logo
The US Is Making the World a More Dangerous Place

The US Is Making the World a More Dangerous Place

Bloomberg18-06-2025
A decade ago, in the middle of the so-called Forever Wars, I would dread coming into my office in the morning, fearing bad news from the International Security Force Afghanistan. As military commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, I was in charge of more than 150,000 US and international troops in daily combat. We had nearly 2,000 young men and women killed in action during my four years there, and the cause — again and again – was improvised explosive devices. The term 'IED' continues to haunt my dreams.
As I have watched the first months of President Donald Trump's administration interact with an often incredulous world — it was practically a cause for celebration that he left this week's G-7 meeting (early) without causing a major diplomatic incident — that deadly acronym has come back to me. The emerging Trump Doctrine can accurately be described by a very different version of the letters IED.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

'Total Mental Collapse': Trump Ripped After 'Insane' New Ramble In Europe
'Total Mental Collapse': Trump Ripped After 'Insane' New Ramble In Europe

Yahoo

time6 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

'Total Mental Collapse': Trump Ripped After 'Insane' New Ramble In Europe

President Donald Trump spent part of his weekend in Scotland reviving his old grievances against wind power, even claiming at one point that it was 'killing' Americans. During a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Trump abruptly detoured from immigration to wind turbines. 'And the other thing I say to Europe: We will not allow a windmill to be built in the United States,' Trump said. 'They're killing us.' He added: 'They're killing the beauty of our scenery, our valleys, our beautiful plains ― and I'm not talking about airplanes. I'm talking about beautiful plains, beautiful areas in the United States, and you look up and you see windmills all over the place. It's a horrible thing. It's the most expensive form of energy. It's no good. They're made in China, almost all of them.' He complained that wind turbines 'rust and rot in eight years,' and then can't be 'buried' because they will harm the soil. 'The whole thing is a con job,' he said. 'It's very expensive. And in all fairness, Germany tried it and wind doesn't work.' Much of what the president said was wildly inaccurate: Germany gets more than a quarter of its energy from wind, turbines last about 30 years (not eight) according to the U.S Department of Energy, it's not the most expensive form of energy, and they're not 'almost all' made in China. Several users asked Grok, the AI tool within X, to fact-check Trump's claims on wind power. Here's a typical response: Trump, who has frequently attacked renewable energy, has a special hatred of wind power that likely began some two decades ago, when an offshore wind farm was proposed near the land that would become his golf resort in Scotland. He sued to block it, lost, and has complained about wind and other forms of renewable energy since. He mentioned that on Sunday as well. 'Today I'm playing the best course I think in the world, Turnberry ― even though I own it ― it's probably the best course in the world, right?' he said. 'And I look over the horizon and I see nine windmills... I said, 'Isn't that a shame? What a shame.'' Trump has previously taken his anti-wind stance to absurd extremes, such as in 2019, when he falsely claimed wind turbines cause cancer. 'The wind, the wind, it sounds so wonderful,' he said last year. 'The wind, the wind, the wind is, the wind is bullshit, I'll tell you.' Trump's critics called him out for his latest out-of-the-blue tirade against wind energy:

Russia's economy is now so militarized, it may keep expanding its army even after the Ukraine war
Russia's economy is now so militarized, it may keep expanding its army even after the Ukraine war

Business Insider

time8 minutes ago

  • Business Insider

Russia's economy is now so militarized, it may keep expanding its army even after the Ukraine war

Russia's war machine has become such an integral part of its economic engine that its military industry is likely to keep expanding even after the fighting in Ukraine ends, according to a report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "The end of hostilities will not lead to a radical cut-off of military investment," wrote CSIS analysts in a report published on Thursday. Now in its fourth year, Russia's war with Ukraine continues even as Russian President Vladimir Putin's administration weathers sweeping Western sanctions. And while cracks are starting to show, the Russian economy may still be able to sustain the war effort for several more years, the report said. Defense spending is set to hit a post-Soviet record of 6.3% of GDP in 2025 and could climb even higher despite mounting signs of economic slowdown or recession. "Russia's economy appears sustainable for the next few years," the CSIS analysts wrote. They forecast that the Kremlin could maintain its war of attrition through at least 2027. 'Russia could be preparing for some kind of future confrontation with NATO' The CSIS report comes amid renewed scrutiny of Russia's economy. Manufacturing activity contracted last month, and employment has suffered. GDP growth slowed to 1.4% in the first quarter, down sharply from 4.5% in the previous quarter. Still, Russia has defied expectations thanks to its growing military-industrial complex. "Having become the most sanctioned country in the world, it has managed to maneuver around many economic constraints, keeping revenues from energy sales high and its budget balanced, investing in the military and defense industry, ramping up domestic production of weapons and equipment, and boosting economic growth," wrote the think tank analysts. Crucially, the militarized economy has built a broad base of political and economic stakeholders — from elites to ordinary workers — who benefit from continued conflict. That makes any significant drawdown in military activity politically and economically unlikely. Even if a ceasefire is reached, Russia may still be able to rebuild and expand its armed forces over the next decade. "Russia's war-induced socioeconomic changes have been so significant that the process of societal militarization is unlikely to stop even if the war in Ukraine were to end," wrote the CSIS analysts. The Kremlin's strategic posture hasn't softened either. CSIS suggests Russia is preparing for a long-term confrontation with NATO, using the war to modernize its forces and test Western resolve. Beyond conventional arms, Russia has ramped up hybrid warfare, including cyberattacks, disinformation, sabotage, political meddling, and strikes on critical infrastructure. These tools allow Moscow to operate aggressively across multiple fronts. "Despite being inferior to NATO in terms of its conventional capabilities, today's Russia represents a bigger challenge to European security than it did at the start of 2022," the CSIS analysts wrote. The Kremlin is learning from past failures, adapting quickly, and growing more confident in what it sees as a West unwilling to stop it. "Moscow's ongoing large-scale military reforms signal that Russia could be preparing for some kind of future confrontation with NATO within roughly the next decade—including even a large-scale conventional war," they wrote.

Poland Scrambles Fighter Jets Amid Russian Attack on Ukraine
Poland Scrambles Fighter Jets Amid Russian Attack on Ukraine

Newsweek

time9 minutes ago

  • Newsweek

Poland Scrambles Fighter Jets Amid Russian Attack on Ukraine

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Poland's armed forces have scrambled it aircraft in response to the threat posed by a Russian missile attack on Ukraine. The NATO member said in a statement the aircraft were deployed overnight Sunday and air defense and radar reconnaissance systems were placed on high alert. The measure was in response to another combined drone and missile attack launched by Russian forces on Ukraine. It comes just over a week after Polish and Swedish armed forces scrambled aircraft stationed in Poland following a similar Russian attack. This is a developing story and will be updated.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store