Iare Trump's policies toward Euroope finally facing reality? There are some welcomed. shoots of green.

Are Trump's policies toward Europe finally facing reality?  Trump's isolationist policies and disdain for Europe are chickens coming home to roost. It may portend a shift in policy and attitudes toward NATO, a realization that Putin is not his best buddy, and a coming to grips with reality.   Europe's change in attitude is also an unanticipated fallout from Trump's quagmire in Iran and from friends and foes alike following Trump's low polls at home. For some, it is a time to stand up to Trump's bullying and the opportunity to "kick him while he is down". 

A secret trip to Russia by the US CIA chief, rumors that Russia was planning to attack some NATO ally to take advantage of Trump's home and Iran troubles, and Canada, aggressively pushing back on Trump's tariff bullying, may be hitting Trump in the face. It could all result in some not-so-subtle, but welcome, US policy changes toward NATO and strengthen that alliance instead of weakening it.  Hopefully this means greater understanding by Trump that the fall of Ukraine or the neutering of NATO were matters of national security importance to the USA itself. Canada's pushback against Trump's tariff war may also signal and end to European leaders licking Trump's boots and showing their own stiffening backbone.  

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Jpdate: 8/30/2026:  There is a darker view of why the CIA director went in person to Moscow with an entourage of y CIA operatives. John Brennan, a former CIA director, on MSNOW this AM feared there was an attempt to carve out what Russia would get in a peace deal in trade for Russia stop helping Iran. The problemwhy that was a long shot secret deal is that Trump no longer has the cards to deal with Ukraine, having promised aid that has not been delivered in the face of Europe "stepping up to the plate" and Ukraine itself able to ue drones to take the war to deep inside Russia.  Ukraine, however, needs US anti missile defense to do more that just play tit for tat with Russia in their destructive attacks.  Putiin on the otherhand is also driven by the line he has fed his citizens that Uraine is part of mother Russia and he is not ready to throw in the towel yet.  We may never know unless if there is no change in what Trump is already doing, but if he makes public the "deal" is on the table.

 There are some events this week that need to be carefully monitored, in addition to Trump's signal earlier this month that he is beginning to understand that it was Ukraine that had the cards and was at least giving Russia as good as it got.  While weapons from the US had not yet been sent, the Trump regime signaled to Putin that the US was no longer playing footsies with Putin on Ukraine. https://www.csis.org/analysis/trump-administration-boosts-immediate-military-aid-deliveries-ukraine

Today we learned that Trump's CIA director had made a secret visit to Russia with a message. on NATO resolve and Iran. https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/26/cia-russia-nato-moscow-ratcliffe-01051848  It appeared the USA got wind that Russia was planning an attack against the Baltics or Poland to take advantage of US preoccupation with Iran and public acknowledgment that the US had run through some very important weapon stockpiles.    The message delivered was that it appeared the US would trigger the mutual defense clause of NATO after all, and they underscored this with joint NATO military exercises with Poland. Europe has stepped up to the plate. Even Germany is significantly rearming itself.  If Putin had thought the US had abandoned  NATO, he should rethink that. 

Something not foreseen by Trump was the impact of his aggressive "tariff war" with Canada. Canada retaliated with its own tariffs against the US as it stood up to the bullying. This may also have inspired a change of heart in the EU.  Until now, France and others have played the game of flattery and subservience to Trump's anti-European posture, but Canada has shown a different way. The response from influential German magazine editors on Der Spiegel's Substack was that the time was right for Europe to also stand up to bully Trump, because he was showing weakness at home in a wide variety of polls, domestic issues, and the Iran war... European leaders have frequently preferred a strategy of kowtowing and ego-flattering in dealing with President Donald Trump. Canadian Premier Carney has taken the opposite tack. Europe should do the same.  The banner from Der Spiegel this morning read:

"DER SPIEGEL - The German View

It’s Time for Europe to Hit Trump While He’s Down

Two recent setbacks to Trump's foreign policy mean America's weaker and not so great agai's an

Two recent setbacks to Trump's foreign policy mean America is weaker and not so great again. It has weakened this country's ability to shape its own destiny. No greater evidence of this is Trump's failure to get more than one country to support his Iran war, and his influence to support Orban was more of a kiss of death than help to Russia. With these two setbacks, Trumpo shows he has lost control and influence to get European support for his Iran war.  Orban's loss in Hungary frees up billions for Europe to boost Ukraine's self-defense from Trump's pal, Putin's aggression.

Both signal the real meaning of Trump's hostility to Europe and NATO? As he complains, Europe does not jump to his tune anymore, he has failed to realize that the real result of his actions, insults, and refusal to honor the essence of NATO...mutual defense, he has lost control and influence over their policies.. Not only is America First now America alone, but it is also "America Too Weak" to influence its own destiny. Trump went after NATO again April 17: https://weartv.com/news/nation-world/trump-slams-nato-they-were-absolutely-useless-with-strait-of-hormuz-support-iran-war-conflict-attacks-united-states-military-troops

The Wall Street Journal reports Europe is planning to use the NATO military structure for its own defense if the US pulls out.  https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/europe-nato-trump-plans-3a423233

With Orban's huge defeat in Hungary, billions of European funds will be unblocked for Ukraine's defense.  The unifying chant by the citizens who engineered his ouster:"  Russia out".     It was like Minneapolis shouting ICE out.  Recently, chats between Orban and Russia's foreign minister revealed how closely Orban and Russia were in cahoots.        Viktor Orbán had been blocking a $105 billion of  EU loan package for Ukraine.  No doubt Putin will try to strangle Hungary's access to Russian energy, but the fear of that did not deter the citizens' revolt that ousted Orban. Europe's task is now to offset that loss of Russian oil and gas despite the pipeline configuration that favored Russia.

Marco Rubio comes close to endorsing a dictator updated 4/9/2026

4/9/26 And then Trump and Vance left no doubt that they not only endorsed Oban, but actively came to his aid as polls show he may lose the election this coming Sunday. Orban now enjoys the support of Putin and Trump...all the "best"people. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/watch-live-vance-speaks-in-hungary-on-trip-to-help-boost-orbans-reelection-bid

Rubio boosts Orbán's bid for another term during Budapest visit | PBS News

Viktor Orban has been described by many sources as a dictator and a neo fascist and has been held up as a darling by US right-wing conservatives (CPAC).

He also favors Putin's foreign policy, particularly as it pertains to Ukraine. Fellow European NATO members find him constantly out of step with their attempts to help Ukraine, and often have to use /workarounds to carve out their support for Ukraine. That Rubio would be endorsing him says much about Trump's love of dictators, a role his words and deeds reveal he aspires to join them, as well. As a Cuban-American, one would think Rubio understands why dictatorships are bad. I do not get him other than he has hitched his political ambitions wagon to Trump..

MUFTIC FORUM BLOG: The Orban playbook and if it would work here

In her 2018 book Fascism: A Warning, former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright identified Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán as a leader exhibiting authoritarian, fascist-like tendencies. She categorized his actions—such as undermining the press, judiciary, and minorities—as part of a broader trend of anti-democratic behavior. (GOOGLE AI)

 

MUFTIC FORUM BLOG: The Orban playbook and if it would work here

The profound implications of Davos: a stronger Europe and a weaker US

Update 1/31/2026: NATO will be holding its annual summit, and the topic on everyone's mind will be what sort of target each country should set for military spending. If Trump's attacks on NATO members for not doing their part as well as his hostility toward Europeans in general expressed in Davos and his tariff policies, the stalemate in Ukraine and the potential threat to Western Europe by Russia, Europe is stepping up even more. Germany had already agreed to 5% of GDP to be spent on defense in the future. 5% will be considered. The USA's current expenditures on defense in its current budgets is 3.3% of GDP. Using Gross Domestic Product as the measure is a way to be fair to all sizes of countries in NATO. 

Update: 2/29/2026  Hitler's obsession with Greenland; Trump's too. Hitler wanted it for aluminum production; Trump's says he wants it for "national security". Amazing parallel...My question is: Trump is famous for his near 0 reading comprehension, but he is an oral learner...so who in his entourage is whispering this stuff in his ears? Hitler’s Greenland Obsession - The Atlantic

Continuing with original post:

An impression of the Davos conclave: a stronger Europe; a weaker US..It was more than just embarrassing as Trump in his usual off-script oratory, went off on his stolen election results in 2020, ended 8 wars, so he deserved the Nobel prize, got Greenland confused with Iceland, and insulted any number of European countries. World leaders at Davos vacillated between treating Trump like a dangerous, deranged egomaniac who declares his thoughts for the day as his policies or they flattered his ego, or began to show a backbone and call his bluff, bunders, and verbal blasts as something to take seriously, or acted like the adults in the room using careful diplomatic speak to mask their own feelings. Post Trump's on-stage act, CNN's interviews with European leaders was telling and a contrast with how real international leaders should speak.. This from the British Mirror is even more telling:Donald Trump's strongman act collapses - but now he's confirmed the world's worst fears     The most indepth and influential analysis came from Der Spiegel in Germany. Donald, that's enough! - DER SPIEGEL - The German View   The Germans have him figured out.  The opening sentence of the Der Spiegel substack reflected the disgust and failure of the European leaders to appease and flatter him: "One of the most reliable constants of Donald Trump's secpnd term is that he responds to weakness with brutality." and the closing paragraph on expecting more threats, though Trump folded in Greenland annexation for now was: "On Wednesday afternoon at the World Economic Forum in Davos, he (Trump) would b very grateful if the Europeans handed over Greenland voluntarily. 'If you say no, we will remember'. That is not how a president speaks. That is how a mafia boss speaks."    

The implications of this are profound for now and the future. Above all, Trump seems to have accomplished two things: get Europe and Canada unified to be independent of US support, and the US has lost control of influencing Europeans to agree to his priorities. He has lost any trust in words or policy pronouncements as his whims soar with his midnight rants on

Truth Social. What's next for U.S.-Canada relations after Mark Carney's pointed speech at Davos? : NPR

So what does it mean for those in the US? It means those whose businesses are dependent on trans atlantic trade are now ugly Americans abroad and are toxic as business partners. How this influences prices of everyday expenses like housing, construction, and groceries, subject to the insane tariff policies, is just being felt. What is noticeable when Trump makes his threats and divorces himself from our allies is that the stock market takes a dive. It may cause the bond market to collapse as foreign investors seek more friendly countries. Even Canada is seeking greater ties with China. It may also affect the oligarchs and uber wealthy bottom lines as the dollar dives. It means if Trump wants help with any of his own treasured delusional policies, Europe is likely to give him a one-finger salute.

There is one upside: Europe has realized it has to take care of itself and not depend on the military umbrella of the US to give it a national defense shelter. Their priorities begin to differ from ours, and NATO is now weak and damaged goods, since mutual defense is now in question.

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One winner from Davos is Putin, who loves to see NATO destroyed and the US not coming to the defense of Ukraine. clearing his way to an invasion of Poland, step two in Putin's goal to return Eastern Europe to the days of the USSR glory. It is like 1939 all over again. ..except now the US is also an aggressor, and our president is still seeing Putin as a desirable anti-democracy peer and colleague.

1 23 2026 From the US: The right-wing press shows that their writers didn't get the story of what was going on in the background at Davos, either, and just repeated old and worn talking points... and instead based their analysis on superficial public pronouncements. There was a profound realization by the European attendees, and they are now more unified than ever in the face of Trump's insults and unprofessional nastiness. In one German's words in its most influential publication, Der Spiegel,, Trump responds with brutality against anyone who tries to appease and flatter him because, in so many words, it shows weakness and vulnerability.

The behind-the-scenes comments were the real story: Yes, Europe gets it. They have to be on their own, can no longer trust the US as a partner and dependable defense umbrella. Where the right wing Washington Examiner misses it, the US also lost the ability to blackmail, bully, and shape Europe's foreign policy to suit Trump's whims. Trump had to back off his threats on Greenland and, boy, did he lose face and have his bluff called. Behind the scenes, some Europeans called his remarks sounding like a mafia boss when he hinted "he will not forget", an implied threat that he would take revenge some day.. The damage to NATO is de facto, if not formal...as the mutual defense treaty is undermined by Trump's instability and TACO comments. Davos shows that Europe still doesn’t get it per the Washington Examiner. The truth is, the Washington Examiner doesn't get it.

Trump and Putin: dividing up the world. Did you vote for this?

Update: 12/12/2025.In February 1945, at the Yalta conference, the US, UK, USSR, Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin met and came to an agreement that virtually divided the world into two and led to the Cold War for the next 45 years...The USSR claimed Eastern Europe as its sphere of influence, and the Iron Curtain descended within a few months. Roosevelt had died soon after Yalta. Trump is now telling Western Europe and Eastern Europe both, even they are in the sphere of Russian influence. There will be no help from the US. This takes us back to the early 1900s, even worse than the Yalta catastrophe. What happened in 1914 and 1939 was the result. Here we are again in 2025, repeating history. and the stupidity of the isolationists of the past century. Trump has succeeded in de facto destroying the NATO Atlantic alliance, a further echo and potential repeat of the tragedy of the last century. Scroll down for the original post and earlier updates..

Through various reports, Guardian among them, Trump is considering abandoning Ukraine. That is only one issue.. In a so-called American First ideology, Trump is cutting most ties with Western Europe as well. He has already been subverting NATO and its mutual defense purpose and now there is no burden sharing of armaments with Europe. NATO now only exists in issues of nuclear defense..Welcome to the 1938 version of America First.  How did that turn out?

The sad thing about this post is, like in 1938, American citizens did not give a darn of what happened in Europe, and America First isolationism held heavy political inflence is...until Pearl Harbor. The rest of historyis about is US's blood and treasure in World War II. I fear we are about to make the tremendous miscalculation that US defense is not also connected to Europe, with our economic ties and culture, even more entwined than in 1938. If war breaks out in Europe beyond the boundaries of Ukraine, just maybe the uneducated and naive American Firsters may wake up...when it is too late.

Trump is threatening Western Europe with repercussions if it funds Ukraine's defense with Russian funds in Western banks. In December, 2025, the EU defied American pressure and ensured that Hungary and Slovakia cannot veto their use of the funds to help Ukraine. EU triggers emergency clause to indefinitely immobilise Russian assets | Euronews

What Trump is in effect doing he is leaving the sphere of influence across the Atlantic to Russia by his own edict and orders. He recently shifted our Mediterranean fleet from Europe to near Venezuela..., indicating the US sphere of influence is solely the Western Hemisphere. Trump appears to demand Ukraine surrender to Russia's "peace plan" or "'else", terms that will eventually lead to Russia taking over all of that country. This is a striking spoken alliance of Trump and Putin, cutting out Western Europe. In 2026, Trump is laying the groundwork, many fear, to hand Ukraine on a silver platter to Russia, whose stated goal is to reassemble the USSR influence over the countries they lost when the Berlin Wall fell. This is not what America signed up for in 2024, but it is what Trump is actually doing by his actions, deeds, and words.

Back to days even I remember, WWII. It is also repeating history. It is the isolationism that led to WWII, as Japan and Germany thought and miscalculated on the US's resolve to remain isolated. Germany had counted on pro Nazi and American Firsters, who were US politicians, to influence its support for Germany or remain neutral. It is now like 1938 when the UK prime minister handed over part of Czechoslovakia to Hitler and proclaimed it was peace in our time.

Trump thinks he is a dictator and he can get away with this as Congress sleeps an/ord bows down to him, and any violation of laws and the Constitution is no longer punishable thanks to the gift of immunity by "his" 6-3 Supreme Court. What fools we are to tolerate this.

Europe also sees Trump and Putin's contempt of them, reinforcing Trump's disdain of Europe. From the German weekly magazine, Der Spiegel 12.20.2025 in a commentary titled" Trump and Putin, partners in malice."

"The tone Trump strikes toward Europe oscillates between pity, contempt and open hostility. .... "The Trump administration sometimes couches its criticism in the language of concern.......  In practice, though, this means the U.S. government is now officially supporting right-wing populist forces from Stockholm to Madrid. “Cultivating resistance” is the phrase used in the document – which, to the ears of European politicians, sounds suspiciously like regime change.." The article continues that NATO is no longer "burden sharing" with the US when it comes to provisions of armaments. NATO in effect is only sharing nuclear defense with US support, and now  Europe is on its own for assistance for non nuclear defense.  Earlier, Trump had threatened to destroy Article 5 of the NATO treaty  if Europe did not contribute at least 2% of their GDP to their own self defense (these are not "dues" as Trump had deceptively claimed, but a commitment). Europe rose to that and complied ...and exceeded the 2% so now Trump says...it is all 100% yours, on your own, no burden sharing. He has defacto succeeded in destroying the Atlantic alliance, in a repeat of the stupidity of the isolationists of the past century. I

Does Trump deserve credit for getting NATO members to pay 5%?

 Donald Trump is doing a victory dance.  He had demanded that NATO members pay dues of 2% (I had no problem with demanding NATO members pay their share), and now they agreed to 5% (all but Spain, now threatened by Trump with tariffs). Does Trump deserve credit? Yes, but not exactly for the way you might think. He had cajolled NATO members since his first term, teased them that he would not support them if invaded, and they did get the average up to 2% with significant holdouts..  However, it was not until the Oval Office ambush of Zelensky and where clearly Trump took Putin's side, and Trump failed to persuade Putin to negotiate a ceasefire in Ukraine,  that they agreed to the 5% at the meeting this week. (3.5 for military and 1.5 for related expenses).

 So give Trump credit. Now that he "won," forcing NATO to pay its fair share plus, he still will not firmly commit to Article 5 (the attack on one member is an attack on all) though he hinted at it, and he still has not yet committed to sending Ukraine the needed missile defense and other weapons Congress wants to fund.  Hopefully, now, he will have an excuse to do both. His self-imposed demand of 2% has been met and more than doubled. No more excuses, please. And no more thinking he can charm Putin. Putin only understands power. and NATO just delivered that message to him. As always with Trump, look at what he does, not what he says. He will get blowback from MAGA isolationists, and hope he does not TACO.

The real reason Europe at the NATO summit upped the goal to 5%?  Europe does not trust Trump to support Ukraine, and they are going to try to do it themselves, even if Trump walks. (Tough to do because the US has some strategic weapons they need that they cannot produce themselves)  It had become clear 1)  the US is not a reliable NATO member to provide aid to Ukraine; 2) if Ukraine fell to Russia, they all would be destabilized and may have to go to war.  

Is Europe's aid to Ukraine enough to hold off Russia?Forget America: Ukraine Can Win the War Against Russia   for an optimistic assessment.  This takes into account Trump's freeze on certain important aid to Ukraine.  

Germany is rebuilding its military, but it is still 6 years from its goal. Germany is unlocking billions to supercharge its military at a seismic moment for Europe | CNN

FYI. Trump's BS about the 2 to  5%. That is not dues to NATO.  That is a commitment of member nations to allocate that percent of their GDP (gross domestic product) to their own military defense. The US contributes 4%.   

One holdout had been Germany, and now Germany is gung-ho to rearm with a committed new chancellor, Friedrich Merz. Germany's public opinion against militarism after the shame of WWII,  reversed itself,  having disbanded the old Wehrmacht and had begun rearming, but now in high gear much thanks to the unintended consequences of the Oval Office ambush. This occurred in the midst of the German national elections this spring, contributing to Merz's rise to the chancellorship. 

The isolationists are still at the defense gate, and still have on their agenda the pulling out of Europe US forces stationed there. Careful .. Let us not be as stupid as we once were.  So long as once and now neo cold warrior Putin is driving his goal to reassemble the old Soviet Union satellites into his new Russian empire, these ideologues are as smart as the American Firsters and isolationist of the 1930's...and we know where that got us..  WWII.   Isolationism was perceived by our enemies as a sign of weakness, a favorable time to attack us or our allies.. The Major Trump Question Left Unanswered at NATO Summit - Newsweek

https://www.npr.org/2025/06/26/nx-s1-5445845/trump-nato-summit 

https://mufticforumblog.blogspot.com/2025/03/the-backfire-to-on-camera-trumpvance.html

https://mufticforumblog.blogspot.com/2025/06/germanys-rearmament-is-spurred-on.html

https://mufticforumblog.blogspot.com/2025/03/trumps-epic-miscalculation-on-ukraine.html

Some ideas to fix the Democratic Party's sink in the polls. Messaging again.

Recent polls show that Trump's policies take a dive, but the Democratic Party takes one, too. That has got to be fixed. A damning finding in recent polls that show Trump is underwater in public policy issues, but the trust in Congressional Democrats is even worse. Americans Still Trust Donald Trump Over Democrats  Democrats have been floundering around with messages that are almost all anti-Trump. Still, they have not been able to offer a vision of what they can offer that is a positive alternative to MAGA. Here are some thoughts for some rephrasing. They are the flip side of Trump's negatives expressed in positives and based on values as umbrellas over issues   Resistance is still the strongest message, but that is helped by Trump's own failures on the economy and creating chaos amid incompetence, for which he is taking the blame. It has little to do with anything the Democratic party made happen, but was of Trump's own doing..  Will Democrats come out with something meaningful for the future, too, that is different from just warming up stale toast phrases of the past ? 

Messages on "cultural issue" emphasize fairness 

Fear of revenge using government tools or access to the President as favors will not be tolerated. 

 Strengthen  and protect our Constitutional democracy and the rule of law 

 Acting humanely is  a value we support 

Strengthen the middle class and  working people's standard of living .  

Reform government functions to provide better customer services and staffed with non-partisan personnel who are chosen by ability and merit

 Restore the US  leadership in the world so we can influence what is good for our own national interests 

For the case for each, continue:

Waiting for a Trump-like demagogue to arise on the Democrats' side has just not happened.  Once in a while, lightning strikes Democrats with an Obama able to deliver soaring oratory and a media presence.  Instead, Democrats will have to rely on messaging delivered clearly and in simple words with an appeal that is as broad as their historical values permit. There will be lots of voices, but even then, there needs to be common themes for the greatest impact, and still, there is no one coordinating this, not even in Congress, or in the Democratic National Committee. 

While it is easy to be the party of resistance to Trump's arrogant power grabs and insensitivity to economic populist concerns, polls also show Trump is losing independents, even chunks of blue-collar, non-college-educated voters, which is likely due to Bernie Sanders and AOC's anti-oligarch tour.   Hispanics who boosted him into his second term are also fleeing MAGA. Democrats need to get real. 2024 was a rejection of the party's policy priorities on the economy and "cultural issues," and that hangover is still there.   What is missing are themes that indicate what the Democrats would do in the future besides being resistant to Trump's unpopular policies. 

Resistance is still the strongest message, but that is helped by Trump's own failures on the economy and creating chaos amid incompetence, for which he is taking the blame. It has little to do with the Democratic Party's strategy.  Repeating past themes was not a winner for Democrats either.  

 Democrats also must consider the possibility that Trump, faced with bad polls and crashing Wall Street, and an alarmed GOP about the 2026 midterms, could cause him to reverse course on key issues. He certainly has demonstrated flexibility, so much so that he has created instability by nearly daily changing positions. There are vulnerabilities like corruption and self-dealing that could also become enduring resistance themes, and the damage he has done to the economy could linger despite any policy adjustments that last all the way to midterms.  Corruption has yet to be made into a big issue, but it is ripe to make it a big deal already. MUFTIC FORUM BLOG: Trump's grift: grist for the impeachment mill?

The peaceful street demonstrations, led by non-partisan outsiders, like 50501 and Indivisible, contain many clues about resistance themes that are umbrellas for various Trump initiatives that fuel public anger. "Hands off 'social security, Medicare, and Medicaid, and our Constitutional democracy has caught on. That theme has legs that last longer than just months because it encompasses so many victims or potential victims regardless of party, race, or religion..  

So, what are the positives that Democrats can offer going forward? Maybe even those too cowardly to take Trump directly on, could at least support positive, constructive statements. Here are some ideas to consider. These fortify values all Democrats support, and getting a consensus on the umbrella positions should not be that hard.They still can't help but reflect the resistance themes, but they can be rephrased in the positive: They also can rephrase popular historical themes wth broad appeal while contrasting their values with MAGA's. The problem is keeping the Democratic party's shopping list from getting tied up in details. Still, it is better if they stick to themes that are broad umbrellas that avoid jargon and technical terms and focus on the impact on ordinary people's lives. The details do not have to be ignored, but they need to constantly be related to the umbrella theme. For example, inflation and/or recession are indeed  concerns because they harm the middle class who still have budgets they need to balance. 

 How about Democrats' messages on "cultural issue" emphasize fairness? For example, observe and support Constitutional protections of individual rights, instead of subverting them with threats of persecution and favoring one race or ideology over another.

I notice that the word "fair" permeates these  other suggestions as well.

 How about a government that will treat all fairly without fear or favor? (As opposed to white Christian nationalist stranglehold on the GOP with Project 2025, under the guise of anti-DEI,  that is being implemented by Trump's appointees, the writers of the Project, to key personnel positions in his administration.) . This use of fear and favor accounts for the attack on academic freedom and autocratic control over thought, expression, speech, and and press that demand toeing the ideological line of that ideology at the risk of losing funding.  Fear of revenge using government tools or access to the President as favors will not be tolerated. 

The issue of fairness is also relevant to immigration policy. While all would like to see criminals without documentation of legal status deported, the recent Trump shift is to family separation and due process for non-gang-related undocumented people.  How we administer deportation is as important as what we do about immigration. Acting humanely is also a value we support instead of acting cruelly.   Cruelty should never be a strategy. Instead, we should fund effective border security in compliance with the rule of law. That is the fair way. Trump had made headway on stopping illegal border crossings. Still, he is now underwater because of failure or flubs in mass deportation or following due process, even the Supreme Court ruled 9-0, to which deportees were entitled. Trump's declining favorability in polls, even on his signature issue of mass deportation, indicates that even some of his supporters still value fairness and are uncomfortable with cruelty.

How about a promise to strengthen our Constitutional democracy  and the rule of law(as opposed to grabbing power for the executive branch that grants power to a wannabe dictator). This is the opposite of respecting and abiding by the judicial branch. At issue is a subset of who controls the courts.  Trump is testing how far he can go in defying court orders, and arresting or impeaching judges who do not abide by Trump ideology or policies.  

 Issues to watch develop:  Issues to watch: Trump's use of active military to enforce domestic laws: on the road to fascism. https://www.aclu.org/news/national-security/trumps-expanded-domestic-military-use-should-worry-us-all?fbclid=IwY2xjawJ9rTFleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFxa3RZYUk1eGNIUzZvRDh4AR5FNQQWstd9vC-72FR1pc7wavt5RbVDFxwmOxy0x-ey1rLnUpffrb2XL46vXw_aem_2A5GiPRJPFYVUySi8-cVsQ

https://newrepublic.com/article/194463/100-days-trump-clown-show-fascism

How about favoring strengthening the middle class and  working people's standard of living (instead of the very rich and billionaires) in economic policies? A correlative is how about requiring federal budgets and new legislation to have realistic payfors and be fair to the middle class as well as to the poor and sick people, instead of padding bank accounts of those who are already ultra-rich?  This may be the most fertile ground because most people are sensitive to both prices and service, accessibility, competence, and responsiveness, and it impacts most people of various demographics and similar income levels.

How about reforming government functions to provide better customer services and staffed with non-partisan personnel who are chosen by ability and merit (instead of loyalty to a certain ideology or person) 

 While foreign policy is never high on voters' minds unless we are involved in a major war, how about involvement in the world in ways that restores US in leadership in the world so we can influence what is good for our own national interests  (instead of letting our adversaries fill a leadership vacuum with China and Russia). We should strengthen NATO, support Ukraine, counter Chinese attempts to control economies and governments in Africa and Southeast Asia, because withdrawal (isolationism) only strengthens our adversaries' power for their national agenda, which is not ours.

MUFTIC FORUM BLOG: A proposition: a loose coalition of many with the theme: Save our democracy

MUFTIC FORUM BLOG: Democracy in context: abstract vs reality. Messaging again.

Pete's Opening Message, Live in Iowa  Pete Buttigieg sets the stage by 1)saying the Party cannot go back like it was before 2) and must come up with a new approach.  

Trump's epic miscalculation on Ukraine: European resolve updated through May/27/2025

Update: 5/27/2025 The significance of Germany allowing Ukraine to use German missiles to strike deep into Russia is to send the only kind of message Putin understands...So far Ukraine has been constrained to shorter-range missile use, so Russia just moved its military bases and infrastructure used to attack Ukraine out of the West's self-imposed limits. Putin's attack using missiles on civilians in Ukraine may have backfired and caused the war to expand. https://mufticforumblog.blogspot.com/2025/05/time-for-trump-to-put-money-where-his.html

Both Putin and Trump miscalculated on Ukraine. Putin did not count on Germany's rearmament as a result of his Ukraine invasion.. This is a nightmare for Russian plans to reassemble the old sphere of Russian influence of the old USSR. Trump thought he could force Ukraine to take the Russian surrender deal, but he, too, did not count on Zelensky having a third party like Germany to provide a counter force to Russian aggression of any heft. The reality is that Trump's influence over western European interests has taken a blow, making America weaker again and causing him to waffle again towards supporting Ukraine...at least for the moment.

Update 5/25/25: Germany steps up to the plate in a big way, with 3billion euros for Ukrainse defense, and an energy policy toward natural gas, making it cheaper and more affordable Germany Recalibrates Climate Policy, Backs Gas Power Shift

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/europe-vows-billions-in-military-support-for-ukraine-as-u-s-meets-putin

Germany Deploys Troops on Russia's Doorstep for First Time Since World War II   Update 4/1/2025

Europe's Double Blow to Putin

MUFTIC FORUM BLOG: How energy independence is key to Europe's surviving Russian land grabs

Update: 5/14/2025 Germany: Merz vows to build Europe's strongest army

Update 3/12/25 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/ukraine-russia-us-ceasefire-war-invasion-rcna195978   The ball is now in Putin's court.  The short-term nature and acknowledgment by Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Ukraine's security from a Russian takeover of the country were factors that helped get the US and Ukraine on the same page.  That's the US official position today. Tomorrow, who knows if Trump's bromance with Putin raises its head again.

 Ukraine also had an American gun pointed at them. It was extortion at the highest level: US withdrawal of military aid and intelligence gave Russia an unstoppable advantage in the last three days. Ukraine also needed a pause to give its troops a breather. Their lack of manpower is their greatest weakness, and Russia's endless store of human cannon fodder is their greatest asset. Ukraine's equalizer has been America's intelligence services, technology, and advanced weaponry. In the short term, Ukraine desperately needed that restored, and they had no choice but to accept the US deal that was to be presented to Russia.

 A wild card was played in this high-stakes game that had longer-term implications.  Europe would not stand for any peace deal that did not include Ukraine's security and independence from Russia. They presented a plan to put their money and policies where their mouths were. It was more than a threat; it was a policy shift that has already begun to be activated.. Trump did not count on European plans to guarantee Ukraine's independence by military force if needed...nor did Putin. While Russia may be reeling from the economic impact of the war effort, knowing that Europe would not stand for the Russian takeover of Ukraine by whatever means, subversion or hot war, must also be playing on Putin's mind. 

 The US has virtually ended the Atlantic alliance so long as Trump is president. The bond of trust has been so damaged by the Oval Office treatment of Zelensky, a last straw in Trump's constantly dissing NATO and Europe, that it may never recover. The European Union plus the UK, with France's leadership, stepped up to the plate and owned it, too, no longer dancing to the Trump tune.  Germany has now cast aside their aversion to becoming a military force separate from the US and has begun resurrecting their own military. 

The sad part about all of this is that the world's trust in the US acting rationally is gone, and the break with Europe by Trump's policy whiplashes and fawning over Russia is a permanent hangover.  Russia has a history of not respecting cease-fires. The fear is Russia will use the pause to consolidate power, rest troops, and resupply to continue the battle.. Putin's word is no better than Trump's; neither can be trusted.

What if Russia rejects the cease-fire now that the US has confirmed its goals were a permanent and lasting peace? (Implying security backup, if not stating it). What Russia did not calculate was the wild card Europe played.  Rubio reveals US response plans if Russia rejects ceasefire

The Impact of Sanctions and Alliances on Russian Military Capabilities | Royal United Services Institute

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/trump-s-new-ukraine-proposal-looks-like-an-offer-it-must-refuse/ar-AA1BSzNM?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=aa5f513abaa84ab38798aa5d036d6144&ei=31

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Update: 3/8/2025:  In response to Europe planning to assist Ukraine if the US does not, Trump issued this threat, Trump considering pulling 35,000 US troops out of Germany as President becoming 'increasingly frustrated' with Europe   It is his usual bully response. What is so ironic is that since the beginning of his first term until now. Trump threatened to sabotage NATO because he complained Europe was not contributing its fair share. Now that they are planning to do it and defy Trump's new alliance with Russia against Ukraine, he is angry and threatening. Poland has now called up every eligible male to take military training. Major NATO nation puts all its men into military training as Europe fears war escalation  The UK beefs up Ukraine's attack drones in the Black Sea. US ally gives Zelensky huge boost to help target Putin's forces in the Black Sea   All are learning from history that if they had stopped Hitler at Munich as he got their OK to march into Sudetenland, there may not have been WWII.  Capitulation and appeasement, Trump's approach, is a history not to be repeated in the face of a stated aggressive Putin who makes it no secret he wants to reassemble the boundaries of control of the old Soviet Union.

The Trump regime has just tried to knee-cap Ukraine's ability to fight off Russia...first, cutting off aid and second, yanking them off the internet, and third, cutting them off from US intelligence support while the rest of the US sleeps at the wheel. It appears that this is more than blackmail to force Ukraine to agree to simply signing over mineral rights to the US. It appears that the Trump regime is actively and materially helping Russia conquer the rest of Ukraine by force.In direct response, the European Union has just committed $800 billion to shore up Europe's military defenses and to give Ukraine whatever it needs to buy weapons and shore up its finances.That is Trump's epic miscalculation. Neither Trump nor Putin expected that. This means the Trump regime is living in a fantasy world, having not counted on Europe not only stepping up to the plate but owning it; it also means that there will not be any peace in our time, as Trump would like to announce, forcing Ukraine to capitulate to agree to stop fighting without any guarantees protecting the security of the 80% of Ukraine left after handing over the 20% Russian now occupies. If Russia attempts to use the new alliance with the US to conquer the rest of Ukraine by force, they will be taking on the rest of Europe.

theguardian.com

EU chief unveils €800bn plan to ‘rearm’ Europe

‘We are ready to step up’ says Ursula von der Leyen after US suspen"A five-part plan to bolster Europe’s defence industry and increase its military capability could raise nearly €800bn (£660bn) and help provide urgent military support for Ukraine after the US suspended aid to Kyiv, the head of the European Commission has said."

All I am hearing from Trump in the Oval Office and until this day: Trump calls Zelensky ungrateful and demands he comes crawling back on his knees to tell him how grateful he is that America wanted him to take the deal they handed to him, take it or die. If Zelensky had taken it, he would have lost some mineral rights, but more than that...he would have been left with no security guarantees his country could survive and a cease-fire that had no consequences for Russia breaking it. .

Trump's personal animosity did not start with the Oval Office blowup. It started in Trump's first term, shortly after Zelensky was sworn into office, when Trump tried to extort Zelensky to find dirt on the Bidens or else Ukraine would not get their anti-tank missiles. This Oval Office ambush was an attempt to put him on the spot in public to sign a bad deal cooked up between Trump and Putin. Zelensky expressed how grateful he was every single time he visited he US during the Biden administration. Perhaps gratitude for being extorted is just not very appropriate.

The extortion attempt in the Oval Office shocked the world and convinced Europe that the alliance between Trump and Putin was not temporary or an empty threat or a one-off vote in the United Nations. It was serious, and Europe and the UK have decided to make the divorce between the Trump US and themselves mutual. Trump has lost control of the situation, threatening tariffs and threatening pulling troops from Germany, crippling Ukraine's ability to stave off Russian advances by stopping weapons supplies, intelligence sharing, and even Ukraine's internet. So far, Europe is rearming itself in a way that neither Putin nor Trump anticipated. In addition to the EU announcing a plan to raise $800 billion for rearming Europe and assisting Ukraine to stay secure, individual countries are also increasing their military and assisting Ukraine. Germany, in particular, was so shocked by Trump's Oval Office antics and an alliance with Russia that it has even shed its country's aversion to becoming a military power again and is now willing to revive, restore, and fund the new Wehrmacht.

Intelligence sharing has already begun to degrade as trust between Trump's USA and Europe is already broken. As Trump pivots to Russia, allies weigh sharing less intel with U.S. Trump's bull in the China Shop approach has left many shards of porcelain on the ground. No glue may ever put it together again. Trump owns the pieces.

Those in the US who cheer how Trump showed how powerful he was in that Oval Office fiasco, but the boomerang and backfire it caused is long-term damage to US national security. It is destroying NATO and an 80-year-old alliance that kept peace and provided prosperity for both sides of the Atlantic. With Europe stepping up to the plate and owning it, Ukraine has a chance to survive. If Zelensky had taken the bad deal, Ukraine likely would eventually be taken over by Putin with the help of Putin's new ally, Donald Trump.

I am beginning to see Trump critics calling him a mad king. It is way over the top..but he does seem obsessed with tariffs and Zelensky hatred and getting revenge on any challenger to his power..as he feels he is always being treated unfairly.

This isn't King George the Third or the insane, obsessed king of Neuschwanstein who are the analogies being made of Trump as a mad king, but the characters in the Game of Thrones and Harry Potter books have set the standards of what is good and what is evil. I now see references to them in media posted and spoken by younger generations when discussing Trump. Are these the political science textbooks of the younger generations of our time?

'Discussions are already happening' as U.S. allies ponder intel black-out due to Trump
Germany, Once a Beacon of Frugality, Jolts Europe With Planned Spending Splurge
Trump and Putin have unwittingly given Germany a golden opportunity
This Is How Europe Becomes The Military Power That The World Needs Now
Update 3/20/2025 Putin aggression and WW3 fears sees number of European nations move toward conscription - full list
UK announces new drone deal to help Ukraine tackle Russian threat in Black Sea
 https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/donald-trump-set-to-lift-ban-on-sharing-aid-and-intelligence-with-ukraine-after-last-minute-plea-by-keir-starmer/ar-AA1AEqrR
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/macron-warns-of-russian-threat-to-europe-as-nato-nations-mobilize-to-defend-ukraine/ar-AA1AnMWX?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=e8157dd25db4434aa55a62e87c0179df&ei=17
'We are not alone': Zelensky thanks Europe at crisis summit