C.<p>He did it because someone <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/flattered" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>flattered</span></a> him a lot, and convinced him that doing this would make him look <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/strong" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>strong</span></a>, it would make him look like the <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/alpha" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>alpha</span></a>. It would make him the <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/winner" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>winner</span></a>, because it would make "them" the <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/losers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>losers</span></a>. Maybe they convinced him that this was the first step, that hitting us economically would enable him to annex Canada as his 51st state, making him the <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/bigliest" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>bigliest</span></a> and <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/bestest" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>bestest</span></a> <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/President" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>President</span></a> since the Louisiana purchase.</p><p>So this hurts the USA, Canada, Mexico economically. Because it will shake world markets, it will hurt many other countries too - at least those that are part of the open world economic processes.</p><p>It hurts relations between the <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/USA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>USA</span></a> and Canada, and between the USA and <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/NATO" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>NATO</span></a> generally. It's a stab in the back; it can't *not* throw a wrench in things.</p><p>It hurts the E.U. through both the economic and NATO angles.</p><p>So, who manipulated Trump into self-destructive and ally-destructive behaviour like this? Not an ally.</p><p>Cui bono? Who benefits from this?</p><p>For one, <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/Russia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Russia</span></a> benefits; sticking a dagger in NATO helps stop aid to Ukraine so Putin can "win" his war there. It distracts from putting more <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/sanctions" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>sanctions</span></a> on them.</p><p>You know who Trump's been talking to, a lot, lately? Vladimir <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/Putin" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Putin</span></a>. More than a dozen times recently, apparently, though I can't find the news story that discussed it. </p><p>You know who is a master <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/manipulator" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>manipulator</span></a>, so much so that it was his primary job in the <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/KGB" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>KGB</span></a>? Vladimir Putin.</p><p>Is this proof? No.</p><p>3/3</p>