NATO’s New Strategy: Building a Bigger Table to Hide Under When Trump Returns

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

 

Source: NATO Braces for Donald Trump Returning ‘With a Vengeance’

The Details

Oh, brace yourselves, folks, because it looks like America’s most famous hairdo and the ex-leader of the free world might just fancy a comeback tour. That’s right, according to the ever-diligent crystal ball readers at Newsweek, NATO is putting on their big-boy pants in anticipation of Donald Trump coming back ‘with a vengeance.’ I mean, nothing says ‘I’m back, baby!’ quite like stirring the geopolitical pot, right? The man who loves walls more than a toddler loves LEGO might be gearing up to reconstruct his arena of international diplomacy—which, let me tell you, was as smooth as riding a unicycle on a cobblestone street. So, grab your popcorn, and let’s skip down memory lane where handshakes are as long as a bad movie and every meeting with ol’ Vladimir is a bro-fest.


The Breakdown

  • Trump returning to the world stage is like Godzilla revisiting Tokyo: Sure, the city has had time to rebuild, but do we really want to stomp around and knock down those buildings all over again? I mean, it’s great for ratings but not so much for the locals.

    Specifics:
    Just when Europe was getting a hang of things, trying to squeeze out Russian influence like it’s the last drop of toothpaste, we’ve got rumblings of Trump shaking up NATO’s Etch A Sketch strategy for peace and stability. Because nothing says peace like passive-aggressive tweets at 3 AM.

  • NATO’s got PTSD: Pre-Trump Stress Disorder: You thought your in-laws visiting was the cause of anxiety, but imagine a whole coalition of countries twitching at the sound of a tweet notification.

    Specifics:
    Every time there’s a hint of Trump on the horizon, NATO reps probably start doing breathing exercises and review their “How to Smile and Nod” playbooks. Memories of funding squabbles and ‘America First’ monologues haunt them like the ghost of Christmas past.

  • Lamenting the Paris Agreement like a bad breakup: We had dreams, we had commitments, then someone said, “It’s not you, it’s me,” and suddenly, we’re swiping left on climate change.

    Specifics:
    Getting back into those environmental love letters called accords might be a stretch if the man who favors hairspray over ozone layers gets the wheel again. I guess recycling is only cool when it’s about campaign strategies, not plastic.

  • The Art of the Deal meets international policy: Because who doesn’t want more ‘I win, you lose’ scenarios on the negotiation table?

    Specifics:
    Ah, those days when treaties and pacts turned into episodes of “Let’s Make a Deal”, but the only prize behind door number three is a collective migraine for the European allies. Surely, everyone’s excited for another round of Diplomacy… Trump-style.

  • Remember the time we were chummy with dictators? Good times.: Dictators around the world are updating their LinkedIn profiles, hoping for that coveted ‘Endorsed by Donald Trump’ badge again.

    Specifics:
    With the possibility of Trump’s return, it’s like autocrats are patiently waiting for their five-star Yelp reviews. All while NATO’s cracking open foreign policy textbooks, reviewing chapters on ‘The Friend Zone: How to Keep It Strictly Professional’.


The Counter

  • Four more years of unpresidented tweets? Not a typo.: Please, someone tell the man that Twitter isn’t an official diplomatic channel. Your uncle’s Facebook rants aren’t foreign policy either, in case you wondered.
  • Forget NATO, let’s talk about ‘MeTO’: You thought self-help was all about introspection, but have you considered the therapeutic benefits of allies just doing their own thing?
  • Climate Change? More like Climate ‘Changed the Channel’: If ignorance is bliss, then the next presidential term will be like living in a utopian sitcom where laugh tracks drown out rising sea levels.
  • Who needs allies when you’ve got monologues?: They say communication is a two-way street, but sometimes, it’s a one-man parade with a megaphone.
  • Rocket Man and The Donald, BFFs forever: Who knew international relations could be boiled down to pet names and the odd love letter between world leaders?

The Hot Take

In the spirit of combating the looming specter of re-Don-struction of American politics, let’s try a couple of things: Maybe we can start by limiting presidential Twitter accounts. Give ’em 140 characters and not a single emoji more. Or how about this? We implement mandatory international relations classes—yes, that includes learning how to pronounce ‘NATO’ correctly. Or, my favorite, we endeavor to only elect folks who won’t send the rest of the world into a frenzy resembling an all-you-can-eat sale at a bridal shop. Let’s maintain a glimmer of hope that wannabe comebacks are reserved for 90’s bands and scrunchies, not presidents with a penchant for diplomatic buzzkills.


Jared Mejia: A decade in the trenches of political writing for many outlets. Master of translating political doubletalk into snarky English. Wields sarcasm and caffeine with equal proficiency, slicing through spin with a razor-sharp wit.

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