After painfully reminding us once again that the collusion is still happening right out in the open by slobbering all over Vladimir Putin at the G20, Donald Trump then went on a four-day blitz through Asia where he slobbered all over North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
It was another despicable display of Trump's affinity for murderous authoritarians, and political scientist Brian Klaas wrote about the chilling, reverberating effects that the U.S. president's embrace of dictators will inevitably have:
I study authoritarianism — and also how it functions in places that aren't always in headlines. What many don't realize is that Trump's embrace of dictators will likely have a cascading effect. Other autocrats will think: Well, if Putin or Kim can get away with it, why not me?And as Sarah Kendzior further notes: "This is not just about the shattering of international norms. This is about the shattering and taking of human life. We need to focus on the ordinary people being brutalized by this axis of autocrats."
Most dictators and despots are driven by a desire to retain power. What can topple them? Well, opposition leaders, dissidents, journalists, and human rights campaigners who try to expose abuses and corruption can destabilize a regime. That's why dictators kill or jail them.
In other words, the rational behavior for a dictator or despot is often to silence critics, rule by fear, and generally be a monstrous tyrant. What has held many back is: 1) International norms; and 2) The risk of consequences from foreign powers (almost always in the West).
When Trump acts like Putin and Kim and MBS are his best friends, it doesn't just legitimize those regimes. It also signals to other authoritarians that there will be no consequences. That international norms no longer matter. You can murder journalists. Trump will do nothing.
Yes, previous presidents have had relationships with awful regimes in the past. But they didn't simply uncritically fawn over people like Kim Jong-un. They didn't give them propaganda victories for nothing. They didn't treat them better than America's democratic allies.
The Trump effect will take time. It won't happen overnight. But Trump's foreign policy will make the world worse and more authoritarian, creating a world in which dictators and despots can commit atrocities and horrifying abuses with less fear of any meaningful consequences.
This is urgent threat of the Trump presidency: It's not just that he's endeavoring to destroy everything democrats value in the United States, but that he is working in concert with other powerful and tenacious democracy-killers around the globe, like Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu, to usher in a new era of despotism.
The refugee crisis at the U.S. southern border, for instance, is a profound humanitarian crisis. It is also an international law crisis — because the Trump Regime is ignoring international law governing refugees with zero consequences, which could have a cascading effect just as the global refugee crisis reaches staggering proportions: A recent U.N. report found that there are currently 71 million refugees who "have been displaced worldwide by war, persecution, and other violence," a collective total "that would amount to the world's 20th most populous country."
This negative influence on global norms and the visible subversion of international law is something that cannot be easily remedied, and the precipitous erosion of democratic and humanitarian practices cannot be easily restored.
When Trump embraces Putin and Kim, but turns his back on children suffering in concentration camps, it sends a strong message to an international community who have been looking to the U.S. as a world leader for decades.
Trump is not the lead we want the rest of the world to follow.
* * *
Naturally, Donald Trump was also terrifying ignorant, again, on the world stage.
After Senator Kamala Harris challenged Joe Biden on his busing record during the first Democratic primary debate, Trump was asked if he views busing as "a viable way of integrating schools," to which he started his response by saying: "Well, it has been something that they've done for a long period of time. I mean, you know, there aren't that many ways that you're going to get people to schools."
At another point, he was asked if he agrees with Putin about decline of "Western-style liberalism," to which he responded by criticizing Los Angeles and San Francisco run, saying they are "sad to look at" because they are "run by liberal people." Yikes.
Adam Serwer notes: "Trump thinks 'Western-style liberalism' refers to liberals on the West Coast, not the form of government of the country he is currently president of."
If you're shocked that Trump thinks "western-style liberalism" is a reference to California Democrats and "busing" is just about school buses in general, remember that he has repeatedly stated that stealth planes are literally invisible to the human eye. https://t.co/RjptGBnHDZ
— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) June 29, 2019
And, in one final humiliation for the U.S., Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump, awkwardly tried to insert herself into a group of world leaders discussing world affairs. Edward Luce at the Financial Times describes the scene:
The video, released by the French government, shows varying expressions of tortured politeness as Ms Trump intrudes on a discussion between France's Emmanuel Macron, Britain's Theresa May, Canada's Justin Trudeau and Christine Lagarde, head of the IMF. Ms Lagarde, in particular, was unable to conceal her irritation.After which she smiles broadly, totally pleased with herself at what she clearly believes was a trenchant observation, completely oblivious to what an absolute wanker she is. It is absolutely cringe-inducing to behold.
What they were discussing is secondary. Mr Macron made a point about social justice. Mrs May replied that people notice when the economy is brought into it. Ms Trump then interrupted with a non sequitur about how the defence industry is male-dominated.
This entire family is a scourge on the nation and on the entire fucking planet.
I don't know what else needs to be or even could be said at this point. Impeach Trump. Remove his entire regime. It is, truly, of global importance and the utmost urgency.
