Europe, Boring Until it's Not

[Speaker to Animals]

Love lost, fire at will
Dum-dum bullets and shoot to kill, I hear
Dive, bombers, and
Empire down
Empire down

[TheReal_ND]

[ssu]

You look at what's happening last night in Sweden. Sweden, who would believe this

Better intel just what Trump referred to happen last night in Sweden with the Trump-fans here? I assume you are quick to point out that so much attacks and rapes are happening in Sweden, that something had to happen in Sweden, even last night.

While I assume it to be a misrecollection of a president who just improvises his speeches while he is giving them and has a media enjoying to make the obvious gaffes into huge deals.

But Swedes are angry.

Carl Bildt joining Vincente Fox in the foreign-country-ex-leaders-angry-at-Trump club:

(The Indpendent) The former Prime Minister of Sweden has asked “what has Donald Trump been smoking?” after the President alluded to a mystery recent attack in the country.

[TheReal_ND]

Germany is in full ass blasted mode. It's great. It's like we kicked their ass all over again.

Sweden can handle the bantz at least.

[ssu]

I think the media is overhyping the Pence/Merkel meeting. I think it went just OK.

Pence & Mattis just kicked it off quite well with their NATO allies. Heck, Mattis said even something positive about the Finnish armed forces to the Finnish President, which people here are hyped about and enthusiastic.

Mattis with our Prez in Munich:

[TheReal_ND]

Wtf? I love Finnlanders now.

[TheReal_ND]

Is Sweden trying to imply they are different from us somehow?

[Speaker to Animals]

You know Mad Dog thought of at least two ways to kill the Finn leader while he was sitting there.

[Montegriffo]

Not only having trouble filling his cabinet, also having problems controlling those in position....

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who said that the list of threats to America “starts with Russia” during his Senate confirmation hearing, was in Brussels for a meeting of NATO defense officials. During a press conference, Mattis contradicted Trump on two major Russia issues.

First, he ruled out military cooperation with Russia until it can “prove itself” capable of complying with international law. That’s flagrantly contradictory to a series of comments Trump has made, dating back more than a year, in which he proposes working with Russia to fight ISIS in Syria. Here’s Mattis:

They have to live by international law, just like we expect all mature nations on this planet to do. What we will do is engage politically. We are not in a position right now to collaborate on a military level, but our political leaders will engage and try to find common ground, or a way forward, where Russia is living up to its commitments. ... Russia is going to have to prove itself first, and live up to the commitments they have made in the Russia-NATO agreement.

Second, Mattis reaffirmed that Russia was indeed behind a number of attempts to interfere in elections in Western democracies, including the hacks on Hillary Clinton allies in the 2016 election — something Trump has been loath to do, as it casts doubt on the legitimacy of his own victory:

Q: Do you believe that the Russians interfered in the US elections?

MATTIS: Right now, I would just say there’s very little doubt that they have interfered or attempted to interfere in a number of elections in the democracies.

One of two things is happening here: Either Trump gave Mattis permission to contradict his longstanding positions on vital and controversial issues or Mattis has decided that he doesn’t like his boss’s approach to Russia and is just going to make his own. The first option is unlikely. But the second option isn’t exactly normal, either.

[Fife]

Fake news