A Note of Caution Amid the Spectacle
✍️ Author’s Note
This reflection was written not in the spirit of cynicism, but of caution. History teaches that atmospheres change quickly, leaders are not always what they seem, and the costs of war and diplomacy are seldom borne by those who stage the spectacle.
If I did not know better, I might almost be charmed by the spectacle we’ve just witnessed. Donald Trump playing host — affable, smiling, careful to project warmth. Yet beneath that glittering surface, substance is thin and detail absent. Atmosphere, however pleasant, is no substitute for clarity.
History reminds us that the devil is always in the details, and when they emerge, it is rarely the strong who pay the price. Others bear the cost, as they always do.
I remain unconvinced by this so-called “balancing act.” The European Union shoulders burdens it has not fully reckoned with, while Ukraine’s future is spoken of but not secured. The fanfare may sound like progress, but smoke screens linger.
So I withhold applause. Better to wait until the fog clears — and to see things as they are, not as they are staged.
Netherlands, WJJH, August, 2025
📌 Blog Excerpt
Charm and ceremony are poor substitutes for substance. The recent spectacle may project warmth, but beneath the glittering surface, the details are absent — and it is in those details that the fate of nations is decided. I remain unconvinced by this “balancing act.” For Europe, the costs are heavy. For Ukraine, the risks are grave. Better to wait until the fog clears before applauding what may yet prove an illusion.
In what kind of world do we wish to live 