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Page added on April 23, 2017
New Normal of Trump’s Foreign Policy
Here’s the Commander-in-chief of the Beautiful Piece of Chocolate Cake School of Foreign Policy, expanding on his next move regarding North Korea.
“We are sending an armada. Very powerful. We have submarines. Very powerful. Far more powerful than the aircraft carrier. That I can tell you.”
As if bombing nuclear-armed North Korea would be as much of a piece of cake as Tomahawking a semi-deserted air base in Syria. But then, that’s the beauty of a box of chocolates foreign policy; you never know what you’re gonna get.
NATO was “obsolete.” Then it was “no longer obsolete.” China was a currency manipulator. Then it was no longer a currency manipulator. There would be no more adventures in the Middle East. Then it’s back to pulling a Hillary and bombing Syria. Russia was supposed to be a partner – basically in oil and gas deals, while a Kissingerian Divide and Rule remix would try to unravel the Russia-China strategic partnership. Then Russia is bad because supporting “animal” (sic) Assad.Some (other) things never change. Iran will continue to be demonized. The NATO-GCC combo will continue to be bolstered. The House of Saud terrorizing Yemen will continue to be a close GWOT (Global War on Terror) ally.
It’s as if the whole dysfunctional Trump administration machine has become a prisoner of its non-stop duty to justify the Tomahawks-with-chocolate Commander-in-Chief’s about turns and blatant lies, whereas its previous strength derived from exposing the lies and the hypocrisy inbuilt in the US establishment/deep state nexus.
Xi is on the phone
Russian intelligence may have well inferred – correctly – that the main goal of Secretary of State “T. Rex” Tillerson’s visit to Moscow was to quiet
down the high-stakes game as much as possible as Trump moves to a face off with Pyongyang. Washington simply cannot handle multiple, simultaneous crises in Syria, Ukraine, North Korea, the South China Sea, Afghanistan. The possible deadline is May 9; the South Korean presidential election that could stop any attack by the US on North Korea in its tracks.Japanese and South Korean media were hysterically reporting on the deployment of as many as 150,000 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) personnel, part of the PLA’s 16th, 23rd, 39th and 40th Group Armies, to the Chinese-North Korean border. These forces are not aggressive; they’d rather coordinate efforts to alleviate a refugee crisis in the – appalling – event of a Second Korea War breaking out.
The Chinese Ministry of Defense issued a sort of non-denial denial about the deployment. But the crucial element was the subsequent Xi Jinping call to Trump. Priority number one was to dissipate the swelling US corporate media narrative that Beijing would approve a US strike against North Korea (on the contrary; Beijing was seriously worried). Chinese media stressed Xi emphasizing to a volatile Trump the only possible way out is to work towards a peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Priority number two was to defuse the fake news notion that Xi, facing his Tomahawk-with-chocolate-cake desert at Mar-a-Lago, had agreed to further US strikes in Syria. In his phone call, Xi once again stressed the only way out in Syria is a diplomatic solution.
With the Beautiful Piece of Chocolate Cake School of Foreign Policy as the new normal, now no one has a clue what is Washington’s policy on Syria, and who’s driving it (that was the key information Foreign Minister Lavrov was trying to extract from Tillerson).The previous policy was obvious; balkanization light, with a Kurdish enclave in the eastern desert, to be run by US proxies such as the small PYD Syrian Kurdish population; Israel absorbing yet another stretch of the Golan Heights; a patch of the north for Turkey; and enough real estate for Sunnis and assorted jihadists.
Even before the Tomahawk show, US military intelligence officials scattered around the Middle East had serious doubts about what became the official White House narrative on the chemical attack in Idlib. Former US intel stalwarts, including Ray McGovern, Phil Giraldi and Bill Binney, even wrote a memo to Trump calling for an honest, independent investigation – as much as Lavrov would later make it clear in his press conference with Tillerson. The official narrative was also debunked by an MIT professor as “totally false.”
Irrespective of whether Trump saw the light via a White Helmets YouTube video or was Tomahawked by the neocon/neoliberalcon axis, the facts on the ground don’t change.Moscow simply is not going to yield its sphere of influence in Syria to Donald Trump or the deep state. Russia has all but won the Syrian War by preventing the formation of an Emirate of Takfiristan, and defusing the possibility of Russian/Chechen/Uzbek Salafi-jihadis operating in alliance with Jabhat al-Nusra and/or Daesh going back to wreak havoc in the Caucasus. Not to mention that over 75% of Syria’s population is now living in the functional parts of the country controlled by Damascus.
When in doubt, sow chaos
The War Party/military-industrial-security-media complex wants war, any war; it’s good for business, and ratings. The neocons want a war to contain Iran. Professor Stephen Cohen is realistically alarmed. No one knows for sure whether Trump is now a mere hostage of Mad Dog Mattis, HR McMaster and co. who believes he’s actually in charge, or whether he perfected some sort of genius non-twitterable geopolitical jiu-jitsu.
A dissident US intel analyst based in the Middle East paints a much gloomier picture: “The US will not tolerate a Russia-China alliance tilting the balance of power. North Korea and Syria are merely pawns in this struggle that has almost no meaning for themselves. The Russians believe that the US is determined to go to war against them, while they remain unsure about the performance of their S-500 defensive missiles. The Russians say more false flags are to come in Syria, while the Chinese are also reviewing any commitments of the US on the basis of what they saw in Syria.”
President Putin has all but stated, on the record, that Moscow cannot trust Washington. Russia has been patiently building up its missile defense capability – to the point that its air space might as well turn out to be impenetrable before the end of the decade.Lavrov has spoken many times in the past about “managed chaos” – a “method of strengthening US influence” exhibiting “projects” that “should be launched away from the United States in regions that are crucial for global economic and financial development.” The Beautiful Piece of Chocolate Cake School of Foreign Policy may have forced everyone to be lost in a masquerade. But Moscow — and Beijing – do seem to see it for what is; yet another facet of unmanageable chaos.
19 Comments on "New Normal of Trump’s Foreign Policy"
joe on Sun, 23rd Apr 2017 8:31 am
No, allot has changed. More than we know. The corporate state can poison us legally again. Next theyll take the health warnings off cigarettes cause ‘we know already’.
Its Trumpocracy now. Thats good and bad, its good when he was drainjng the swamp, its bad now cause the swamp drained him. But hey, thats life. Hes just a billionaire, what chance do the rest of us have. Deep state wins every round, except in the survival stakes.
joe on Sun, 23rd Apr 2017 8:38 am
Trump is trying the old ‘crazy bastard’ foreign policy, except the world is full of them now. Before it was used against rational Russians who had an empire to lose. Now theres jim jong lung and the crazy clown club, they got pants bigger than IT.
No sir, theres allot more crazy out there than you can shake a stick at. Nobody is getting outta here alive! Thats the only certainty.
Dredd on Sun, 23rd Apr 2017 8:41 am
“a box of chocolates foreign policy; you never know what you’re gonna get”
Until it is too late:
“Dr Gartner started an online petition earlier this year on calling for Mr Trump to be removed from office, which claims that he is ‘psychologically incapable of competently discharging the duties of President’. The petition has so far garnered more than 41,000 signatures [signed exclusively by mental health professionals].
It states: ‘We, the undersigned mental health professionals (please state your degree), believe in our professional judgment that Donald Trump manifests a serious mental illness that renders him psychologically incapable of competently discharging the duties of President of the United States.’”
(Arctic Sea Ice & Antarctic Sea Ice Are Different Types – 2).
paulo1 on Sun, 23rd Apr 2017 9:28 am
He is about as smart as Forest Gump, for sure. But there is a big difference. Forest Gump was basically a kind and gentle man. The Donald is just an idiot who huckstered his way into power; voted in by and angry, desperate, and uninformed electorate.
Davy on Sun, 23rd Apr 2017 10:24 am
“voted in by and angry, desperate, and uninformed electorate.”
What about lying liberal fake news closet fascist lefties?
“Bill Maher Lashes Out At Cal Berkeley’s “F**king Babies”
http://tinyurl.com/kqbux62
“There Will Be Blood: Left Prepares For War After Berkeley Beat Down With “Combat Training, Better Equipment, Guns…”
http://tinyurl.com/ljlwgjv
“The Clinton connection”
“How Bill and Hillary raised and earned millions from Canada’s corporate elite”
http://tinyurl.com/luqw33c
Kind of maybe the pot calling the kettle black.
Boat on Sun, 23rd Apr 2017 12:34 pm
About that bombing in Syria. The US among other countries called for an investigation at the UN. Russia vetoed and China abstained.
Of course Trump is a lying manipulator. For years preceding the election he promised proof Obama was foreign born. That never happened.
But hey the crazy man got China to buy US coal along with an implied promise to cut N Koreas oil if they do a nuke test.
twocats on Sun, 23rd Apr 2017 12:47 pm
davy, that was like one thread in one town talking about that type of demonstration. and if people on the left decided to practice a little self-defense in light of rising white nationalist movement, I’m having trouble seeing how that’s “being huckstered” and any of the other things paulo1 said. If anything the left didn’t take the hillary bait. and the fact that you link to a clinton attack article shows you are just weird.
boat – the UN vote wasn’t about an “investigation” it was about an attack, which of course Russia vetoed. russia and syria support an investigation as they believe it was a false flag operation.
Davy on Sun, 23rd Apr 2017 1:16 pm
Wow, two cats showed his underwear. Two cats I like neither and I especially disapprove of liberal leaning self-righteous types on this board. They got big fat fingers and bathrooms with no mirrors. What has happened to people you just showed support for is disgusting and horrible. The Trump deplorable are easy to poke fun at. They don’t even mind becuase they are comfortable in their cloths. Your people on the other hand are a rudderless ship hijacked by pirates. You guys talk the big politically correct but don’t walk the walk. The lying left fake news liberals are a failure and Trump is the legacy they spawned. Like I said I like neither but I hate hypocrisy and that is what I am seeing.
makati1 on Sun, 23rd Apr 2017 6:16 pm
twocats, Davy is more than a little weird. I put it down to his 1% upbringing and the current disintegration of all he believes in. Long rants saying nothing. Maybe it’s that redneck moonshine?
Davy on Sun, 23rd Apr 2017 6:26 pm
Being called a redneck is an honor, makati. A country boy will survive. You on the other hand are destined to be stew meat on some Filipino table one day.
makati1 on Sun, 23rd Apr 2017 7:23 pm
Any self respecting farmer would not like to be called a ‘redneck’ as it is a derogatory title indicating stupidity, and immorality to most Americans. Like a homosexual being called a “faggot” or a Jew being called a “kike”. But then, you are obviously not a self respecting farmer. Just a 1%er blowhard with a narrow vision of the rest of the world. Too bad for your family.
Sissyfuss on Sun, 23rd Apr 2017 8:39 pm
The left has been led astray by the Clinton Corporation for decades and now is lost and rudderless in a mileau desperate for leadership. While waiting for their Napoleon to show (Warren?)the disenfranchised have thrown a Hail Mary resulting in a now for something completely different. But at this point choosing your team colors will only affect your wardrobe.
twocats on Mon, 24th Apr 2017 8:33 am
i doubt you’re guessing the color of my underwear correctly. i hate democratic party, liberals are typically annoying, and berkeley is mostly asian prince and princes interested in becoming a doctor to please tiger moms than any interest in humanity.
i don’t think there’s anything wrong with being angry or desperate. we all should be. and given the insane amount of propaganda its no wonder so many are disinformed. just don’t think a zerohedge article and a hillary attack article have any relevance whatsoever.
twocats on Mon, 24th Apr 2017 8:36 am
the only benefit to trump is he is doing more to take down the US empire, dismantle global civilization, limit population growth (through poisoning, et al) than any leftist or anarchist in decades.
for us accelerationists and those in the PDP he’s kind of a god-send.
Aire on Mon, 24th Apr 2017 12:12 pm
Davy does tend to defend the right to some degree by constantly hating on liberals. I have arguments about liberals even be labeled as “the left” – some says they are too far to the left these days which makes little sense to me.
As far as Trump – he’s basically the status quo continuation and in my opinion.. on steroids. Making America Great Again – come on, if that does signify status quo of continued economic growth I don’t know what else does.
twocats on Mon, 24th Apr 2017 1:09 pm
good points sissyfuss and Aire.
I would say if trump makes good on trade protectionist policies (undo nafta, kill TPT, tariffs) then it would NOT be status quo. bannon is on the outs right now, but his anti-global agenda fits pretty well with a general notion of peak oil being a process of relocalizing.
as far as deregulating everything in sight, drill faster, deeper, dirtier than ever before, cut taxes for rich into oblivion, yes that is status quo.
Davy on Mon, 24th Apr 2017 1:53 pm
I defend balance that’s it. I am a doomer, tree huger. and egalitarian. Tell me how that fits into the right’s agenda? The left is a mess and since so many here are liberal leaning I like to remind them that the truth is not there. The left is hijacked and delusional. I don’t claim to have a corner on the truth but I can sure as hell see a lie.
twocats on Mon, 24th Apr 2017 6:58 pm
I stand corrected davy 🙂 you’re not at all spitting right-wing talking points when you say something like,
“lying liberal fake news closet fascist lefties”
sounds very grounded 😉 anyway, i’m not a davy hater. if anything i think the left is breaking out of their delusions by talking about arming themselves. but its not the working class right they need to worry about, its the oligarchs who will command the military and police (made up of [mostly] right) that will crush them.
Jerome Purtzer on Wed, 26th Apr 2017 4:25 pm
I don’t know if anyone here heard but in 10 years we’ll all be driving Teslas on Mars and the Donald is leading the way. If they are having a going away party I’d like to be there to light the candle. America on Mars and then on to the Stars!