Essential reading: Powerful, informative, non-partisan and specific. A clear analysis of America’s past, present and future from someone who has been in the trenches serving his nation.
But what will the new world order be, and since when is our way the better way? Last time I checked, we're a terrible nation according to almost half our population. My experiences abroad resulted in the same feelings toward us. How are we supposed to not be an empire while doing empire things? I just don't get it. And I like our big oceans.
In the recent leak debacle, I liked seeing Vance openly speak about Europe not being able to defend itself without us. Yet they have free healthcare. I'm just tired of it. As a child of family chaos, the most important phrase I've learned is, "Not my responsibility."
If you had been able to hear the full comments, like I had the chance to do, it might be clearer. American power is built on defense, diplomacy and development. He said Trump has knocked out the development leg of the stool and will probably knock out diplomacy next. I don’t think the US aspires to empire building. The world left to its own devices without US leadership can lead to catastrophes that we will inevitably be pulled into whether we want to or not. Oceans don’t do us much good in an age of nuclear missiles.
My dad spent his 19th birthday in a foxhole in France, so perhaps as his son I have a closer connection to how America can get pulled into Europe’s dark history. I’ve read a lot of history. However distasteful you may find the US spending money on USAID, VOA, and the foreign service, those are all better options than blowing each other to bits with bombs and bullets.
I still think we're in a mutually assured destruction safety net, but I commented on that last time. Correlations and causations can be hard to determine. I think nukes are likely the cause of peace. Also, if the rotary has that level of speakers, I might look into joining, haha.
I often tell people that giving aid to other countries is a lot cheaper than waging war. A close corollary is that unregulated capitalism is its own worst enemy.
In Heather Cox Richardson's March 27 column, she delineates how the current administration, using Project 2025 as an owners manual, is hellbent on destroying America and its institutions. Worth a read.
A war in Europe is not our problem. We do not need them. They bring almost nothing to the table in terms of resources. They would be at war. Not us. They should cut some programs and pay for their own defense.
It is also possible, and I'm seeing this everywhere, that the previous generation is caught in "we've always done it this way" without looking at the numbers. We are getting screwed.
Are you aware that the only time NATO nations were summoned, and answered the call, to defend one of its members was the day after 9/11? European forces fought alongside Americans in Afghanistan. There were Europeans among the injured and dead.
And I just want to say I cannot stand Trump. That doesn't mean all his moves are bad.
I wouldn't have my current life if it weren't for Dave Busiek. I just feel the need to dissent with people I know are much smarter than I am. Because I think they might be caught in a bad feedback loop on some of these issues.
You sorely need to study history. Dictatorships do not end well. You also need to study the level of shock that our friends in Europe are registering. Beating up on friends and coddling other dictators like Putin, Erdogan and Orban is no way to behave. It must be forcefully rejected.
Chris, I believe you are probably a very nice person. And I really appreciate your counterpoints. I bet this conversation would be more enjoyable to you in person. Thank you for the insight and I'll make sure to give Heather Cox Richardson's March 27 column a read.
There are so many parallels the thinking of America in the 1930s and Germany in the 1930s. When Hitler came to power he first got himself elected to give himself legitimacy. He then proceeded to consolidate power by making himself in command of the military so he could sack those generals who didn't agree with him. He was anti-intellectual and then fomented a hatred of Jews to which he could ascribe the evils that befell Germany. America at that time, after WWI, did not want to get involved in European affairs, to remain isolated. We are seeing a withdrawal from the world stage, WHO, Voice of America, NATO, et al. Ukraine is a proxy war to curtail Putin, but we are now withdrawing our support and even befriending Putin. I wonder what Ronald Reagan would think of these developments? The autocratic appetite of Trump will not be satiated. People of color, LGBTQ citizens (especially trans) and those who step out of line (Tesla and Pro-Palestinian protesters) are being villainized. Our National Security leaders show their incompetence over Signal-gate. We are living in the most dangerous time in my lifespan.
I believe you’re right. This has been way worse than anyone imagined. Well, unless they read Project 2025. Because it’s all in there.
Americans tend to think the pendulum always swings and that everything works out in the end. But it doesn’t. As you suggest, history has painful lessons for those who fail to pay attention and fail to speak out.
This was the most impactful meeting of the Des Moines Rotary club since I joined a year ago. Ambassador Crocker was so unassuming while so deeply informed of multi faceted strategy and diplomacy needed to establish and move the world order. Thank you for memorializing it here.
Thanks, Tej. I’m glad I am not the only one who thinks he was really informative. The talk I heard last Tuesday evening was even more so because he had a full hour.
Essential reading: Powerful, informative, non-partisan and specific. A clear analysis of America’s past, present and future from someone who has been in the trenches serving his nation.
But what will the new world order be, and since when is our way the better way? Last time I checked, we're a terrible nation according to almost half our population. My experiences abroad resulted in the same feelings toward us. How are we supposed to not be an empire while doing empire things? I just don't get it. And I like our big oceans.
In the recent leak debacle, I liked seeing Vance openly speak about Europe not being able to defend itself without us. Yet they have free healthcare. I'm just tired of it. As a child of family chaos, the most important phrase I've learned is, "Not my responsibility."
If you had been able to hear the full comments, like I had the chance to do, it might be clearer. American power is built on defense, diplomacy and development. He said Trump has knocked out the development leg of the stool and will probably knock out diplomacy next. I don’t think the US aspires to empire building. The world left to its own devices without US leadership can lead to catastrophes that we will inevitably be pulled into whether we want to or not. Oceans don’t do us much good in an age of nuclear missiles.
My dad spent his 19th birthday in a foxhole in France, so perhaps as his son I have a closer connection to how America can get pulled into Europe’s dark history. I’ve read a lot of history. However distasteful you may find the US spending money on USAID, VOA, and the foreign service, those are all better options than blowing each other to bits with bombs and bullets.
I still think we're in a mutually assured destruction safety net, but I commented on that last time. Correlations and causations can be hard to determine. I think nukes are likely the cause of peace. Also, if the rotary has that level of speakers, I might look into joining, haha.
I often tell people that giving aid to other countries is a lot cheaper than waging war. A close corollary is that unregulated capitalism is its own worst enemy.
In Heather Cox Richardson's March 27 column, she delineates how the current administration, using Project 2025 as an owners manual, is hellbent on destroying America and its institutions. Worth a read.
A war in Europe is not our problem. We do not need them. They bring almost nothing to the table in terms of resources. They would be at war. Not us. They should cut some programs and pay for their own defense.
It is also possible, and I'm seeing this everywhere, that the previous generation is caught in "we've always done it this way" without looking at the numbers. We are getting screwed.
Are you aware that the only time NATO nations were summoned, and answered the call, to defend one of its members was the day after 9/11? European forces fought alongside Americans in Afghanistan. There were Europeans among the injured and dead.
You should be ashamed of yourself.
No, George Bush should probably be in jail. Please don't insult people when they are simply sharing reasonable dissent.
And I just want to say I cannot stand Trump. That doesn't mean all his moves are bad.
I wouldn't have my current life if it weren't for Dave Busiek. I just feel the need to dissent with people I know are much smarter than I am. Because I think they might be caught in a bad feedback loop on some of these issues.
You sorely need to study history. Dictatorships do not end well. You also need to study the level of shock that our friends in Europe are registering. Beating up on friends and coddling other dictators like Putin, Erdogan and Orban is no way to behave. It must be forcefully rejected.
Bye bye; I’m not going to be your penpal.
Chris, I believe you are probably a very nice person. And I really appreciate your counterpoints. I bet this conversation would be more enjoyable to you in person. Thank you for the insight and I'll make sure to give Heather Cox Richardson's March 27 column a read.
Here is John Stewart with a nerd I could never aspire to be having a better version of the convo. Definitely worth watching. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgEQeLR-M0g&t=934s
There are so many parallels the thinking of America in the 1930s and Germany in the 1930s. When Hitler came to power he first got himself elected to give himself legitimacy. He then proceeded to consolidate power by making himself in command of the military so he could sack those generals who didn't agree with him. He was anti-intellectual and then fomented a hatred of Jews to which he could ascribe the evils that befell Germany. America at that time, after WWI, did not want to get involved in European affairs, to remain isolated. We are seeing a withdrawal from the world stage, WHO, Voice of America, NATO, et al. Ukraine is a proxy war to curtail Putin, but we are now withdrawing our support and even befriending Putin. I wonder what Ronald Reagan would think of these developments? The autocratic appetite of Trump will not be satiated. People of color, LGBTQ citizens (especially trans) and those who step out of line (Tesla and Pro-Palestinian protesters) are being villainized. Our National Security leaders show their incompetence over Signal-gate. We are living in the most dangerous time in my lifespan.
I believe you’re right. This has been way worse than anyone imagined. Well, unless they read Project 2025. Because it’s all in there.
Americans tend to think the pendulum always swings and that everything works out in the end. But it doesn’t. As you suggest, history has painful lessons for those who fail to pay attention and fail to speak out.
This was the most impactful meeting of the Des Moines Rotary club since I joined a year ago. Ambassador Crocker was so unassuming while so deeply informed of multi faceted strategy and diplomacy needed to establish and move the world order. Thank you for memorializing it here.
Thanks, Tej. I’m glad I am not the only one who thinks he was really informative. The talk I heard last Tuesday evening was even more so because he had a full hour.