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the "great power competition" farce is over. the capitol was breached and an enemy flag was taken inside. if you care about natsec this should be your number one concern. https://twitter.com/EricGomezAsia/status/1346956204849782788
the idea that you can just continue with business as usual trying to plan elaborate strategies for countering russia and china, separable from basic domestic political basis for any such strategy, should have died a while ago. but
a violent mob, partially instigated by the chief executive and his political allies, has now successfully interrupted a basic legislative function and done so in one of the most heavily defended cities in the world
adding insult to injury, they have done so displaying the flag and iconography of one of the most dangerous military opponents in american history
how they exactly did so -- and in particular whether or not they received tacit assistance from law enforcement -- remains unclear. what is also unclear (as always) is who is in charge right now (if anyone) https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/1346951431195144200
what is very, very, very clear is that internal political stability comes prior to almost every big Kennan imitator's Rube Goldberg machine plans https://twitter.com/Aelkus/status/1346986492955136000
but, phrased differently https://twitter.com/frazierapproves/status/1346917661087838212?fbclid=IwAR0gglpOy_hAmPb7azYabtVY7Aroo_GC0rouyXZO3pUsFCuMYGoF04rsSkE
I usually dislike 1930s analogies, but here's one relevant analogy. Not Weimar Germany. But pre-1939 France. https://twitter.com/SKalyvas/status/1346975103691743232
The country's internal divisions would, in the final analysis, render it incapable of defending itself effectively against *external* threats.
France was heavily armed, heavily fortified, and protected by hardened and fearless veterans of the worst (up until the *next* world war, sadly) war humanity had ever fought. But it was not politically healthy. It was at war with *itself*
It's astonishing but the bum-rushing of the Capitol was just *one of many* such incidents today. There were other attempts, with varying degrees of success, all across the country https://twitter.com/brittashoot/status/1346941731032363015
France's example suggests what kind of risks we face going forward, primarily internal and secondarily external. This is a political crisis that will continue after Trump leaves and will, in its own way, interfere with any other grand ambition we have https://twitter.com/EricGomezAsia/status/1346957549548015617
