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The story of large strong nations invading and taking over smaller, weaker ones is as old as recorded history. Call it what you like–imperialism, colonialism, colonization, or annexation—something of the sort is constantly simmering somewhere in the world, but brazen and large-scale efforts of this kind had gone relatively quiet until just under three years ago when Vladimir Putin decided that it was time to annex Ukraine.
It’s a simple story: Powerful country decides, for whatever reason, that it wants to take over a seemingly defenseless neighbor, generates a cover story of any sort it likes, and off we go. To this day, I’m not sure that anyone can quite explain what the hell Putin meant when he said the Russian invasion was for the “de-nazification” of Ukraine. Putin was expecting a Sudetenland-type experience as he invaded, and has gotten more than he ever bargained for. You’d think that this sort of it’s-not-as-simple-as-I-thought experience would have discouraged copycats.
But then came Donald Trump, master of the world.
If you really really covet Venezuelan oil, and the country’s strongman won’t go along, it’s as simple as can be: invade. But invade in a violent but cutesy way. Send in the special forces in the dark of night, kidnap the guy (and his wife, so he won’t be lonely), exit quickly with warnings to the politicians left behind, and declare that we’re taking over. Say that it’s all about drugs (ha!), but convene all the big oil companies and try convince them, using every available carrot ($$$$$) and stick (you know what happens to the contracts and privileges of those who don’t go along), that we’re going to take over the oil business there.
Greenland, we’re coming for you next. Why? Does it really matter which silly justification we pull out of thin air, Uncle Sam wants you, and whatever we want, we get.
But the story doesn’t end there, I fear. Trump and the Steven Millers lined up behind him, aren’t nearly as smart as they think. So let me make a very scary prediction:
If Trump can take over countries that aren’t even geographical neighbors, what would keep other strongmen in other parts of the world from finally acting on long-felt desires? I’m not sure whether North Korea will decide that this is a good time to annex South Korea before China will decide that it’s about time to take over Taiwan, but WHY NOT? If Trump can play that game, we can get away with it too. And we will do so without much opposition. Why? First, because we are militarily strong and it is known that Trump soils his pants when he encounters anyone who is a real threat. Greenland and Argentina don’t have huge armies and nuclear weapons, but we do. Second, we know that he will rationalize that all this is very far away and doesn’t really affect us. In fact, what he will do is to make occasional efforts to sound like a peace-maker in that region without any real commitment to stopping our aggression. The American fool will believe that Trumpian rhetoric toward peace in Asia will put in him back in the running for the Nobel Peace Prize that he so desperately covets. Third, if all hell is breaking loose in far-off parts of the world, he will think that this is an ideal way of deflecting attention from ICE, from the annexation of Greenland, and—oh, by the way—from Jeffrey Epstein.
In 1887, Britain’s Lord Acton was referring to the past, but clearly prophesizing the future, when he stated, “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Donald Trump, you have brought us into a new world order where law, reason, and morality are irrelevant and might makes right. Could any of us imagined that this might happen as we cast our votes in November 2024?
And it keeps me up at night to think, OMG, that we probably haven’t seen the worst yet.
