A couple of things occurred to me this morning re: Trump and NATO -

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

things that other people probably have already figured out. One is that Trump is deliberately trying to set up a situation that gives him an excuse to blow up NATO. His argument with Stoltenberg illustrates this: Stoltenberg was diplomatically trying to let him take some credit for other countries recently increasing their defense spending in order to emphasize the value of the alliance, but Spanky clearly wasn't having it - and instead said he wanted to increase the percentage from 2% to 4%. This is obviously unacceptable and Stoltenberg rejected it out of hand. If Trump now demands 4% that NATO won't agree to, will that get him an excuse to take the US out of NATO? The other thing that occurred to me is that Trump wants the increase to 4% because Obama negotiated the 2% in 2014 - and anything Obama did has to be made to seem inadequate.

[Wellstone ruled]

1. Trump is toast as a World Leader of any

honesty. Watch Merkel,Troudeou and Macron form a Fire Wall around the USA. It will be economic in nature causing us to suffer one hell of a Depreciation. Europe is the second largest holder of our debt,and in that,once they start dumping Treasuries,ka-boom.

[Vinca]

2. It's all going to hinge on what Vlad tells him to do next.