Last year, after the Munich Security Conference and J.D. Vance’s threats against liberal democracies in Europe, I started a post series about the US obviously no longer being an ally or friend of Europe. I did not continue the series after a while, because there were some other projects which appeared to be more fruitful than to follow the, in my opinion, moral decline of an administration which slowly turned and turns into an autocratic regime and which at the same time provoked and provokes the slow death of Nato. But the recent events have made me rethink.

During 2024 the decisions and announcements of the US administration, their active alignment with Putin’s interests and the systematic realization of the disruptive steps written down in the “Project 2025” of an anti-democratic movement in the US spoke for themselves. But the growing direct economic and military threats of the US administration against European states and their sovereignty make it necessary that we elderly people in Europe speak out loudly and clearly. So, I will continue my post series. But the events and news of this morning require a direct, sarcastic comment, first.

I live some months every year in Norway. While Norway, unfortunately, is no member of the EU, Norway and Germany share a lot of the same values. Norway, undoubtedly, has always had and cultivated strong and pragmatic political, economic and military relations with the US, GB and the EU. The balance of mutual interests has certainly been a complicated job for all Norwegian administrations, a job which required and requires a clear strategic mind and respect for the interests of other nations and their administrations.

Norwegians are friendly and tough people at the same time. You have to earn their trust and friendship – and you can loose it quickly when you play egoistic games. So, for me today’s morning with its incoming news from local and international information networks got interesting. It came with an experience of many Norwegian people shaking their heads in disbelief and dismay (to say it mildly).

The headline on the morning news was the letter of a rather old, apparently often tired, unfocused and seemingly handicapped, though mighty man – namely Mr Trump – to the Norwegian Prime Minister.

In my experience the Norwegian government normally handles inter-governmental thought exchanges carefully and discretely. So, the direct confirmation of having received this letter and of its contents by the Norwegian administration tells you something. About the disturbance the letter created, the eye-brow-lifting about the letter’s more than dumb contents and the anger about the disrespect Trump shows for state and government independent organizations of a mature democratic society.

The Norwegian committee for Nobel’s peace price can be criticized for its decisions. But make no mistake about it: The Norwegians are proud about the committee’s independence. For them it is a pillar of civilization – and respect for its decisions is the minimum attitude required for constructive criticism.

So, with this background, can you imagine the reaction of my Norwegian family and friends to a letter, which under normal circumstances would be characterized as written by a frustrated, miffed and obviously incoherently thinking, but totally egocentric brain of an immature bully? I tested this diagnosis this morning with a psychologist …

But let the letter speak for itself. Quotation from the published letter to Prime MInister Jonas Gahr Støre:

“Dear Jonas: Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America.

“Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a ‘right of ownership’ anyway? There are no written documents, it’s only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also.

“I have done more for NATO than any other person since its founding, and now, NATO should do something for the United States. The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland. Thank you! President DJT”

The letter shows how the brain of Trump is working. Striking, in my opinion, is the lack of proper education, the ignorance of historic facts, the lack of diplomacy. The message is: I did not get what I wanted. It is your fault. I shall punish you now by turning away from peace. I want Greenland and I will get it.

A normal person would feel embarrassed if some statements like the quoted ones, which he or her had uttered in a bad mood, had been published. So, my question to the American people is:

Is this really the best that your nation has to offer as a leader? Is this a man of honor? A man, who threatens allies and at the same time invites autocrats like Putin and Erdogan to a so called “Board of Peace”? A man who demands 1 billion dollars for a membership in a board that, if he got his will, should replace the UN?

In Norway people mock the screeches of seagulls by “Skall ha, skall ha, …” (Must have, must have, …)

A famous Norwegian writer has written in a novel that seagulls actually are a last generation of fallen, moronic, if not imbecile angles.

Well, an interesting question came up during today’s late breakfast here in Norway with some friends – and news from NRK, BBC, CNN and ARD running in the background:

How many more brain cells than a seagull would a person need to utter the contents of the letter quoted above?

In my experience a rather small LLM would do the job more elegantly …