It is difficult for homegrown Americans to perceive the degree to which the rest of the world holds American arrogance in contempt. Yes, to be sure, the United States has been the indispensable nation, the beacon of freedom, and the protector of democracy (mostly) since the end of World War II – the world appreciates American contributions on that end. But they don’t like being kicked around all the time and don’t like it when Americans bring their American-arrogance on the road. Is there anyone you can think of that embodies all things “ugly American” more than Trump?

In some ways, the Trump presidency has allowed the rest of the world to take a deep breath, they know Americans won’t be so cocky and condescending in a few years. It has allowed the world to form new partnerships around the U.S. rather than through the U.S. One already sees a team of equals forming among Germany, the U.K., France, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and Australia, a “group” that one could perceive as almost the equivalent of “the United States 2.0,” a team leading the world in democracy, freedom, capitalism, and sanity, with Merkel, Macron, and Trudeau as the three primary leaders. But no matter how equal, Merkel is the one running the biggest and most powerful nation in that new group, and Merkel is sick of Donald Trump.

According to a New York Times article from a month ago, COVID played a role in her decision to not come to the G7 meetings (that have since been canceled), but she didn’t want to go anyway and COVID gave her the perfect excuse. Merkel can’t stand Trump. She has congratulated Macron for at least trying to have some kind of relationship with Trump, but she’s done pretending:

She was so uncomfortable, Mr. Drozdiak said, that she told Mr. Macron, “Be my guest, be the interlocutor, I don’t want to be in the room with the guy.”

That sounds like a statement from the world’s new leader.

Can you blame her? Trump doesn’t see her as an accomplished peer, doesn’t care that we need good relations with Germany. Trump doesn’t care about any woman who isn’t some gorgeous, curvy, 28 year old. That’s the way Trump has always been, it’s how he always will be. It makes perfect sense for Merkel to tell Macron she’s happy to let Macron take the lead, she has no need for Trump (at all) and is probably offended in his presence.

One good takeaway from all this? We’re not the only nation with an intelligence community that opposes the Russians, and one can bet that those same nations have a large intelligence network that is actively attempting to stop Putin from stealing yet another election. Merkel, Trudeau, Macron … none of them want to be in the same room as Trump, but will happily talk to Joe Biden.

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Peace, y’all
Jason
[email protected] and on Twitter @MiciakZoom