How did Donald Trump become Putin's Puppet?

[Anonymous]

What does he have on Donald Trump? Is it because of his Russian mail order bride Melania Trump? In any case, Americans can either vote to install Vladimir Putin's Puppet government or deal with the useless far-left Joe Biden for another four years. Damn that sucks for them.

I don't understand why Americans don't back the Green party instead of electing mentally unstable dinosaurs that belong in nursing homes.

[nightdrot]

Let me start by saying that I am a Republican who is no fan of former President Trump. Although some of his domestic policies were effective, on the whole he was a socially divisive force the material success of whose policies, whatever their merits, was more than offset by the divides he either sustained or built in the culture. He, like other populists before him - and like the one currently in the White House - are on the whole net liabilities to a stable social order.

Having said that, Mr. Trump's foreign policy was well suited to the international arena. The great ideological conflicts - World War II and the Cold War - had been won by the USA, and the West generally. This has led them to apply the model of ideological conflict to a changed international environment. Hence, the endless wars in Afghanistan and elsewhere.

The current era of international relations is more like that of the pre-World War I era. Balance of power, spheres of influence and the like. Mr. Trump - arguably less due to his academic understanding of global affairs than to his simple instincts as a businessman - is well suited to the current age.

Allegedly, as the premise of this question suggests, this made Mr. Trump a mere puppet of Russia's President Putin. In fact, it allowed Mr. Trump to keep Russia separated from China and thereby preserve the USA's dominant global position. By tilting toward Russia, the weaker power between China and Russia, Mr. Trump was able to confine China.

To be sure, this was and would be again a subtle balancing act. However, it worked. China seemed to proceed cautiously vis-a-vis Taiwan. Russia respected the European balance of power and thus did not move against Ukraine for fear of alienating American support against China.

Keep in mind that, historically, Russia and China have been rivals and it was this, perhaps more by accident than design, that Mr. Trump was able to exploit. Unfortunately, when all you have is a hammer every problem looks like a nail and because the USA won two great ideological contests, it is now applying that model to the contemporary international arena where it does not fit.

Mr. Trump was not, and is not, a puppet of President Putin. (It is worth adding, by the way, that recently Mr. Putin stated publicly that he would prefer Mr. Biden over Mr. Trump in the upcoming American presidential election.) Rather, he played a balancing game where he sided with Russia against China when he needed to, but also sharply drew the line where American vital interests were at stake.

Suffice to say, Mr. Biden - who in fairness is not so much ideological as simply incoherent - has not played that game. Thus Russia invaded Ukraine. Thus China looks set to move against Taiwan, and most dangerously, China and Russia are moving closer to each other.

All of this at great peril to the USA and Western interests generally and compounded by the fact that the rising populist tide in the USA is also producing a concomitant rise in isolationism. Thus the split in both parties over whether or not Ukraine deserves American support. In both the context of ideological conflict and the realpolitik model, this would not be a question.

Bottom line, the notion that Mr. Trump - and again, I say this as no fan of Mr. Trump - is a puppet of Mr. Putin is pure twaddle. As historical models like Bismarck, Disraeli, Cavour and Theodore Roosevelt amply illustrate, the motto of international diplomacy in a realpolitik environment, however regrettably, remains, "Lay down with the devil and achieve your goals."

[goaded]

Trump reveres strongmen and wants to look like one himself. But he's just play-acting, like when he pretended to be a truck driver.

Like McCarthy said in 2016: “There’s two people I think Putin pays: Rohrabacher and Trump.” (it's on tape).

Anyone suggesting that Biden, for supporting democracy over authoritarianism, is as divisive as Trump should look in the mirror, because they're peddling divisive lies. Supporting democracy, or at least pretending to, used to be SOP in the US.

Biden's not a populist; he's a normal American politician. And he's standing up to Putin and Russia, at least as much as the Republican party will let him. Bernie is a populist, but an honest one who's been saying the same things for decades and not in it for himself.

"Oh, Biden's weak" because he hasn't got the money he asked for from Congress. (Because the House is controlled by a fraction of the Republican party that won't compromise.)

"Congress" cut off Covid child care funding, when it was 100% Republicans.

"The border bill is bad", although it's most of what Republicans want, but they really want a continuing crisis to campaign against, rather than a partial solution that might make the opposition look good.

The next US election is about whether it will be the last.

[strateguy632]

trump not his puppet.

trump even "stood up" to powerful china.

you using association method and scare tactics are so pathetic.

nobody can find anything good about biden. so lie about trump.

pathetic!

[Asker]

He's a Puppet of Putin just as much as Joe Biden is a Puppet of Xi Jinping. So you believe a billionaire who lived his life more comfortably than you is not as corrupt as Joe Biden. I am not using any scare tactics I don't care about your country my country is neutral and we are starting any stupid wars.

He is a Puppet and you are delusional if you think a rich billionaire actually cares about the working-class America people and their struggles. He don't care about you. He's going to give you away to Putin.

He talked about mass deportation and building a wall. He didn't build a wall he gave you a tiny fence. He is not going to get rid of the illegals you have in your country either. How do I know this? Simple. Republicans like Illegal immigrants just as much as Democrats like illegal immigrants.

Why you thought Republicans care the American people? No they don't give a shit about you. Republicans is the party for the corporations and always have been. They like illegal immigrants because they cost less money to pay and they can exploit illegals for cheap labor. Rich Republicans are the ones giving your jobs away to illegals. Democrats like the illegals because they can use them to get easy votes because of the exploitation they went through from the Republicans. Both Democrat and Republicans love immigrants and you are delusional if you think Trump is get rid of them. He didn't do anything to get rid of them when he was in office he is not going to do anything when he gets second term because he profits off it.

Democrat or Republican they don't give a shit about you. They care about their pockets. That is how your Two party system works. Trump won't do anything change the problems you have right now. It'll be the same thing under Trump.

[Yabbut]

How so?