Amidst the brouhaha about the president's lawyers declaring that he is above the law, there is other news, some of it just as alarming as the idea that the president has decided that he has "absolute power" to pardon himself. I touched upon the growing trade war in my column yesterday and discussed how Trump is alienating America's traditional allies in Europe and North America while cozying up to strongman dictators who clearly see him as a mark. Even his good pal the French president Emmanuel Macron is in the doghouse for failing to properly kowtow. CNN described a phone call about migration and trade between the two leaders:
"Just bad. It was terrible," one source told CNN. "Macron thought he would be able to speak his mind, based on the relationship. But Trump can't handle being criticized like that."
Earlier Macron had stated publicly that “economic nationalism leads to war --- this is exactly what happened in the 1930s,” which undoubtedly meant little to Trump who knows nothing about history or economic nationalism. In any case, all that hugging and hand holding didn't get him too far. With Trump everything is a one-way street leading directly to his ego.
Trump's understanding of trade is simplistic and he is not conversant in economics. He is just using the issue to show his dominance and make the world "stop laughing at us" which he has said a thousand times:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrTs8bdVT78
However, there are others with a more sophisticated agenda, which may be even more concerning since they seem to see Trump as a useful tool. One of them is former Trump campaign chief and senior adviser Steve Bannon who has been out of the limelight these last few months.The last we heard Trump was calling him "sloppy Steve" but apparently Bannon hasn't lost his affection for the big guy in spite of that. And frankly, Trump may not have lost his for Bannon either --- as long as someone is willing to kiss his ring he'll invite them back into his circle before long.
Fareed Zakaria interviewed Bannon in Rome recently where he was enthusiastically cheering on the chaos of the recent Italian elections, implying that a new day of economic populism was surging across Europe like a Panzer division on methamphetamines. He was full of the usual contradictions and muddled philosophical compost, but he essentially made the case that right wing nationalism is the wave of the future although he tried unsuccessfully to claim that race, ethnicity and religion have nothing whatsoever to do with it. And he sputtered his way through an unconvincing explanation as to how Trump's massive tax cuts were the basis of Trump's economic populism. He said:
“Europe is about a year ahead of the United States. . . . You see populist-nationalist movements with reform [here]. . . . You could begin to see the elements of Bernie Sanders coupled with the Trump movement that really becomes a dominant political force in American politics.”
It's hard to say what's going to happen in America but it's hard to imagine a marriage between Sanders' left populism and Trump's right nativism. The xenophobia and racism is a real sticking point.
In Europe there is certainly a rising right wing movement about which Bannon and his allies are closely observing for tips on how to use Trump to make it happen in the US. For instance, Trump's newly confirmed Ambassador to Germany, a former right wing hit man and odioustwitter troll, Richard Grenell, has made one of the worst first impressions of any diplomat in history with this tweet:
Ric: my advice, after a long ambassadorial career: explain your own country’s policies, and lobby the host country - but never tell the host country what to do, if you want to stay out of trouble. Germans are eager to listen, but they will resent instructions.
There was widespread indignation from across the German political spectrum but Grenell refused to back down, basically telling the German people he was only following orders:
the exact language sent out from the White House talking points & fact sheet. https://t.co/vKYRny6Hkq
He was the only Ambassador to do such a thing. But over the week-end he went even further, giving an interview to Breitbart, in which he said that he was “excited” by the rise of far-right parties in Europe and was prepared “to empower other conservatives throughout Europe, other leaders.” Breitbart reported:
Unafraid to name names, Mr Grenell expressed a deep respect and admiration for the young Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz saying, “Look, I think Sebastian Kurz is a rockstar. I’m a big fan.”
Chancellor Kurz, leader of the conservative Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP), formed a coalition with the populist Freedom Party (FPÖ) earlier this year, and has been one of the strongest advocates for securing the European Union’s external border.
Not long after the formation of the coalition, Kurz stood up to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, rejecting the controversial European Union migrant quota system.He was also been a leading conservative on the topic of counter-Islamisation while Foreign Minister in the previous coalition government, advocating and helping to pass a ban on the full-face Islamic veil.
The German government was not amused. According to Robert Mackay at The Intercept they "demanded a formal explanation from the United States on Monday of what, exactly, the new U.S. ambassador in Berlin, Richard Grenell, meant when he promised to use his office to help far-right nationalists inspired by Donald Trump take power across Europe." Grenell tweeted that he did not plan to endorse anyone but stood by his claim that Europe, like America,is “experiencing an awakening from the silent majority — those who reject the elites and their bubble. Led by Trump.”
No doubt all of America's European allies were thrilled to hear that, especially with the neo-fascist rumblings coming from Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban and now Slovenian right wing nationalist hard-liner Janez Jansa.
The trade war is bad enough. White nationalist Trumpies stomping around Europe shooting off their mouths and giving support to far right politicians is making it worse.
By the way, Trump just named an extremist Bannon ally to lead the broadcasting arm of the U.S. government, a $685 million agency that oversees prominent U.S.-funded outlets including Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. What could go wrong?
Bannon: to learn from and provide support to the unusual coalition of populists and nationalists who together won half the vote in Italy’s recent elections and have formed a government. Bannon sees that sort of coalition — mixing left and right, old and young — as his goal for the United States.
