Donald Trump's bruising return to the White House has sent many longtime foreign allies scrambling to get their distance, and according to a new piece from The Atlantic, that distance will last long after Trump is gone.

Trump's second term as president has been marked by notable and widespread disrespect toward nations once seen as close U.S. allies. Between his attempts to level massive tariffs against nearly every nation in the world and his frequent breaches of diplomatic norms, Trump has created a hostile global environment in which allies no longer feel safe trusting in the stability of the U.S.

In a new piece for The Atlantic on Tuesday, staff writer Vivian Salama argued that this new dynamic, in which the nations of the world are working to establish a safe distance from the U.S., is bound to become the new normal for years to come, even after Trump leaves office and is potentially replaced by a more traditional, dependable administration.

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[–] 22 points 6 days ago (4 children)

It's not accident or short-sighted incompetence either, it's direct from the fascist playbook. Fascism and Authoritarianism feeds on crises and enemies, so if you don't have any of those you need to manufacture some.

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  • [–] -3 points 5 days ago (2 children)

    As plausible as this seems, I don’t think it was that deliberate. The guy is a moron. This was all done by accident, and the fallout happened to be what is recognizable as fascism.

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  • [–] 11 points 5 days ago* (1 child)

    Trump is a moron, self centered and easily manipulated by the people around him.

    He's surrounded himself with fascists who are absolutely delighted at how things are going.

    He's a puppet.

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  • [–] 1 point 5 days ago

    This seems to be the ideal archetype for a Republican "leader." Always some doofus who listens to the shadow government's every whim and claims it was his own idea the whole time.

    But in the past, there was this facade of respectability, rather than just being an overgrown schoolyard bully who dropped out in 2nd grade.

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