David Graeber on twitter

“I’m not sure which i find more entertaining, Trump’s still somewhat random efforts to dismantle the American empire, or Cold War liberals special shock & outrage about pretty much the only good thing he’s doing.”

I agree. an opening of friendship to Russia and China is good statesmanship. When Trump came to the presidency Russia was a minor player on the world stage. Trump, probably with echoes form the fifties and sixties in New York, assumed Russia was a big deal. This was a big mistake because a world divided between China and the US areas of influence is much easier to manage than a three part (or 4 given Europe., but less important geopolitically as time goes on.)

But having raised Russia in the world’s eyes, and its own, getting out of the cold-war mentality is still a very good idea, now ruined.

Trump seems to want to play king of the mountain and like the idea of just one mountain, ours, Too bad because he too cannot be trusted with his own impulse to treat the rival street gang as a somewhat friend.