In the transaction-based world that Trump inhabits, I give it about a 25 percent chance one of the topics in those secret one-on-one’s he’s had with Putin includes a brief discussion of how to accelerate the US abandoning the middle east to Russian influences by raising the cost in lives of staying.
One could imagine one problem posed was accelerating the US exit from Afghanistan.
Trump, in a conversation, says to Putin, “You want to be in Afghanistan we got to get out. So help me.”
“What would you have me do, invade and attack? No way,” replies Putin.
“No,” says the plotter, “let the Taliban do it, encourage them to attack and attack.”
Putin replies, “The Taliban already hates the US and I see nothing stopping them other than your guys, who are awfully good. We’re already giving them all the ordinance they can use.”
“But that’s not working fast enough. You know you should pay them until the bodies really start piling up,” Trump says.
“A bounty, right. Next item,” Putin says, “Donald, you’ve got to get me back into the G8 so I can steal back what this whole thing is costing me.”
“Yes, Vlad, I expect it is a pretty expensive undertaking to make the world safe for kleptocrats like you and me, but it’s worth it,” Donald said.
I think it important to keep in mind that there have been several discussions between Trump and Putin of which there is no known public record. When you realize this and compare Trump’s acts in regard to our abandoning the post WWII world order in favor of a sphere of influence model that returns the US to the repudiated 1920’s Republican isolationism, complete with punitive as well as protective tariffs.
Trump’s range of action is also expanded by the Coronavirus epidemic as he works hard to change the national narrative back to the culture war.
Argumentatively his primary purpose in flouting mask wearing may be that part of plan is to create a cadre of what he assumes are right-wing militants who are ‘immune’ to Covid because they’ve already had it. He looks to the numbers — the impacts Covid has on minority and economically marginal groups — and he considers the pandemic a front in the cultural war. That strategy being pursued is on of attrition where he figures his enemies are losing because those opposing him are dying at twice the rate of those HE CONSIDERS racially pure.
Even that damning charge is strangely consistent with weird Trump acts like retweeting the “White Power” video.
Getting down in the weeds, my mind kind of wanders into considering that what we’re really facing in this cultural war, is a plan by criminals to install governments that are essentially corrupt to the core around the world as a precursor for a criminal world government.
Criminal activity, you know like the what happened to the $ 600 billion that the administration refuses to account for the recent covid recovery legislation. Sure some of the money went to where it was directed but other funds were disbursed without any oversight, begging fraud and abuse. Besides, you could run a pretty good war with $600 billion as that is about four times the funding GWB said the Iraqi war would cost.
Oh, and the criminal thing kind of gets back to the wishes of a certain class of person whose been a real problem throughout or republic’s history — the professional criminal. You can start with Aaron Burr, sling past the profiteers of the civil war, walk on to railroads whose schemes were more criminal than the western gunslingers. Do proceed through gilded age, consider the inherent criminality of Jim Crow and don’t forget the corrupting influence folks like Al Capone and Trump mentor Roy Cohen had on justice from 1930-55. The rackets have always been lucrative.
We know that these folks have their own culture and everyone in this digital age has the capability to communicate securely if they make the effort. These people skim off society with corrupting schemes and activities from gambling, prostitution and protection. (If you want a view of how bad things can get, watch the 1955 quasi-documentary “The Phenix City Story.” This kind of crap is more common than folks think.)
The mystery is why is Trump and the GOP have done some really stupid things; things that don’t make good sense.
My belief is these actions are aimed at dividing us in an effort to ignite a civil war that would justify the right-wing’s power grab. It is also a signal that they plan to go to wall on this issue. Instigating violence is and continues to be a part of their plan.
These are people are a small, certainly less than one or two percent, who are wackos (neo-nazis, three percenters, oathkeepers, etc.) who have been propagandized to believe the Revolution in ‘76 was put on by only three-percent of the citizenry. The remainder were not involved or even parties of interest and with that bit of context, their belief in their capabilities is not deterred by polls showing a 80-20 split against them; rather their spirits are lifted … because we only need the support of three percent.
And don’t say that in times of crisis, a dedicated cadre of people can’t grasp the reigns of power as Napoleon, the Bolsheviks have succeeded against greater odds. Hell Adolf Hitler was frigging elected … something that makes a power grab soooo much easier (ask Erdogan.)
The point is Trump is nuts enough to think that he can drive his base to support a civil war — or at least threaten one — and he plans such a war if that is what it takes to stay in office. (Do remember he is likely certifiable according to his psychologist niece in her new book.)
It should be obvious that at least Russia, Turkey and Israel (under Netanyahu) would out of criminal loyalties, would back Trump keeping power, if not Xi, and other dictators worldwide.
Trump has been proving that he is incredibly stupid. We the people need to come up with a way to convince him that he is the loser. More on that momentarily.