Post B2aBsX3eMFqphQD1I8 by Eetschrijver@mastodon.social
(DIR) More posts by Eetschrijver@mastodon.social
(DIR) Post #B2a6VKh1fH8Ev2kFyi by Nonilex@masto.ai
2026-01-23T15:59:43Z
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#GiftArticle
‘He treats us with contempt’: This is not leadership
America’s #allies may comply for now. But the damage to trust will have consequences.by Fareed Zakaria#US #Trump #MafiaState #imperialism #geopolitics #economy #law #InternationalLaw #authoritarianism #dictatorship #MadKing #WEF https://wapo.st/4pSQihG
(DIR) Post #B2a6isIG3AQutTcKzg by Nonilex@masto.ai
2026-01-23T16:02:09Z
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“You can say yes & we will be very appreciative. Or you can say no and we will remember.” That was #Trump speaking #at Davos, laying out #Europe’s choices on #Greenland. When Zakaria asked a senior European leader whether there was relief that Trump had stepped back from the threat of #military action, he said yes. “But we’ve now seen a pattern in his dealings with us,”the leader said. “He treats us with contempt. And even if this crisis gets resolved, *we* will remember.”[took them long enough]
(DIR) Post #B2a732iizcKf1Xc7n6 by Nonilex@masto.ai
2026-01-23T16:05:48Z
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#Trump’s approach to “leadership” is primarily #transactional. He begins by asking, “Who has more leverage?” If the answer is “me,” he pushes as hard & as publicly as he can, not simply to win but to dominate — extracting the maximum price. For him, #diplomacy is the art of the squeeze. [#MafiaState]
#US #imperialism #geopolitics #economy #law #InternationalLaw #authoritarianism #autocracy #dictatorship #tyranny #MadKing #WEF
(DIR) Post #B2a7Bdi7LdXu40QfLM by Nonilex@masto.ai
2026-01-23T16:07:21Z
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#Trump enjoys using America’s vast #strength — built over generations — almost for sport. He placed #tariffs on #Switzerland, & then raised them sky high because the Swiss president, he said, “rubbed [him] the wrong way.” He relished recounting how quickly the Swiss came to him seeking relief. This was less strategy than a #power play.#US #MafiaState #imperialism #geopolitics #economy #law #InternationalLaw #authoritarianism #autocracy #dictatorship #tyranny #MadKing #WEF
(DIR) Post #B2a7HkrRfxCbyghy08 by Nonilex@masto.ai
2026-01-23T16:08:27Z
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Last year, #NATO Secretary General #MarkRutte appeared to jokingly liken #Trump to a “daddy” intervening in a schoolyard brawl, & Trump has repeated that line with evident pleasure, including at #Davos. He seems to enjoy even insincere flattery because it shows that he is so powerful, people have to fake their admiration for him.#US #MafiaState #imperialism #geopolitics #economy #law #InternationalLaw #authoritarianism #autocracy #dictatorship #tyranny #MadKing #WEF
(DIR) Post #B2a7Zi2wsWjGSfeMxE by Nonilex@masto.ai
2026-01-23T16:11:42Z
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The Europeans should not take it personally. #Trump uses the same style on anyone he perceives as #weak. In #Ukraine, his irritation has often fallen less on #Russia — the aggressor — than on Ukraine, for refusing to accept subordinate status. In dealing with countries like #Brazil or #SouthAfrica, he is quick to lash out over policies he dislikes. But with #China, he often sounds oddly deferential — because Beijing possesses tools that could impose real costs on the #UnitedStates.#MafiaState
(DIR) Post #B2a7eN6UAgHExKWm5g by kritischelezer@mastodon.social
2026-01-23T16:12:31Z
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@Nonilex Chances of Trump remembering *anything* decrease by the day, of course. But yeah - there is nothing on paper about this so-called deal, and even if there were, Trump cannot be trusted to honor agreements. He changes his mind every hour. So the best approach to the US right now is caution. They can no longer be relied upon to be an ally in a crisis.
(DIR) Post #B2a7ohFq6c2ILfpHWa by Nonilex@masto.ai
2026-01-23T16:14:25Z
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And he adores the #Gulf monarchies because they are swimming in cash, a form of #strength he respects.This is the opposite of how American leadership has worked in the modern era.
The #US has been the world’s dominant #power for close to a century. But its leaders understood that primacy is not only about #coercion; it is also about #legitimacy, reassurance & voluntary cooperation.#US #Trump #MafiaState #geopolitics #law #InternationalLaw #authoritarianism #autocracy #tyranny #MadKing
(DIR) Post #B2a7uJiwVM5j6i7RCa by Nonilex@masto.ai
2026-01-23T16:15:24Z
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They grasped a basic truth∶ #Power is more sustainable when it is exercised with restraint, & influence is larger when #allies feel dignity rather than fear.#US #Trump #MafiaState #imperialism #geopolitics #economy #law #InternationalLaw #authoritarianism #autocracy #dictatorship #tyranny #MadKing #WEF
(DIR) Post #B2a9igfHaJpigszOG8 by tmcfarlane@toot.community
2026-01-23T16:35:31Z
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@Nonilex all fine words, but if it's all the same, we'll take it personally.
(DIR) Post #B2aBsX3eMFqphQD1I8 by Eetschrijver@mastodon.social
2026-01-23T16:59:54Z
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@Nonilex Oh, he usually sides with the bullies. He doesn't like losers, right? What he does like are protection rackets. 🚮🚮🚮
(DIR) Post #B2aEzqkFrMCyeDJm8O by old_hippie@veganism.social
2026-01-23T17:34:50Z
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@Nonilex https://youtu.be/Zz0_r4PDyCs?si=x0OCdo7lzPq3iJZQ