WORSE TO COME...

John Bolton is "in"; Trump's lawyers run for the exit; Putin is congratulated upon his "landslide" ; Mohammed bin Salman is the new Aladdin; swords of Damocles are readied; Mueller is on life-support; the winds of (trade) wars are blowing. Fortunately, the youths in the streets say loud that the future does not come out of a gun. Trump chooses to rage in Mar-a-Lago.

It is sad to see the agony of the former shared-western outlook.  Actually, Europe  had better come to terms with this pause in the death-on-arrival Atlantic "affair".  It is time to come up with a "bite" rather than with another Delphic Brussels-made communique. The EU should deal with its own Putin/Trump sycophants who are undermining its added-value, while the the US, for its part, is being booby-trapped by Trump's yo-yo politics and behavior.

Even some more enlightened American conservatives (a dying bread) ring the alarm bell. Fox News has become the equal of Pravda in old Soviet times. John Bolton might isolate America even further from its remaining historic allies. Disdain for democracy, human rights and global strategies are reshaping America's outlook. It would be interesting to analyze the occurrence of  certain key words in the communication of this US administration. The press briefings show a lack of sophistication or nuance that is bewildering. Trump's vocabulary is a mix of lies and insults, wherein instant gratification overtakes any form of subtlety or geo-political acumen.

Europe must indeed distance itself from its former indispensable partner, turned "rogue". The real danger is that this Washington coup d'etat might outlive the lifespan of this current season in hell. The president and his "syndicate" are putting landmines in the various corridors of power.  This shift in both manners and truth-telling is unique in American history. Even if the growing outrage were to lead the president's demise, the damage done might survive him.

The Trump/Pompeo/Bolton axis will stand in stark opposition to Europe on many issues (Iran, Middle East, climate, trade, the Korean "gamble").  Obama's soft-power heritage lies in tatters.  Since Charlottesville, Trump plays on "white anxiety" to jam issues and to set Americans against Americans. Not a day goes by without a photo opportunity for hard hats or fools who are shamelessly used as props for a dark agenda. 

The reality of Trump's moral colorblind Weltanschauung is for all to see. His  misconduct in private life, business practice or the roots of his Russia obsessions get a free pass from the most unexpected corner, wherein Evangelicals and the "forgotten" white working-class coalesce. He has free-reign in choosing an entourage close to his primary obsessions, but Bolton might still be the albatross around his neck.  Remember Iraq? 

There is worse to come. It will be difficult to shield this Frankenstein Republican- made avatar from exposure. The upcoming James Comey book might shed yet again a cruel light on this cheater-in-chief.  Last but not least, poker-face Putin might have the ultimate trump card on which the survival of this Manchurian, self-inflicted disaster president hangs.