Long-time readers of this blog know that I enjoy writing (and receiving) letters, although my correspondence has been less frequent of late. My letters aren't the perfunctory "I'm fine, how are you" sort, but are long and chatty and (I hope) interesting - a style I inherited from my mother, who was also a prolific correspondent.
Because I love writing letters and enjoy receiving and reading letters that are interesting and well-crafted, I was horrified by the blizzard of wasted paper spewing from the White House last week as Der Furor, having soured on the boring and time-consuming work of actually negotiating equitable trade deals with other nations, resorted to sending the diplomatically tone-deaf equivalent of extortion letters to foreign leaders. As an example, here is the letter he sent to the Prime Minister of Canada:
Had I submitted this letter for leadership approval when I was working as a staff officer in the Pentagon, I would not just have been called on the carpet ... my general would have ordered extra carpets on which to call me.
Whatever you may think of Der Furor's fixation on tariffs as the Swiss Army knife of international trade and diplomatic arm-twisting (and I don't think much of it), you have to admire his consistency. His writing skills, not so much. Consider all the things wrong with his letter to the Canadian Prime Minister:
The tone of the letter is high-handed ("It is a Great Honor for me to send you this letter"), condescending ("the United States of America has agreed to continue working with Canada"), and insulting ("These Tariffs may be modified, upward or downward, depending on our relationship with your Country"). It is marked by its improper, random use of capital letters, as in "Great Honor," "Trading Relationship," and "Dairy Farmers." It includes a threat against retaliation ("If for any reason you decide to raise your Tariffs, then, whatever the number you choose to raise them by, will be added onto the 35% that we charge"). He blames Canada for failing to stop the flow of drugs into the United States, ignoring the fact that the vast majority of illegal drugs entering the country come from Mexico and Asia. He closes with his smarmy, condescending, all-purpose phrase, "Thank you for your attention to this matter!" And finally, he throws in exclamation points to make sure the Prime Minister understands the importance of prompt submission to his demands ("The Trade Deficit is a major threat to our Economy and, indeed, our National Security!"*).
The penultimate paragraph of his letter ends with, "You will never be disappointed with the United States of America." Sadly, that train sailed long ago - the rest of the world is already disappointed with the United States, as am I.
Oh, and lest we forget, the letters were posted to Der Furor's "Truth Social" site, which is evidently a new official channel of communication with foreign leaders.
Sending poorly-written and insulting letters like this is typical of Der Furor's megalomaniacal approach to international relations (and all relations, for that matter), and allows him to keep up the fiction that he's a consummate deal-maker while presenting other nations with non-negotiable demands, telling reporters that "I just want you to know a letter means a deal."
And sometimes, a letter means a calculated and imperious insult to a friend and ally who deserves better. The ugly American lives, we've elected and empowered him, and the damage he's done and continues to do to our economy and our relations around the world will take decades to repair ... if it's even possible.
Have a good day. Write to your Senators and your Representative to let them know you expect better, even if you despair of getting it. More thoughts coming.
Bilbo
*Extra points here for use of both improper capitalization and punctuation.
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