• Kissinger’s more of an egoist of image than a realist about it

      Word should be gotten to Nixon that if Thieu meets the same fate as Diem, the word will go out to the nations of the world that it may be dangerous to be America’s enemy, but to be America’s friend is fatal.

    • Flyberius [comrade/them]
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      9 months ago

      Henry Kissinger

      How I’m missing yer

      You’re the Doctor of my dreams

      With your crinkly hair and your glassy stare

      And your machiavellian schemes

      I know they say that you are very vain

      And short and fat and pushy but at least you’re not insane

      Henry Kissinger

      How I’m missing yer

      And wishing you were here

      Henry Kissinger

      How I’m missing yer

      You’re so chubby and so neat

      With your funny clothes and your squishy nose

      You’re like a German parakeet

      All right so people say that you don’t care

      But you’ve got nicer legs than Hitler

      And bigger tits than Cher

      Henry Kissinger

      How I’m missing yer

      And wishing you were here

  • Adkml [he/him]
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    569 months ago

    Of all the things libs think is a sales pitch to vote for Biden “you have to vote for Biden or America’s global influence will decrease and other countries will realize were an unreliable and antagonistic ally” is probably their worst

  • ☆ Yσɠƚԋσʂ ☆
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    489 months ago

    Europeans realizing they’re not America’s core interest after spending two years talking up a war with Russia is never going to stop being hilarious.

  • aaaaaaadjsf [he/him, comrade/them]
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    9 months ago

    I mean under Biden the US bombed Nordstream and is attempting to vassalise the EU through the Ukraine war. I don’t think the president matters that much, the US will continue to act in its own interests regardless of who the president is

    • 420blazeit69 [he/him]
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      349 months ago

      I think U.S. allies had long since internalized that they would occasionally have to eat shit from the U.S. The bargain was a place as a vassal state instead of a target, and if those are your choices being a vassal state has a lot of appeal. The occasional overt screwjob is much less damaging than a constant destabilization effort.

      The deal will continue to get worse under any U.S. president, but what they seem to be getting at here is the possibility of it getting torn up altogether, opening the door for more direct U.S. hostility. As long as they support NATO they aren’t likely to be the target of a coup like the 2014 one in Ukraine, but what if NATO is gone?

      Trump isn’t going to be allowed to unilaterally withdraw from NATO on a whim, but he could do a lot of damage to it, and he can rile up the reactionary hogs against it, which would at least lay the groundwork for a still more impactful change.

        • 420blazeit69 [he/him]
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          339 months ago

          There is no harm reduction candidate. They’re both far past the point of any reason to support them, they’d probably do different bad things, though.

          • Exocrinous
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            19 months ago

            If y’all vote for Biden, I’ll have another 4 years to get my partner out of the US and save it from the Republican holocaust. Please?

    • @freebee@sh.itjust.works
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      19 months ago

      Europe has been a vassal since 1945. How do you vassalise your vassal?

      EU suggested forming an EU army as early as the 1950s! USA was against the EU forming its own integrated military. So was, not a member yet, Britain, historically always scared of a too united continental neighbour. Instead, the Anglo-Saxons basically forced the young EU-predecessors to rely on NATO instead of forming their own big military defence force. How the tables turn.

    • 🦄🦄🦄
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      9 months ago

      Only one of them wants to actively kill my queer friends, so yeah, it matters.

      • تحريرها كلها ممكن
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        9 months ago

        No queer friends in Palestine, I’m guessing. But even if only people in the US deserve life, Biden isn’t doing anything to stop LGBQT rights from being dismantled. It will get worse even if Biden wins a second term. If Democrats didn’t codify Roe v. Wade when they had the chance, why do you think they will do anything concrete to protect them, when they can use their fear to scare them into voting for them.

        • @WebTheWitted@beehaw.org
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          19 months ago

          Yup, the same dynamic as the right and immigration. More to gain using as a political football instead. The tactics are from the same, cynical playbook, and partisans are happy to play along when it’s their team.

      • @Alsephina@lemmy.ml
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        9 months ago

        Both of them want to actively kill Palestinians, including its queer population. “The lesser evil” one is currently bypassing congress to do so

        Sounding alot like this rn

    • @Omega_Haxors@lemmy.ml
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      9 months ago

      Geopolitics is actually one of those examples where it does matter quite a lot. All the planning world leaders does gets thrown out the window when someone new comes on to the stage. For example I don’t think anyone could have predicted America being nice to NK under Trump.

      • @Alsephina@lemmy.ml
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        9 months ago

        For the first one, it’d be great if the US actually let NATO destroy itself, but that’s just rhetoric to get Russia to ally with the US against China; like they allied with China against the USSR in the Cold War. Unfortunately the US would never truly antagonize NATO; Trump would just be assassinated and replaced like JFK was for wanting to abolish the CIA.

        For the second… you’re currently watching a zionazi president bypassing congress to hasten the Palestinian genocide.

    • @Auzy@beehaw.org
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      09 months ago

      It matters hugely even internationally. If you’re female it would I’m guessing based on the fact that want to ban abortions. As a guy, I wouldn’t want to be forced to be stuck with a kid.

      Are you not paying attention? I’m Australian, and the difference is totally night and day.

      • @Alsephina@lemmy.ml
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        99 months ago

        And as a human being, I wouldn’t really want to support a zionazi that’s funding a genocide.

        • @Auzy@beehaw.org
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          9 months ago

          I can’t speak for that.

          But sure…

          • The rapist who is VERY clear about wanting to be a dictator, is EXACTLY the same as the other guy.
          • The rapist with over 30500 known public lies in 4 years… Yeah… Definitely the same.
          • The guy who loves other dictators who support genocides? Obviously the same
          • Oh, yeah, lets not forget about the guy who killed hundreds of thousands of american’s, and even more worldwide through misinformation during covid. Here in Australia, there are STILL people who were influenced by people like him.
          • Also, I forgot about the guy who tried to overthrow the election (and it was obvious leading up to it)
          • Lets also not forget about the guy who when found guilty in court is considered so mafia-esque, that the judge told jurors that he STRONGLY recommended people didn’t disclose they were on the jury
          • This “businessman” cycles through more lawyers than a supreme court, and his own lawyers say they can’t control him.
          • The guy who likely compromised the security of millions of US, Australian and other soldiers by taking classified documents for his own benefit

          Joe Biden? When his son was found guilty, he let justice take course.

          It would be good to see Michelle Obama stand though instead of him, but, Trump is VERY dangerous. He was willing to start a civil war to get back power, and the only reason he hasn’t gotten into any wars, is because he is likely giving other dictators everything they want (including top secret information)

          The only reason we know 100% that he is giving away top secret information, is because of audio recordings, and a billionaire in Australia said directly that was the case.

          Joe Biden has done none of that stuff. The judge didn’t need to warn jurors on his son’s trial that they could be targeted if they diclosed they were on it

    • @porcariasagrada@slrpnk.net
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      -29 months ago

      it matters. one is an accelerationist the other is a conservative of the status quo. neither are going to improve anything but one will try his most to destroy any confidence.

      • @Alsephina@lemmy.ml
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        39 months ago

        one will try his most to destroy any confidence

        Talking about Biden? You know, the one currently supporting a genocide? I’d think that counts as trying “his most to destroy any confidence”

        • @porcariasagrada@slrpnk.net
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          09 months ago

          germany is doing the same. so i guess confidence isn’t being destroyed between those two. but is was talking about the american isolationist trump.

          • @Alsephina@lemmy.ml
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            Pro-Trump argument? Didn’t expect that here. Regardless, it’d be great if the US actually let NATO destroy itself and limit their ability to commit their imperialism in the middle-east (and across the world), but that’s just rhetoric to get Russia to ally with the US against China; like the US allied with China against the USSR in the Cold War.

            Unfortunately the US would never truly antagonize NATO; Trump would just be assassinated and replaced like JFK was for wanting to abolish the CIA, not that Trump would actually go through with it. He isn’t any better than Biden.

            The only way the US would improve is if a leftist org took power over this thinly-veiled imperialist oligarch altogether from outside its political system, which is designed to prevent leftward movement in the first place.

            Also uh, I don’t think US’s ongoing genocide victims care about that.

              • @Alsephina@lemmy.ml
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                9 months ago

                Since when did the CIA assassinate white conservative leaders?

                They would if they threatened the imperial core’s ability to commit their imperialism.

                The US Russia and China are all the same thing

                What an obnoxious statement lol. Only the US (and its allies) are built from centuries of capitalist colonialism, and are greatly benefiting from ongoing neocolonialism of those same “former” colonies through the IMF and World Bank. They are also the ones waging countless wars across the Middle East and Asia (Iraq, Vietnam, etc), coup’ing Africa’s and Latin America’s governments (Chile, Congo, etc), keeping them unstable and unable to unite and stand on their own so they have no choice but to rely on those exploitative institutions, and brutally sanctioning and embargo’ing those that do manage to escape their grasp (like Cuba)

                China, and even modern capitalist Russia, for all their flaws, are not even comparable to the sheer amount of suffering the US has inflicted, and continues to do so. There’s a reason songs like this are common across the developing world. No one outside the imperial core sees China or Russia as anywhere near equivalent to the US, for good reason.

      • @Alsephina@lemmy.ml
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        9 months ago

        Biden? I think committing a fucking genocide against a native population (even bypassing congress to do so) and supporting a fascist government is “becoming more and more fascist” enough.

        The two-party system is just the two sides of the US’s imperialism coin. Anyone elected through it showing even the slightest hint of anti-imperialist sentiment (like JFK for wanting to abolish the CIA and giving an anti-colonial speech) is gotten rid of and replaced.

        Like all capitalist political systems, it is specifically designed to prevent leftward movement; that can only happen by organizing outside the system.

  • FuckyWucky [none/use name]
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    9 months ago

    The first Trump administration stress-tested the bonds between the U.S. and its allies, particularly in Europe. Trump derided the leaders of some friendly nations, including Germany’s Angela Merkel and Britain’s Theresa May, while praising authoritarians such as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. He has called China’s Xi Jinping “brilliant” and Hungary’s Viktor Orbán “a great leader.”

    This is so stupid. Trump was the one who started a trade war with China. Him praising Xi doesn’t mean shit.

    Secondly, despite claiming to be anti-west, Erdogan and Orban are both pro-West allies and will fall in line under pressure. Both countries are NATO members too btw. Why is such a democratic organization like NATO having “authoritarian” countries as members?

    Also why is there no mention of Modi? Both Biden and Trump have been more than friendly with him.

    Trump’s Israel policy is no different. He is more belligerent towards Iran.

    In campaign speeches, Trump remains skeptical of organizations such as NATO, often lamenting the billions the U.S. spends on the military alliance whose support has been critical to Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion.

    Rhetoric and actions are entirely different. Trump knows very well that Ukraine War is ultimately beneficial for the U.S. and the MIC.

    Another thing to keep in mind, U.S. is NATO, without the U.S there is no NATO.

    He warned: “We must realize that the EU cannot be an economic and civilizational giant and a dwarf when it comes to defense, because the world has changed.”

    That has been the status of Europe since end of cold war, a puppet of American capitalism, nothing more. And nothing will change unless there is a socialist revolution or something.

    • BurgerPunk [he/him, comrade/them]
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      209 months ago

      Rhetoric and actions are entirely different

      Yes, but libs can’t tell a difference. They don’t even need different rhetoric, just tone usually.

    • @forrgott@lemm.ee
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      09 months ago

      Wait what now? Trump knows something about foreign policy? Not a chance, bub. Trump doesn’t know squat. Other than being an effective distraction from his handlers so the ones actually pulling the strings can stay out of the public’s general awareness. But, then again, he’s stupid enough to think he matters, so I doubt he even realizes he has handlers.

      Trump doesn’t do strategy. Period. He’s dumber than a stack of bricks, and you know it. So, no, there is absolutely no ulterior motive. There is no plan. He has no ability to think ahead. He has never had to take any actual responsibility, and is therefore utterly incapable of anything other rash impulsive stupidity.

      Giving that loser any credit just makes you sound like a complete idiot. Just don’t. Please.

  • ShimmeringKoi [comrade/them]
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    279 months ago

    Oh it doesn’t matter man, Trump, Biden’s draugr, Kamala, not important. This goose is cooked and you’re all cooked with it if you don’t sever ties. We saw what happened to Europe’s oil, energy and manufacturing sector with just a couple well-placed underwater bombs. The American bourgeois state will eat all of it’s “allies” like Saturn and his children if it means staving off profit collapse for one more quarter .

  • GenderIsOpSec [she/her]
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    269 months ago

    yanks have never been reliable allies, just ask the people they left in Afganistan as one of the more recent examples shrug-outta-hecks

    • nohaybanda [he/him]
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      69 months ago

      The Euros are convinced that us-foreign-policy will come through and spare them. It will be interesting watching them realize that’s not quite the case.

  • @Varyk@sh.itjust.works
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    Why the heck and when was the United States considered reliable?

    Reliable in what context?

    Oh I see defensively reliable.

    It might not make a lot of sense to overwhelmingly rely your national defense on a partner separated by an ocean.

    I’m glad the EU is taking more responsibility for their own defense, and I’m also surprised to see so many European leaders acting surprised that they should have to, or the idea of a European defense as a novel idea.

    • @regul@lemm.ee
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      569 months ago

      The US was considered reliable because, until Trump, both parties had identical foreign policy.

          • r00ty
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            -49 months ago

            There’s more than two parties to choose from. There’s only two realistic choices because as a population you all choose to make it that way.

            Don’t get me wrong, the US isn’t alone here. We have the same problem here in the UK. I usually vote for a third party that more aligns with my own views, not one of the main two, and people tell me I “wasted my vote”. My response is: Did I waste my vote, or did you?

            Simpsons of course parodied the situation best when the two aliens both ran for president.

            • @Syndic@feddit.de
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              39 months ago

              There’s more than two parties to choose from.

              Technically true, but there is no real choice. The US doesn’t have a proportional voting system but uses first past the post voting. This by default will result in a two party system. If one party splits up or loses voter to a third party, the remaining party will utterly dominate the politics until one of the other party comes up on top again.

              Sane countries do have a proportional voting system which allows several parties to flourish.

              • r00ty
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                39 months ago

                That’s the point I (and the simpsons) is making though. If people didn’t vote for one of the two parties because “anything else is a wasted vote”. Even with FPTP you’d get a more varies result, at the very least in the upper/lower houses.

                But that doesn’t happen, and that’s how they have us all by the balls.

                • @Syndic@feddit.de
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                  19 months ago

                  But that doesn’t happen, and that’s how they have us all by the balls.

                  Well that’s very easy when one party openly is working to destroy the whole democratic system.

      • @Varyk@sh.itjust.works
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        -29 months ago

        No they didn’t.

        At least, I can’t think of examples of democrats and Republicans having similar foreign policy, outlook strategy or execution.

        You mean specifically in the interests of defending Europe?

        • @Orygin@sh.itjust.works
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          159 months ago

          As an outsider, the US was always very reliable for exporting unfettered liberal capitalism, and exporting “democracy”, whatever the party in power.

          • @Varyk@sh.itjust.works
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            29 months ago

            I can see how the broader export of capitalism could make the us political scene look homogeneous from outside the fish bowl, thanks

            • @Orygin@sh.itjust.works
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              59 months ago

              Not sure if that’s sarcasm or ppl down voted you for nothing 🤷‍♂️

              Ofc outside of the USA, internal politics is not our focus, even though we see regressive policies hurting the population (eg. Abortion). How the us handles foreign policy (not just war and conflicts), it pretty obviously only has its capitalist overlords best interest in mind.

              • @Varyk@sh.itjust.works
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                9 months ago

                That was a genuine response.

                Down votes or upvotes whatever votes.

                I’m trying to relate and understand.

                I don’t agree with the simplified absolutist perspective you’ve put forth, but I understand how you could come to that conclusion and how it would circumstantially appear to be a uniquely American endeavor.

                • @Orygin@sh.itjust.works
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                  49 months ago

                  I agree that’s not a full view of America, but for the general population that only hears about the USA through conventional media, I’d say that’s what most people will see and remember.

                  And of course this is only my perspective from my country and my neighbors may very well have a different outlook.

          • @porcariasagrada@slrpnk.net
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            09 months ago

            the worse political export the us has is the bi-party system. it does way more damage to any political system than the liberal capitalism. lobbying comes a close second.

    • @freebee@sh.itjust.works
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      19 months ago

      EU was basically following US orders to be a vassal under the big military umbrella of the USA and join NATO instead of forming their own strong military. It only started shifting after 9/11. The 2% rule was only introduced in 2014. The 60 years before, USA and Britain were rather pleased certain EU members were not building big armies, it implied promise of peace within…

  • @BustinJiber@lemmy.world
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    199 months ago

    It’s going to be this way every election, ain’t it? Basically two year election cycle of Trump once again running, all the fears of him winning, then he looses, and we get next 4 years of him talking shit and “raising concerns”.

  • @CanadaPlus
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    179 months ago

    Canada has straight up said we have a doomsday plan if the US goes really wonky.

      • @CanadaPlus
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        79 months ago

        No, way more recent, and not public yet, for obvious reasons.

        Link to an article.

          • @CanadaPlus
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            19 months ago

            That’s more of an American thing. The Canadian military is small, run down and getting smaller.

      • @CanadaPlus
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        19 months ago

        I see him as more of an opportunist catering to fascists. But no, if the call is coming from inside the house, it’s a much bigger problem.

  • Vampire [any]
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    169 months ago

    The world’s been a scary place for people under Biden.

    I’m not saying correlation is causation but it can feel that way, people might long for the more secure past time under Trump.