The cold shoulder in Munich

USA Today reports:

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence spoke about ISIS, the Iran Nuclear Deal and NATO at the 2019 Munich Security Conference.  

Vice President Mike Pence mentioned his boss in a speech Saturday, and he may not have gotten the reaction he expected.

As he spoke to attendees of the Munich Security Conference, he noted that he was there on behalf of a "great champion of freedom and of a strong national defense."

"I bring greetings from the 45th president of the United States of America, President Donald Trump," Pence said.

Pence paused, perhaps waiting for a reaction.

The response? Silence.

After about five seconds, Pence continued with his speech.

Pence twisted arms demanding that NATO members do more in increase military contributions to the 'alliance'.  It's not a popular idea across Europe to cut more social spending and give more money to the likes of Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon, General Dynamics, etc.

Pence also carried water for the US-based energy corporations that are pushing Europe not to buy natural gas from Russia.  Instead the US is demanding that Europe purchase more expensive fracked gas from America to be shipped across the Atlantic at great cost on huge LNG ships.  Europe can count the Euros and appears to be resisting such a foolish notion.

All in all the Trump administration's arrogance is not going over well around the world.  (Of course there are some exceptions.  Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, grandson of one of imperial Japan's fascist war cabinet ministers, has nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.)  

The US goal is to keep Europe separated from Russia.  It's all part of Trumps MAGA (Make America Great Again) strategy.  But it is not working and the opposite appears to be happening. 

The New York Times reported:

Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany delivered a strong rejoinder on Saturday to American demands that European allies pull out of the Iran nuclear deal and gave a spirited defense of multilateral institutions in a world increasingly marked by great-power rivalry.

Trump is learning that it is lonely at the top of a collapsing military empire.

Bruce