In recent years, when Republicans have criticized President Obama’s approach to foreign policy, they invariably complain that his priorities are backwards. America’s allies, the argument goes, no longer count on us, while America’s adversaries no longer fear us.

In a foreign policy speech delivered in April, none other than Donald Trump, reading from his trusted teleprompter, argued, “[O]ur friends are beginning to think they can’t depend on us. We’ve had a president who dislikes our friends and bows to our enemies.”

The entire line of attack has long been deeply ironic. Under Obama’s presidency, the United States’ international reputation has improved considerably over the Bush/Cheney era, and our allies’ confidence in our leadership has grown. Now that Trump is poised to take power, however, anxiety and mistrust among American allies has reached levels unseen in generations. The Washington Post reported yesterday:
European leaders grappled with the jolting reality of President-elect Donald Trump’s skepticism of the European Union on Monday, saying they might have to stand without the United States at their side during the Trump presidency.

The possibility of an unprecedented breach in transatlantic relations came after Trump – who embraced anti-E.U. insurgents during his campaign and following his victory – said in weekend remarks that the 28-nation European Union was bound for a breakup and that he was indifferent to its fate. He also said NATO’s current configuration is “obsolete,” even as he professed commitment to Europe’s defense.
To put it mildly, the president-elect’s weekend comments have rattled much of the world. As we noted yesterday, Trump sat down with two European newspapers for an interview in which he dismissed NATO as “obsolete”; criticized German Chancellor Angela Merkel for assisting Syrian refugees (whom Trump referred to as “illegals”); said the United States “should be ready to trust” Russian President Vladimir Putin; and endorsed the further unraveling of the European Union.

The Post added that Trump’s attitudes “have raised alarm bells across Europe,” as America’s traditional allies come to the “painful realization” that Europeans may no longer have “the full backing of their oldest, strongest partner.”

The article went on to note, “The full ramifications of a potential breakdown in transatlantic ties are so extensive, they are difficult to total…. For decades, European nations and the United States have worked tightly together on issues of war, peace and wealth.”

This has been the backbone of the world order for generations, and in the United States, there’s been a steady, bipartisan commitment to the Western alliance. American allies counted on this international partnership to endure.

And now countries around the globe are anxious, if not terrified, because Americans elected an erratic amateur who says he intends to shuffle the diplomatic deck, partnering not with U.S. allies, but with a U.S. adversary – Russia – which apparently played a role in putting Donald Trump in the Oval Office.

To borrow Trump’s own rhetoric, America’s friends are beginning to think they can’t depend on us.

Vox’s Zack Beauchamp had a good piece yesterday on the global landscape.
Bashing NATO and the European Union, and alienating Germany, is a plan for tearing apart US relations with the EU – for weakening the agreements that underpin America’s status as the sole superpower and that maintain peace on the European continent.

It also means that Trump is talking about radically reshaping US foreign policy in a way that would significantly boost Putin’s influence while leaving America’s allies scrambling to figure out where they stand and how much they can trust in the future stability of an international system that has brought unprecedented economic strength and stability to the continent for decades.

“What Trump proposes is [American] geopolitical suicide,” Daniel Nexon, a professor at Georgetown who studies great power politics, writes at the Lawyers, Guns, and Money blog. “Make no mistake: you should be very worried right now.”
About a year ago, a reporter asked President Obama whether Trump was “already doing damage” to America’s reputation. “The answer … is yes,” Obama responded. “I think that I’ve been very clear earlier that I am getting questions constantly from foreign leaders about some of the wackier suggestions that are being made.”

This dovetailed with reporting from the time about international “alarm” over Trump from officials in Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia.

A senior NATO official was quoted telling Reuters last March, “European diplomats are constantly asking about Trump’s rise with disbelief and, now, growing panic.”

That was when Trump was still one of several GOP candidates. Now that he’s poised to take office, our allies’ disbelief and panic is far more acute.

"Under Obama’s presidency, the United States€™ international reputation has improved considerably over the Bush/Cheney era, and our allies’ confidence in our leadership has grown." What in the f**k have you been ingesting???? If you pull your head out of your Leftist ass and take a look at something besides Hollywood rhetoric and CNN bullshit you will see that the free, first world is generally looking forward to an American leader who understands the strength of the country and how to use it. Obama is universally criticized for his false bravado, red lines and generally embracing our enemies while shunning our friends.

We had the middle east under the best control in 50 years ... Obama personally and purposefully over saw the complete destruction of that progress resulting in the rise of ISIS an outcome that many, many believe was his objective.

You Leftist America Hating degenerates are enough to make a maggot puke ... Here's the new truth to foreign relations;

Perma-what those foreign leaders are really afraid of is that the gravy train will be derailed. They will have to start paying their fair share of both NATO and the UN. Furthermore both organizations will have to start serving a useful purpose which,in part, is to fight terrorism which they have not done in the past. Germany , England and France have allowed themselves to be overrun by refugees who are now causing them many problems and were probably looking for America to bail them out. Trump will take care of America first and let them stew in their own crap. That, scares them. Good Luck America !!!

Perm do you ever glance at any other news then C linton N ews N etwork? You ever know ANY damned thing at all? Your news channel have to tell you how to tie your shoes? (Oh excuse me, as who knows if you even OWN a pair of shoes)

Perhaps your "news source" will tell you to eat lots of razor blades and broken glass...we can see you post about how good it is for you.....and as you bleed severely we will see you continue to PUSH your failed agenda and you continue to attempt to promote it.

YOU are a failure. Your life, your agenda, and just flat out YOU! Knowing all that, no one is going to listen to you. You are in the running for Liar of the Century on this website, your bunk buddy KHH1, Democrat in2016, Progressive one, Dr Dross, (all the same person) currently holds the first place award for dishonesty and posting false stories....you are gaining ground on the Wanna B. Perfesser!

In recent years, when Republicans have criticized President Obama’s approach to foreign policy, they invariably complain that his priorities are backwards. America’s allies, the argument goes, no longer count on us, while America’s adversaries no longer fear us.

In a foreign policy speech delivered in April, none other than Donald Trump, reading from his trusted teleprompter, argued, “[O]ur friends are beginning to think they can’t depend on us. We’ve had a president who dislikes our friends and bows to our enemies.”

The entire line of attack has long been deeply ironic. Under Obama’s presidency, the United States’ international reputation has improved considerably over the Bush/Cheney era, and our allies’ confidence in our leadership has grown. Now that Trump is poised to take power, however, anxiety and mistrust among American allies has reached levels unseen in generations. The Washington Post reported yesterday:
European leaders grappled with the jolting reality of President-elect Donald Trump’s skepticism of the European Union on Monday, saying they might have to stand without the United States at their side during the Trump presidency.

The possibility of an unprecedented breach in transatlantic relations came after Trump – who embraced anti-E.U. insurgents during his campaign and following his victory – said in weekend remarks that the 28-nation European Union was bound for a breakup and that he was indifferent to its fate. He also said NATO’s current configuration is “obsolete,” even as he professed commitment to Europe’s defense.
To put it mildly, the president-elect’s weekend comments have rattled much of the world. As we noted yesterday, Trump sat down with two European newspapers for an interview in which he dismissed NATO as “obsolete”; criticized German Chancellor Angela Merkel for assisting Syrian refugees (whom Trump referred to as “illegals”); said the United States “should be ready to trust” Russian President Vladimir Putin; and endorsed the further unraveling of the European Union.

The Post added that Trump’s attitudes “have raised alarm bells across Europe,” as America’s traditional allies come to the “painful realization” that Europeans may no longer have “the full backing of their oldest, strongest partner.”

The article went on to note, “The full ramifications of a potential breakdown in transatlantic ties are so extensive, they are difficult to total…. For decades, European nations and the United States have worked tightly together on issues of war, peace and wealth.”

This has been the backbone of the world order for generations, and in the United States, there’s been a steady, bipartisan commitment to the Western alliance. American allies counted on this international partnership to endure.

And now countries around the globe are anxious, if not terrified, because Americans elected an erratic amateur who says he intends to shuffle the diplomatic deck, partnering not with U.S. allies, but with a U.S. adversary – Russia – which apparently played a role in putting Donald Trump in the Oval Office.