In multiple ways that’s it quite correct. I don’t even particularly care about US “division”. Actually I mock people who clutch their pearls at Americans yelling at each other loudly over political disagreements. Kicking our own ass is as American as apple pie. The rest of this just the entire motivation behind my anti- trump activity just... off.
But the part I want to focus on is my wanting to “deny other countries the right to defend themselves.” That’s inaccurate. I expect them to defend themselves and certainly with democratic counties we should always find an accommodation. But not with authoritarian regimes. Authoritarian regimes are not legitimate representatives of their people and several among them have interests in direct opposition to our own. Of course we should press for us to maximize our position vis a vis them. How could it be any other way? The work of the free world is not done until the unfree is made free. We should not tolerate it’s perpetuance and certainly we should set them low when they directly challenge us no country should ever trust the US. The kind of trust you talk of is for children. And we should never trust any country. That’s emotional. Foreign relations are rational, not emotional. 85% of this thread is people reacting emotionally to soMething that is rational.
No. Don’t trust us. But trust is to act in our interest s. And that is in turn, what we trust about you. And that’s the correct approach because foreign relations is entirely interest driven.
Let me give a modern day example.
The US is currently trying to coax Europe into blocking Huawei as part of our global push back against china. The US intelligence community regards Huawei as a massive security threat that will undermine western security if it is put deep into European telecom infrastructure. Europe likes Huawei because it’s cheap. The US made significant advances in gerring Europe to a common position with us in the last 2 months, but we’re still it the. Simply put, Europe loves money, probably more than the security it takes badly for granted, and doesn’t want to offend the China market or badly needs and Chinese investment it badly wants. So it’s been a constant struggle between Europe alienating the ally and friend it has and wants to keep, and it alienating the friend it wants. And make no mistake. The Us will not bend on Huawei. We are winning in clipping it’s wings and we won’t lay off.
So should we trust Europe to do the right thing? Common values and all that? Fuck no. When we get a deal with Europe it will contain enough loop holes in it that will still allow Huawei in, in some form, because Europe will sell that it China as a compromise and hope we tolerate a less than full ban, because Europe’s interests are both security and trade. This has even happened her but we clearly should not trust Europe to put its alliance with us first - it never does when it comes to money - but we can trust them to act in their own interests, while will be that soft-kinda-not really ban.
That is what IR looks like. I don’t think Europe will be right for that approach, but I can’t begrudge them for acting in their interests either.
So no, never trust us. Trust is for children. Just trust that the US will try to advance it’s
Interests and defend its position. Rational foreign policy should be loveless. It should be only calculated.