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Notes -
Trump just kicked Zelenskyy out of the White House after a public shouting match.
I've never seen anything like this. I sort of expected Trump to give him a hard time just for the cameras, but this seems to have legitimately hurt relations. Zelenskyy was in town to sign the much-anticipated minerals deal. From what I can hear the deal was not signed.
Ukraine needs the US much more than the US needs Ukraine. Could Zelenskyy not keep his pride contained for a few hours?
This is an interesting one screens different show situation.
Some see: https://www.themotte.org/post/1701/culture-war-roundup-for-the-week/303464?context=8#context
I see: Zelensky revealed as a child. Continues wearing his costume, refuses to negotiate, starts throwing a tantrum in from of the people funding his war, refuses to show any grace whatsoever. JD asking if he has said thank you was the perfect “out” for him to backtrack, explain how Ukraine is forever indebted to the American people, and how Ukraine owes us their existence and has a friend forever as a result of the help we’ve shown them (wether he actually thinks this or not).
But he doesn’t. He just keeps pushing, and Trump and JD, who hold ALL of the leverage in this situation, respond predictably.
The mineral deal is a deal that helps Ukraine, not the US. We don’t need their minerals. They need us to come and protect them from Russia.
My worry is: this pushes us closer to WW3. We need people building off-ramps (like what Trump is trying to do here), not entrenching themselves further (what Z is doing).
Two screens is an understatement.
I mean, Trump does himself no favors going off on more awkwardly phrased rants about the Biden Laptop, Russiagate, The Spies Who Lie, etc when the matter before him is ending the Ukrainian War. It's... lets say subtle whatever it was Zelensky said or did which set him off.
That said, despite Trump practically exploding in rage, he had Zelensky dead to rights on a few inarguable points. He's gambling with WW3, he has zero cards in this situation, and peace is the only thing that can save his nation even fractionally.
Zelensky is the president of a vassal state, and he needed to be put in his place, even if the Trump is fairly intemperate. Hard as it is to watch, the counterfactual where Trump doesn't get angry and humiliate Zelensky, and yet Zelensky discovers some humility anyways and becomes willing to negotiate a peace that doesn't involve dragging the US into WW3 is impossible to imagine. And you've basically either made peace with or, or enjoy, Trumps inappropriate in a politician disposition, or the next four years for you will be rough.
What is it with Russian shills and this stock phrase? What on earth is in their mind? I'm mystified.
A "World War" needs multiple nations around that world to be at war. Presumably highly developed ones of equal relatively strength. There are no other nations. There's Russia, maybe North Korea, and that's it. China is certainly not going to get involved. Who else? India? Japan? Brazil? If NATO/Europe gets involved it's over for Russia. The only thing I can think of is it means nuclear missiles.
Thats it.
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China's involvement comes presumably through taking advantage of the distraction to invade Taiwan.
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This kind of thing always reminds me of Richard Hanania tweeting:
"lt's aways World War III with these people. We're never on the brink of a medium sized conflict like the Iran-Iraq War."
Well, we're currently in a medium sized conflict like the Iran-Iraq war. So it's hard to see what it could escalate to except a big conflict.
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We are sleepwalking into the Second War of Jenkin’s Ear
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