Trump Is Fulfilling Russia's Dream of Splitting the Western Alliance
By Jonathan Chait June 8, 2018
One of Russias principal foreign-policy goals for decades has been to split the United States from is allies. Whether by accident or by design, President Trump appears intent on bringing that dream to fruition.
The most immediate theater of Western disarray is todays G7 meeting in Canada. Trump has been fomenting a trade war, hurling wild and largely groundless accusations at Americas allies. Why isnt the European Union and Canada informing the public that for years they have used massive Trade Tariffs and non-monetary Trade Barriers against the U.S. Totally unfair to our farmers, workers & companies, he demands. Take down your tariffs & barriers or we will more than match you!
Western trade partners have attempted to reason with Trumps demands, but the problem is that the basis for his beliefs and actions is entirely fantastical. If your neighbor is irate that you let your dog run loose in his yard, you can pacify him. If hes irate that you are reading his thoughts through his tinfoil hat, theres nothing you can do except disengage. And that is what they are doing.
Its not as if Trump is unable to get along with anybody. He has drawn our country closer to a variety of despots: in the Gulf states, North Korea, China, and of course Russia. There is an element of personality involved here. Trump admires strongmen. Who are the three guys in the world he most admires? a Trump adviser told the Post last year. President Xi [Jinping] of China, [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan and Putin. Theyre all the same guy.
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/06/trump-is-fulfilling-russias-dream-of-splitting-the-west.html