1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

Where to start? Greenland. Looks like acquiring it might not be such a simple thing after all. Trump’s single-minded fixation on adding it to America has made some of the most peaceful countries in the world get in the streets in opposition. And, reminder, they are also our long-term, most trusted allies, NATO members all. So what does he do now? Launches one of his mad-king screeds of course. Or as one economist put “a howl of frustration on the part of a mad dictator who has just realized that he can’t send in the Marines.” The president is placing tariffs of 10% after February 1 on all goods from the countries currently protecting Greenland. And the tariffs will increase to 25% on June 1. The post says the tariffs will be in effect “until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.” This post is standard fare anymore. Radical. Dangerous. Incendiary. And yes, mad. But we have to treat it as deadly serious because 99% of what we have poo-pooed in the past as just bonkers presidential venting, has come to pass. While we stand in disbelief, he crashes through every norm that makes our lives bearable. So here we go, trying to figure out which way to dodge this time. One basic question we might have…where is he thinking he’s going to find the money for “the complete and total purchase of Greenland?” (Maybe the Venezuelan oil money currently stashed in Qatar? And controlled by DJT?) And besides, the countries involved—Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom—are all US allies. So this trade war will include the entire European Union, for “[a] trade war with one EU country is a trade war with the entire EU.” The post also makes clear that Trump is trying to use tariffs not to nurture the American economy but to force other countries to do his bidding. This recent tariff announcement does not refer at all to economic need but rather is transparently economic coercion. So while SCOTUS tries to figure out if his past tariff actions are even constitutional, he’s figuring out how to buy/steal/invade Greenland and destroy our allies in the process. But the absolute best head-spinning scheme currently being thrown at us is the reporting that Trump appears to be trying to set up his own organization to rival the United Nations. The administration has sent letters to leaders from several countries inviting them to be part of a “Board of Peace” led by the US. The board would first tackle the crisis in Gaza and then go on to take on other crises around the world. Bloomberg reported that the draft charter for the proposed organization makes Trump the board’s first chair and gives him the power to choose a successor. He would decide what countries can be members. Each member state would get one vote in the organization, but the chair would have to approve all decisions. The draft says that each member state has a term of no more than three years unless the chair renews it, but that limit doesn’t apply to any member states “that contribute more than USD $1,000,000,000 in cash funds to the Board of Peace within the first year of the Charter’s entry into force.” The draft suggests that Trump himself will control that money. And oligarchy in the making. Will these monies be deposited in the same Qatar bank account that is holding money for the rebuilding of Venezuela? Money made from the US sale of oil seized when we invaded and took control of that country and its leadership? Qatar’s gifting of a luxury airplane to DJT seems to have worked out productively for all involved. Quid pro quo. The new improved American leadership for the world. How is this happening? We the people, and the world, are being shattered. Along with every single standard and belief we held to be true. Basic human decency is ridiculed. Rule of law is something to be ignored. Violence is our new creed. And corruption is the new federal government business model for financial success. No one on the planet would have ever believed America could fall so low, so far, so fast. So completely.