I’m not saying I approve of what he’s doing. Quite the contrary.

But it’s what he’s asking, and how he’s asking, not that he’s asking.

Trying to control the way other countries are run is fucking wild, the notion of which should never even be remotely entertained.

In happier times, we call the process “diplomacy,” and mostly limit it to things that affect us, directly or indirectly.

But pressuring other countries to, for example, clean up their corruption so we can reliably do business with them is common. (Also hilariously hypocritical) Pressuring other countries to enact civil rights laws is fairly common, too.

I have to admit, seeing pressure to remove civil rights is unusual, at least from countries not named UAE.

Trump won’t buckle, this is true.

But there are plenty of other people around him that will. Sooner or later, either a real war will break out, or Trump will be removed, or nutered, or otherwise brought to heel by the Senate, or the military, or the oligarchs.

This may not be only about tariffs, but they play into it, if only by making other countries unhappy with us.

I wonder if he understands the conflict between “open market” and “tariffs,” or if this is just a case of him not understanding that other countries get to make their own policy, or what.

I don’t want the patient of the US to be operating under Maxim 13.

Hummm. No boob jokes. This might be legitimate.

Seems you understood the spirit of it.

I’m reasonably sure that the level of leadership that’s running carriers is still mostly competent.

Of course, President Musk might decide to go down there and take personal charge of the carrier group. That might be fun.

Most of our government seems to be.