The Trump Administration is making Europe nervous, even
frantic but it is also opening doors. From a European military force to a new
Brussels and Berlin defined IMF, to new autonomy in trade, the instability is
laying great weight on Merkel... but at the same time she's more powerful than
ever.
The test for her will be the upcoming election this
September. If she wins, then hands down she is the most powerful political
figure in Europe and depending on where the Trump administration is at by this
fall she may become the de-facto 'leader' of the West. But she faces
challenges. It's a volatile time but for some Europeans this is the moment
they've been waiting for.
One wonders what Merkel is thinking right now. After the
semi-disastrous (and even comical) meeting with Trump there must be a lot of
questions and considerations. There is so much afoot at the moment. Between
Brexit and French elections, the rise of the Right, tensions with Turkey, NATO
in question, relations with Russia, refugees, the Middle East, the questionable
nature and contradictions within world markets and the instability of the world
order when it comes to trade, and of course Donald J Trump... it's hard to keep
track of it all, let alone take it all in.
I'd like to a be a fly on the wall when the G7 meets this May
in Sicily or the G20 meeting in Hamburg this July... or the Bilderberg
Conference potentially slated for June in Virginia.
"nervous, even frantic"
ReplyDeleteUnsettled definitely, nervous possibly, frantic never.
Have you ever seen a frantic CDU politician?
The frantic politicians are those who are promoting racism and xenophobia, which are those politicians who are most supportive of President Trump.
ReplyDeletefran•tic
(frăn′tĭk)
adj.
1. Highly excited with strong emotion or frustration; frenzied: frantic with worry.
2. Characterized by rapid and disordered or nervous activity: made a frantic last-minute search for the lostkey.
3. Archaic Mentally deranged.
un•set•tled
(ŭn-sĕt′ld)
adj.
1. Not in a state of order or calmness; disturbed: these unsettled times.
2. Likely to change or vary; variable: unsettled weather.
3.
a. Not determined or resolved: an unsettled issue.
b. Uncertain or doubtful: were still unsettled with respect to their future plans.
4. Not paid or adjusted; outstanding: an unsettled bill.
5. Uninhabited or not occupied by settlers: unsettled territory.
6. Not fixed or established: an unsettled lifestyle.
Unless you're taking 'frantic' as mentally deranged I fail to see your point. I appreciate the nuance but it's pretty sleight. I guess you're trying to say my choice of adjectives invalidates the point?
And how are the Trump people 'frantic' again unless you mean it as mentally deranged. I'll grant that. But in terms of them being nervous or in a state of frenzied frustration... I don't see that. At least not yet.
No, I am saying frantic as in
ReplyDelete"Highly excited with strong emotion or frustration; frenzied: frantic with worry."
CDU politicians, especially Kanzler Merkel rarely display any strong emotion and cannot be described as frenzied ie frantic with worry. They are definitely concerned about Trump and his possible policy implementations so your point is valid, just not justified by the exaggerated tone of "frantic".
And the politicians I was referring to as being supportive of Trump were not those in the USofA but politicians such as Farage, Le Penn, and Wilders. all of whom do give displays of being "highly excited with strong emotion".
And in other news (a posssible topic for a future article), is it seriously time for a constitutional convention?
Got it.
ReplyDeleteConstitutional Convention in what sense?
Happy to be of service ;+)
ReplyDeleteNow what is or should be of extreme concern is the latest item by NPR News (who are, as is often the case, noticeably late in reporting the issue) that Le Penn and the Front National have the support of 40% of voters in the age group 18-24. They may not be able to swing the presidential election this time, but they are the people who in future years are going to have major (if not the most) significant political influence. If the mainline parties do not start adressing the problems of youth, particularly unemployment, then the further descent into extremism will continue. The lessons of the Weimar Republic are obvious -- economic decline and turmoil, mainline political party incompetence and intransigence, result in voters wanting and supporting a "strong leader", and ethnic minorities and immigrants become a most useful scapegoat. Regardless politicians such as Gordon Brown, Francois Hollande, and Barack Obama have all proven that is easier to do nothing, especially when their own future financial prosperity has been secured beyond anything that almost all of their supporters could ever dream of attaining.
As to a constitutional convention, I refer you to Article V of the Constitution of the United State of America, in particular to
"on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments."
NPR is probably the best US-based mainstream outlet for covering international news. That said it's still pretty weak.
DeleteThere are many parallels with the lead up to WW's I and II.
I think one of the 'big' stories over the past few decades is that the so-called Left parties are really betraying the working class... and minorities for that matter. There's a lot of lip service and symbolic gestures but the core problems are never addressed. Because then you'd have to 'touch' Wall Street and the Pentagon, the very pulse of the Imperial System.
I know what a Constitutional Convention is.... but for what? What are you proposing? What amendment? That's what I'm not understanding.
A new Constitution?
I should have added... NPR used to be the 'best'. It has taken a nosedive in recent years. I used to listen to it a fair bit, especially in the car. These days I'm more likely to turn it off.
Delete"I think one of the 'big' stories over the past few decades is that the so-called Left parties are really betraying the working class.."
ReplyDeleteNo better illustrated than by the transforming by Tony Bliar of the Labour Party into Nu-Labor.
There is however an underlying issue and that is the decline of the "traditional" working class, with it effectively diverging into a poorly educated underclass of permanently unemployed and poverty level minimum wage workers whos are only sustained by welfare and tax credits, and a transition of those in stable employment (relatively well paid blue color jobs because of overtime and/or unsociable hours) to lower middle class. The problem then becomes that the underclass is not a sufficiently large electoral base to ever win significant seat, even if its members can be motivated to vote or if they do, not have defected to a populist far right party with "easy answers" and the scapegoat that all their economic and social problems are due to immigrants taking away their jobs, housing, hospital and school places, and social benefits payments.
The constitutional convention? I have no single issue or amendment to offer, but I was of the understanding that a number of GOP controlled state legislatures are now raising the battle cry to hold one, and that the number of states which favor one, is approaching the magic number of 34.
One of numerous articles on the topic --
Looks like my link to "Arizona Lawmakers Move Country Closer to Constitutional Convention: What It Means" in the Phoenix New Times was not permitted. See also articles about Governor Abott (R) of Texas leading the call for a consitutional convention.
ReplyDelete