Trump's Worst Betrayal Yet

[babylonsister]

Trump’s Worst Betrayal Yet
By turning his back on the Kurds, the president has done irreparable damage to America’s standing in the world. That’s by design.
By Fred Kaplan
Oct 14, 20191:21 PM


President Trump didn’t make a “mistake” in pulling troops out of northeastern Syria last week, as many have charged. It’s what he has long wanted to do. The mistake was not understanding—and, more to the point, not caring about—the consequences.

snip//

Trump may believe that he’s doing the right thing, that abandoning the rest of the world’s problems will “make America great again.” He doesn’t realize that America’s might and wealth depend, in large measure, on the cooperation it receives from others—either offered or coerced—in pursuing its interests around the world.

He is also blind to the fact—or loath to admit—that he, in fact, is not getting out of the world. On Friday, days after abandoning the Kurdish allies to the Turks (and consequently, all of Syria to Bashar al-Assad and the Russians), Trump announced that he was sending 1,800 troops to Saudi Arabia. But to Trump’s mind, there was a big difference in this deployment.

“Saudi Arabia, at my request, has agreed to pay us for everything we are doing to help them,” he told reporters. “That’s a first. We appreciate that.”

It was as if sending American troops abroad doesn’t count as a commitment if taxpayers don’t have to pay for it. It was as if Trump were telling the world that the U.S. military is now a mercenary force. It was a message to any country currently hosting American troops at least in part at our largesse—because, say, previous presidents have considered it in U.S. interests to keep troops there—that they should start rethinking their options for how to stay secure

Trump has made a practice of abrogating treaties, filching on commitments, and alienating allies, but, more than any single act, the betrayal of the Kurds should tell everyone that—as long as Trump is president and, who knows, perhaps beyond—there is no reason to trust the United States on anything.

more...

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/10/trump-kurds-world-order-betrayal.html

[RKP5637]

1. tRump, sociopath to the world!!! n/t

[Blue_true]

2. Trump doesn't realize that by spending a few hundred million or even several billions

on places around the world that can't afford to pay us, we are getting trillions in return value.

Trump equates everything to dollars and cents in a totally amoral and foolish way. So let me use his equation. How much did 9/11 cost us in lives and lost economic value? Likely hundreds of billions, even into a trillion and beyond. The cost of us staying in Afghanistan and working to prevent the Taliban from hosting bin laden would have cost a tiny fraction of what we have paid in lost lives and treasure.

Trump is an amoral clown. I am baffled with how anyone sees him as a leader.

[Docreed2003]

3. +1

[jmowreader]

4. I'm calling bullshit on one phrase here

The mistake was not understanding—and, more to the point, not caring about—the consequences.

Not true. Trump knew exactly what the consequences of pulling out of Northeastern Syria would be - and wanted all those things to happen.

[babylonsister]

5. That was preceded by...

President Trump didn’t make a “mistake” in pulling troops out of northeastern Syria last week, as many have charged. It’s what he has long wanted to do.

[jmowreader]

6. Yes it was.

Trump and Putin are actively trying to destabilize the Middle East. They fully understand the effects of what they are doing, and desire those effects.

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. and for certain erik Prince has been in the mix about that decision.

Betsy Duh Vos brother, for those who may not know.

Erik has been shopping his mercenary troops all over the Middle East for the last couple years.