America no longer deserves to be leader of the free world..... Seriously

[Soph0571]

The reckless behaviour of the buffoons of the supposed land of the free in electing the Trump has put our global economy, safety and security at risk. The fact that a group of right wing, racist, selfish, homophobic, sexist, 1850 living, bring about the end times, white, middle aged, middle class (and no doubt flatulent) miscreants have been allowed to hi-jack the political dialogue is beyond me. How did anyone vote for this? How did any of them think these extremists, with Trump leading the charge, would ever work in the best interests of their nation, or any other nation for that matter?

Where is the gravitas? All of our futures are at stake because a bunch of white supremacist types didn’t like to see a black man in the white house and could not countenance a woman ruing over them. These disruptors that they have elected, these crooks that they worship, these hypocrites who demand fealty to a wanna be demi-God do not love America and they could not give a flying fart about the rest of us.

Time we put a stop to this. Time we found some grown ups to lead the free world. We are running out of time before we all go to hell in a hand basket.

[kentuck]

1. No problem.

We're not.

[Turin_C3PO]

2. We're pretty much a rogue power now.

It’s going to take a lot of effort by our next Democratic President to gain our reputation back in the eyes of the international community. It may not be possible.

[tblue37]

12. The U.S. will never again be trusted to honor past agreements, treaties, or promises,

since any new president can just ignore or reject them.

[MadDAsHell]

3. It is racist and ethnocentric to assume we ever were.

The "leader of the free world" crap is nothing more than "white savior" bullshit.

The rest of the world doesn't want or need us to "save" them.

[RVN VET71]

21. Not really "white savior" b.s.

Politically, the U.S. ended WWI and, with the help of Stalin's Russia, defeated Nazi Germany. Also, the U.S. kicked in massive military might to force a tie in Korea. Additionally, the Marshall plan saved Western Europe's economy and kept Stalin from taking over virtually all of Europe after WWI.

It's true that America has done a lot of shitty things in the world -- and to its own citizens -- but our allies tolerated our excesses in South America and our stupidity in Vietnam, among other things, because we were a dependable partner with them against the encroachment and destabilization of Russian communism.

That said, thanks to Trump, no nation of any intelligence will ever again assume that America will be there. Trump has, in fact, gone out of his way to alienate our erstwhile allies and friends, and at the same time he's levied vicious attacks against third world peoples. He's painted himself, and the country with him, as both a gruesomely immoral and thoroughly undependable political ally.

I hope he loses in 2020, but am not counting on it.

If the Dems lose in 2020, the world loses, not just America.

[LakeArenal]

4. No shit.

That’s how great we are making US.

[wasupaloopa]

5. I think the 2020 election will be the most decisive

in the history of the country.

It is up to the people to decide where we go from here.

I have always thought that truth and love wins in the end but this will be a test.

I can still live my life in love and peace and generosity no matter what politicians do.

I go to the beach a lot and the waves remind me that humans are not the most important thing on the planet. After we are all gone and all our political games have been played the waves will still be crashing on shore not caring a bit about us.

[MineralMan]

6. It no longer is. It may return to being the leader but, under Trump,

it clearly is not.

[groundloop]

16. True, and it's going to take a hell of a long time to undo the damage

It's a sad reality that anything can be torn down far faster than it was built. tRump is systematically tearing apart our government agencies, forcing out many good employees. Most of those people won't magically come back once tRump is gone, so those agencies will have to be built up again from scratch.

tRump is doing everything in his power to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, and IMO it took two miracles to save it - the fact that the people of Alabama didn't elect pedophile Roy Moore and instead sent Democrat Dough Jones to the Senate, along with the vote of John McCain to save the ACA.

[AlexSFCA]

19. and jones will have a decent chance to get reelected

since moore is running again and will likely secure the nomination like last time.The mere fact that Jones won gave me some confidence in AL election system.

[Voltaire2]

7. We lost all credibility when we threw out

the geneva conventions, tortured prisoners, and initiated an unprovoked war against Iraq.

But as long as we can bomb other nations into submission or destroy their economies, our demands are respected.

There is no “free world” to be leader of. That was a Cold War construct.

[Hekate]

8. And we are not, any more. From the day Trump was sworn in, the rest of the world knew...

...pretty much how this story was going to go. They've seen Trump's ilk before, up close and personal, with plenty of rubble.

Some, like Russia and China, rejoiced at our coming downfall. But our old European allies who had trusted us for close to a century -- they must be sick at heart, but they have to plan for their own survival and can't wait for us to come to our senses. Putin's leaning on them, too.

Periodically I think of the utter hubris of the Neocons and PNAC, their Project for a New American Century. Well, guys, it ain't our century now. You failed to squash Trump when you had the chance.

[DFW]

9. We do not get to declare ourselves the leader of anything. The Free World decides their leader.

"The Free World" is already a relative concept. Here in Europe, for example, there are many so-called "free" countries where a simple revenge-minded functionary can make your life hell for a decade or more by declaring you a "suspect" in illegal activities you were never anywhere near.

Germany had the good fortune to have a level-headed adult lead it for over a decade now, but serious propaganda moves have been at work to tear her down (both the media and her opposition were using the media-created phrase "old and used up" to describe Merkel--based on exactly nothing). I'm talking about right here in Germany. Go and watch her address at Harvard recently and tell me if that was a speech by someone who is old and used up.

France got an idealistic bureaucrat as president because they were fed up with incompetence, and he got so many stones thrown at him from day one that he couldn't even get started.

Great Britain got their "Brexit," advocated by curious characters with dubious financing (sound familiar?). Although the population is against it, their government is going ahead with it, against all logic.

The world still looks to the USA for innovation, culture and initiatives in the field of environmental protection. There is world-wide dismay at our seeming willingness to abandon all pretense at attempting to be a role model for the world, but hope has not been abandoned. Their disgust at Dick Cheney's America was replaced by restored respect for Barack Obama's America, and it was we, the voters, who brought that about. When the Stalinists of the Republican Party finally manage to control all counting of the votes in our country, then all hope can be considered to be gone. Until then, we should not, DARE not give up hope of restoring responsible leadership. Shame on us, by the way, if we let ourselves be painted into a corner on ideology. Beware the fringes--they are where our adversaries want us to focus our attention, whether it is the Oregon Militia on the right or Jill Stein on the left. The world is looking for a little sanity, and Angela Merkel can't bear this burden alone. Our current president not only won't, he is incapable even if he were to have a change of heart, and want to do it. Our next president MUST, and he or she must take office in January, 2021.

As we saw from 2009 onward, "yes we can" does not automatically mean "yes we will," but at least it recognizes that we, as a country, are not totally devoid of benevolence. THAT is what the world is looking for, and no one expects it to come from Stockholm or Berlin. it MUST come from us, or it won't come at all.

[Turin_C3PO]

11. Great post, DFW.

You should consider making this an OP.

[DFW]

13. I almost did.

On your suggestion, I will.

[ecstatic]

10. Exactly. This nation has been exposed.

I've never been more embarrassed and disgusted than I am right now. Between the unfit president, families separated at the border, kids in cages, daily mass shootings, unaddressed institutional racism, unaddressed institutional sexism, forced birth laws, compromised elections and voter suppression, outdated electoral college system, military strikes, inability of congress to resolve pressing issues, police brutality/murder, and now ICE rounding up families... the US, especially with trump at the helm, is the true shithole country.

Now it's looking like trump won't be held accountable in any way because of... politics?

Then we have clowns who, after everything we've seen, are holding on to the norm of not locking up presidents. If or when trump finally leaves office, they're OK with trump riding off into the sunset as if nothing happened! Come on! The jig is up! The entire world sees through the phony/above the fray act the USA puts on. They see us. Might as well lock him up, because he's a criminal, and the entire world knows it!

I hope we can change course starting next year because I don't have an escape plan.

[Myrddin]

14. Not to worry, Boris Johnson, and the British Empire will deliver.

A post Brexit UK will once again restore the natural order of the World. India will kiss and make up with Pakistan and Bangladesh. The Raj will be resurrected and QEII anointed as Empress. In China, Xi will see the error of his ways and decide that the former British Hong-Kong model is perfect for the whole of China. Putin will throw up his arms and capitulate to the awesomeness of us Brits, scrap his military machine and install one of the Queen's cousins as the reinstated Tzar. The middle east will demand British protection to restore the good old days. Bibi will voluntarily integrate Israel into British Palestine, and accept that any further disputes can be arbitrated by the Knights Templar. All the former colonies (USA included) will sing a rousing global chorus of 'Rule Britannia', and the World will be as it should be, once more. Great Britain, and her Empire, will 'be' the Free World.

However, the EU will be consigned to destitution, and any GDP they can cobble together will be turned over to Great Britain in tribute, as penance for being so disrespectful. Merkel will be sent to live out her days in the Tower of London.

Now, should be the appropriate time for a notice? Sadly, millions of our population actually 'believe' most of that shite. Global humiliation is a worthy price to pay for the politicking of RWNJ leaders, with the support of a sufficient number of blinded voters, apparently?

I feel your pain USA. I, and millions of other Brits.

[ancianita]

15. America is still the leader in great ideas. Now the world's 3rd largest country must live up to them

We must have the courage of action.

Never let the narrow truths about our flaws give us an excuse to give up or make half-hearted effort.

We're down but we're not out.

We can do this.

[Codeine]

17. There is no "deserve" about it.

Never has been at any point in history. That’s not how leadership/control/influence works.

[Magoo48]

18. When exactly were we ever the leader of the free world?

[zentrum]

20. We lost the right

.....during illegal the Iraq War. Which was one of the roots of the Great Repug Recession which people worldwide are still in recovery from.

Thanks Cheney.

My point is it began way before Orange.

[yaesu]

22. we lost that right decades ago, now, we are just the leader of the fascist world. nt