Rupture

 

Two missives posted on Facebook.  I know many of you hate politics but I think the Trump regime has made us all realise what a terrible danger his wicked statements are having.  Most of us in blogland have American friends and respect American people, we know you are as sick as us as to what is happening. 

I happen to classify myself as a European, Brexit was a definite no-no for me.  Nationalism and fascism two words which I deplore.  The outrage and cruelty of the ICE people cannot be tolerated neither can Trump and his entourage.  For that is what they are, they are not a government, just a handful of men trying to make themselves rich by bullying people and countries around.

They have probably overstepped the mark by criticising the efforts of our soldiers and veterans who fought alongside them in the wars that we all deplore.  Starmer, our prime minister has at last come out from his bunker and lashed out as well.

But red lines have been crossed again and again.  The actuality of governing by law  bypassed by corrupt government officials.  Though I see time and time again, honest judges and lawyers calling for the corrupt guilty men to be put to trial.  This is actually frightening for many people.  We live by laws laid down in our societies, for laws to be overturned at the behest of a narcissistic obviously sick man is truly frightening,

The parents of Alex Jeffrey Pretti want the fate of their son shared and Denmark is angry.  There is an obvious parting of allies it is never going to be the same again.  Europe needs to be united.

To the American people. This is from the Denmark thread pasted and copied.

If one follows the public debate in Denmark, a clear picture emerges: the Danish population has had enough.

After decades of close cooperation, loyalty and shared military engagement, patience is wearing thin. Donald Trump’s repeated statements claiming that Denmark and other European nations have not been good allies have pushed the matter beyond what can be brushed aside as rhetoric.

For many Danes, these remarks were not merely incorrect. They were deeply insulting. They dismiss real sacrifices, real losses and real responsibility. They reduce twenty years of war, trauma and death to a talking point detached from reality.

Denmark stood by the United States in Afghanistan long after others left. France and Spain withdrew around 2011. Denmark did not. We stayed committed to a mission that, in hindsight, was fundamentally flawed — not because of Danish soldiers, but because of American leadership and strategic decisions.

The United States chose to divert focus to Iraq, undermining the mission in Afghanistan. Both wars ended as military and political failures under American command. Afghanistan collapsed. Iraq destabilized an entire region. These are not interpretations. They are outcomes.

This pattern is not new. Korea ended without victory. Vietnam cost the lives of 58,000 American soldiers and achieved no meaningful result. Again and again, U.S.-led military interventions leave behind instability, destruction and unresolved conflict.

The same pattern applies to political and covert interventions: the overthrow of Mossadegh in Iran, Allende in Chile, and numerous others. Democratic leaders replaced by dictators and despots. The driving force was rarely freedom. It was power and money.

From a Danish — and European — perspective, this contradiction can no longer be ignored.

The United States presents itself as a guardian of values, yet remains a society marked by deep structural corruption: recurring school shootings, mass incarceration unmatched in the Western world, the continued use of the death penalty, and a foreign policy characterized more by coercion than cooperation.

Donald Trump did not create this reality. He exposes it. Brutally and without restraint.

Europe still holds on to values that matter: dignity, responsibility, proportionality and respect. Money is not everything. Conduct matters. How allies are treated matters.

And this is where the line is crossed

Disparaging Danish soldiers — men and women who fought and died alongside American forces — is not politics. It is a violation of basic respect. It is an insult to those who served and to the families who lost loved ones.

That demands a response.

Denmark must demand a formal apology. From the Pentagon. And from Donald Trump himself. If such an apology is not given, there is no basis for further discussion about expanded cooperation — including strategic cooperation regarding Greenland.

We do not deepen cooperation with actors who show contempt for our veterans and their families. That is a red line. And it is non-negotiable.

If this position carries economic or strategic consequences, so be it. In our part of the world, values still outweigh money. And if those values are not respected, we are prepared to walk away.

Let Donald Trump speak. Let him rant. If the United States has something serious to say, it can put it in writing — and say it with respect.

Until then, Denmark — and Europe — should distance itself clearly and decisively.

Because dignity is not for sale.

And respect is not optional.