A Fake War — The Final Breakdown of Trust
All of this is hypothetical. And only two years ago would seem incredibly outlandish. But here’s a four-part narrative that I can absolutely imagine happening now.
Part 1: Russia oversteps.
Whether on purpose or by accident — Russia will kill a U.S. soldier. It will be tragic. It won’t be a Pearl Harbor level attack. But it will be enough of an event that it can’t be brushed under the table.
Russia will make some excuses. It was an accident. It was a hoax. Doubt will be sewn from the very first moments.
But from a U.S. perspective it will be very clear. Russia is responsible for the death of an active member of the U.S. military.
Part 2: The Left Demands Blood
In an interesting reversal, the Democrats and modern left will demand Trump take action. They will turn into hawks. No amount of talking or negotiation will placate them. Revenge must be sought.
If Trump wants to prove he isn’t a puppet, they will say, he must act swiftly and decisively. Trump’s actions (or lack of) will be compared to how the left would imagine Hillary would have acted.
Part 3: We blow up Russian Tanks on TV
Always being one to sense the national mood, Trump takes his first aggressive foreign policy stance against Russia.
Some tanks and other Russian stuff is blown up on live TV. It would be a CNN style attack, full coverage for everyone to watch. It would be a big show for 48hrs. Nonstop chatter. YUGE RATINGS!! TREMENDOUS!
This is followed by a victory lap of sorts by Trump.
Part 4: Welcome the Conspiracies — Was that a “fake war”
After the literal dust settles, cable coverage turns to analysis. Lots of people begin to wonder if we let the Russians off easy. How come things stopped escalating? Is that a result of MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) or is this because behind the scenes….Trump and Putin are shaking hands?
Was the retaliatory attack staged? Was that even a valuable military target? Have we gone from fake news to fake war?
In another interesting flip: Trump supporters begin to back the mainstream media that reported on the attack and liberals begin to consider the reports to be phony, fake and in collusion.
9/11 Truthers and Sandy Hook conspiracy theorists (mostly from the Right) will now be joined by a new group of unbelievers. A group of liberals who are constructing and creating their own universe of reality.
