New York Times (January 24)
“The world will remember Trump’s Greenland outburst.” The President’s “immoral threats against a loyal NATO ally have escalated a crisis in U.S.-European relations, weakened one of history’s most successful alliances and hurt American interests in tangible ways…. Leaders in Beijing and Moscow are no doubt thrilled. America is less safe than it was a week ago.”
Tags: Alliances, Ally, Beijing, Crisis, Escalated, Europe, Greenland, Immoral, Less safe, Moscow, Nato, Outburst, Threats, Thrilled, Trump, World
South China Morning Post (November 26)
“No winter lasts forever, but the deep chill in the Beijing-Tokyo relationship set off by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan could last a long time.” There is speculation “that Japan’s new prime minister could tighten her hold on power should relations between Beijing and Tokyo remain frosty, but there is one big wild card: “US President Donald Trump’s reluctance to show open support for Japan, America’s closest ally in the region.”
Tags: Ally, Beijing, Deep chill, Frosty, Japan, Power, Relationship, Reluctance, Speculation, Support, Taiwan, Takaichi, Tokyo, Trump, U.S.
Wall Street Journal (September 10)
“South Korea is at a crossroads, but every direction seems to lead to a dead end. Just as the world wakes up from the decadeslong daydream of North Korean denuclearization, the U.S.—South Korea’s longtime defense partner—has grown unreliable.” A poll conducted by the Korean Herald “found 60% of South Koreans don’t trust the U.S. to use its nuclear weapons to protect Seoul from a North Korean attack.” The lack of confidence in its “ally may convince Seoul that there’s no other way to deter Kim Jong Un” than by procuring nuclear weapons of its own.
Tags: Ally, Crossroads, Daydream, Dead end, Defense, Denuclearization, Kim, Korean Herald, North Korea, Nuclear weapons, Partner, Protect, Seoul, South Korea, Trust, U.S., Unreliable
Reuters (October 8)
“Employees have grown to appreciate the advantages of avoiding commutes while chief executives are increasingly frustrated by the drawbacks from having tasks completed remotely.” The tension continues, but “the CEOs who prefer just to have their staffs back in the same place have an increasingly powerful ally: weaker job markets.”
Tags: Advantages, Ally, CEOs, Chief executives, Commutes, Drawbacks, Employees, Frustrated, Remote, Staffs, Tension, Weaker job markets
LA Times (November 21)
“With each witness who testifies in the House impeachment inquiry, it becomes clearer: The president was trying to orchestrate a filthy, self-interested operation that his former national security advisor John Bolton memorably derided as a ‘drug deal.’” It is becoming obvious that “the president of the United States was using his office to coerce an ally into smearing the family of a political rival.”
Tags: Ally, Bolton, Coerce, Drug deal, Filthy, Impeachment, NSA, Rival, Self-interested, Testifies, Trump, Witness
The Guardian (May 13)
“The American president has thrown into confusion old alliances and imperilled Middle Eastern peace.” His “stark rejection of the multilateral 2015 nuclear deal with Iran poses complex and momentous challenges for Europe, and the UK in particular. This reckless US action upsets the geopolitical furniture in troubling ways. The European democracies now find themselves at odds with their principal ally on an issue of fundamental importance to their security and to peace in the Middle East. By insisting they will uphold the Iran deal… European countries have embarked on a collision course with Washington.”
Tags: Alliances, Ally, Collision course, Confusion, Europe, Iran, Middle East, Nuclear deal, Peace, Reckless, Rejection, U.S., UK
New Matilda (March 1)
As America’s ally. Australia “must enter the American gun control debate. We not only have a right to do so, we also have a responsibility…. Now more than ever, Australia is relevant as a voice for gun control in American politics.” Prime Minister Turnbull “must affirm our successes and call out America for their failures. To do anything less would be a betrayal to both the Australian and the American people.”
Tags: Ally, Australia, Betrayal, Debate, Gun control, Responsibility, Right, Successes, U.S.
Washington Post (June 6)
“Britain continues to respond with impressive fortitude and sobriety to a string of terrorist attacks claimed by the Islamic State.” In contrast, President Trump appears “to be doing his best to ruin U.S. relations with its closest ally — if any calculation can be imputed to his reckless and irresponsible tweets.”
Tags: Ally, Fortitude, Impressive, Irresponsible, Islamic State, Reckless, Ruin, Sobriety, Terrorist attacks, Trump, Tweets, U.S., UK
Washington Post (March 26)
“Japan has been the forgotten ally in recent years. But Abe’s goal of a stronger Japan, anchored to the United States, would make for a more stable Asia.”
Wall Street Journal (December 27)
“Some Americans, viewing China as Asia’s future and Japan as its past, consider the alliance with Tokyo as anachronistic—or even a liability in a transformed world. But it would be a mistake to write off Japan as a friend. It remains America’s strongest ally in Asia, with world-class capabilities that make it a serious player in the global balance of power.”
