
1
Eurpoe did NOT spend the Obama years deriding everything American. Those were the Bush years.
35
Everyone must keep the long game in mind. That is , 2020 will see a different president who will have to repair all the damage.
6
Not if the supreme court finds that only Trump voters can vote.
2
I dont believe 'Europeans' believe that Trump has any such cunning plan. There are 600 million of us and we think all kinds of different things.But living as I do in France and the UK, I find most people think the President of the United States is a racially prejudiced, woman hating, destructive, ignorant boor, with the attention span of a goldfish, monumentally ignorant and proud of it, who is doing and will do desperate damage to the political health and sanity of his own country, to the economic well being of the world, to peaceful international cooperation and to the cause of liberty and the rule of law everywhere.
And I despise you for voting for him almost as much as I despise my fellow citizens for choosing the slow self harm of Brexit
296
Can't say I blame you for that. He was outvoted, as you likely know. But we Americans haven't done nearly enough to stop him, have we? And 40% of us just eat this garbage up.
That said, you can't despise *everyone,* and humans are susceptible to having the worst brought out in them -- Americans, British, Europeans, Asians, Africans, all of us. It seems to be inherent to the species. Shakespeare and Hitler, Lincoln and Trump.
A quibble, though. It is perfectly possible for Trump to be a "racially prejudiced, woman hating, destructive, ignorant boor, with the attention span of a goldfish, monumentally ignorant and proud of it"...
...and ALSO be a sociopath who sees everything as a zero-sum game where he doesn't win unless someone else suffers, a goal that's most achievable via lying, dividing people, and getting them to hate each other. It may be Satanic, but it is indeed a strategy of sorts.
8
We loved the Baby Trump Blimp. Thank you.
18
@ Sophia in London
Remember that a majority of us did not vote for Trump. The peculiarity of the Electoral College, which gives disproportionate power to rural states, meant that a handful of votes in a few states tipped the scales.
And voter turnout in the US is generally pretty bad--many voters just didn't show up because they didn't like either candidate, or they thought Hillary could not lose the election.
So there are some hard lessons here. But if you check the polling aggregator fivethirtyeight, you'll see that Trump's approval ratings are low and have been low since his election.
1
Well, it is true that Europe has set itself up for this kind of abuse from a Trump.. - That fact that Europe can be manipulated & held hostage by Trump over their need for American military support.. clearly shows the shortcomings in the way they've been doing things..
--- If they want to be treated as an equal..then it's time they step up and act like one.
6
II think Trump has a very basic (simplistic) two-prong strategy: (1) constant chaos in order to stay in the spotlight and (2) keep Putin happy.
Other than that, I don't think he has a long-term (or short-term) strategy that has anything to do with the welfare of our country. He simply does not care about anything but hImself, Putin, and possibly Ivanka.
65
Just think how many social programs could be funded if the U.S. decreased its percentage of funding of NATO to even 50%! I thought our "military/industrial complex" was a thing of the past. Why are we still spending so much money on defense at the expense of education, social reform, health care, infrastructure! Europe realized long ago that the U.S. loves its war monger status in the world and they chose to spend their money on their people. Good for them!
20
Not all U.S. defence money has to do with Europe. I think Trump does not have a plan, other than to destroy the concept of truth, but his evil advisers do, e.g.Miller.
I agree that money would be far better spent on health, education, infrastructure,and welfare. Although the Trump administration has declared that the war on poverty has been won, nobody has told the poor.
Sorry for nonsequiturs.
5
Forget Putin.
Mr. Trump has his very own personal agenda that is not so different from other presidents. But the others had made a full impact assessment that prevented the others to pursue this in practise.
2
It has been clear since the Republicans decided to make Trump their candidate that the time for depending on the USA was over. A country is only as strong as its citizens, and Americans do not have the knowledge, temperament, skills, nor inclination to lead anyone in anything.
It's a vast country that actually could stand on its own, so let it. Just pretend it isn't there and make your alliances accordingly. Indeed, since the USA is the biggest threat to Canada's independence and security, we above all need to forge strong ties with countries that can help us protect ourselves from that threat.
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Divide and Conquer has been the republican MO since 1980. It's finally working for them.
Less than half of the eligible voters turned out to vote in our last presidential election. To turn this around all we need to do is show up in numbers at the polls this November. Let's see how that goes -
23
As a concerned citizen of the USA, I concur.
10
That strategy is pretty obvious, isn't it.
Fortunately, there is an easy way to counter it: Just refused to be divided and jack up your own demands.
If the entire world acts that way, then ultimately saner heads will prevail again in the US as well. If the world does not help the US to overcome our current lunatic phase, the outcome will be bad for all of us.
102
Divide and conquer....sounds like Trump's policy of separating asylum seekers from their children; or like black activist athletes from their fans; or like DACA participants from their homeland-USA; or like his true believing "base" from reality; or like the GOP from the few principles they once held.
He is dividing us from our loyal allies....assisting
Putin in his conquests.
Trump has divided our nation into his fan base and those appalled by his words and deeds. But it is not Trump who is the conqueror; it is his voracious sociopathic ego that has conquered him. We are mere collateral damage.
41
Steve Erlanger - and the people he quotes - using very sweeping formulations in this article: "Europeans are now convinced" Trump has agenda to divide Europe. Really? I am a European, and I think Trump's push was justified.
To the newsdesk in NY: Please check the hysterical language used by your reporter on the road. Maybe the OTHER reporters he is surrounded by are up in arms over Trump. But I bet you your reported hasn't had time to talk to many real Europeans.
1
Just a fact check here, Peter.. The writer of this article is in Brussels, while you are in NYC.
12
OK, Mike, however...unlike the writer of this article...when I travel in Europe, I am not inside a security cocoon or part of a media scrum, too busy to meet real Europeans.
E
I stand with Canada against trump and Republicans. Oregon would make a great addition to your great country.
2
The message is clear - with this narcissist in the White House you are either a fan or an enemy. There are no other choices
Fans - North Korean, Israel, Russia, Venezuela
Enemies - Canada, Germany, EU, NATO
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And a majority of us Americans.
1
“Europeans realize that he’s not just a temperamental child, but that he wants to dismantle the multilateral order created 70 years ago that he believes limits American power.”
100% CORRECT. Keeping Pootie happy is his job.
134
Trump does feel more powerful in bilateral settings than multilateral ones because he feels insecure. If you add to it his normal treatment to women which in this case might be the two more powerful women, it spells disaster. Trump looks bad tracking back every day of his trip.
45
And, this is exactly Putin's desire: divide and scatter NATO and other unified groups that oppose or threaten him.
Odd, European leaders should ascribe such a strategy, or any strategy, to 45.
130
Divide and conquer is a classic business negotiation strategy. It is the only strategy he is capable of playing.
27
Odd that 45's strategy mirrors Putin's.
1
François Heisbourg, a French political analyst. “Europeans realize that he’s not just a temperamental child, but that he wants to dismantle the multilateral order created 70 years ago that he believes limits American power.”
In a nut shell, this is it. And you can add Canada, Australia, New-Zeland, Asian allies and most ofthe rest of the world (except the dictatures trump is found of).
Problem is, all of us non-Americans can't do a thing about it except, sorta, "grin-and-brear-it".
It it up to you, American citizens, and friends, to vote this danger and his enablers out of office. In 2018 and in 2020.
46
Some of us are deeply committed to this end. I hope Europeans and others realize this awful man does NOT embody the values or even the manners of the American people as a whole. He embarrasses us all whether we recognize it or not. Please stand by this great nation as we struggle through the worst presidency in its history.
4
William,
Well put
And many of us will try our best. Keep in mind the GOP is also working hard at gerrymandering and limiting voter access of non-white voters.
So it’s a very up hill battle
As awful as Trump is he has 90% approval of GOP voters and has the strong backing of white men and women.
Democratic voters don’t tend to vote as much and are marginalized in the in the process
Get ready for 6 more years of Trump.