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Deepspace's avatar

One month before the 2020 elections, Oona Hathaway at justsecurity.org published a two-part summary of Trump’s disengagement with the democratically minded world as his neofascist, white-nationalist cadre of goons (my characterization) arbitrarily and systematically “withdrew from international agreements.” While our allies reacted in horror and our enemies rejoiced, Trump swaggered around the world stage confirming the worst instincts of authoritarian leaders, who totally played him, correctly diagnosing a pathetic wannabe who was green (well, orange) with envy of the kingly powers denied him under our system.

These two articles complement today’s blog and are well worth the read. Part 1 recounts all the ways (too many to relist here) Trump acted in bad faith as he embarrassed and weakened the US internationally during his tenure as “leader of the free world” (face palm); Part 2 suggests ways to reverse the damage once Biden assumed office: https://www.justsecurity.org/72656/reengaging-on-treaties-and-other-international-agreements-part-i-president-donald-trumps-rejection-of-international-law/ ... https://www.justsecurity.org/72690/reengaging-on-treaties-and-other-international-agreements-part-ii-a-path-forward/

Volodymyr Zelensky is getting an object lesson about the West’s penchant (influenced heavily by the US) for weasel-word treaties. It’s no doubt not a shocking lesson, since everyone on the planet knows our own dishonorable history of breaking treaties with indigenous people on both American continents. Trump’s four years breaking the china in the shop is just more of the same throwback mentality of racism, xenophobia, and religious bigotry that has plagued humankind since the dawn of civilization.

Infamous world-class fools like Donald and Vladimir (See, we don't even have to use their last names.) will always rise to the top of inherently corrupt societies. Before the sands of time run out, Homo sapiens need to realign their priorities and disavow the rubric that wealth equals power. The first step is to hold out-of-control titans of finance and tyrants with armies accountable without collapsing the world economy into a new Dark Age or triggering a nuclear holocaust. Otherwise, there is no second step.

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alis's avatar

Great history lesson about a simple agreement. But, we did not blow this agreement up (pardon the pun), Putin/Russia did. And let's face it these days, Putin IS Russia.

Bless President Zelenskyy, he has hung in there, while someone threatens to murder him and his family and they are murdering his nation. Heaven knows the man has not slept in a couple of weeks. I think it shows in what he is saying, because he should not focus on what allies are not doing, but what Putin is doing. A unified message from him going out to the Russians is more valuable than criticism of a "no-fly zone" we have already told him he is not going to get.

If he talks about the Budapest agreement, he should be talking privately to us and publicly about Putin breaking it.

The world and the UN has learned from this, and it's all about unity when facing a madman.

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