Thread by @sam_vinograd

late to #TBT but wanted to throw abt 12 months back to the inaugural @realDonaldTrump speech to the @UN GA 1) "Rogue regimes represented in this body not only support terrorists but threaten other nations and their own people with the most destructive weapons known to humanity."

2) That "rogue regime" is still represented @UN . is still sanctioned by @UN , Russia and China are still helping that rogue regime violate sanctions, and they STILL have the most destructive weapons known to humanity BUT

3) Am guessing this section in the @POTUS UNGA speech will focus on a currently non-nuclear power, Iran, instead of the rogue-ish of them all - Lil Kim.

4) "Authority and authoritarian powers seek to collapse the values, the systems, and alliances that prevented conflict and tilted the world toward freedom since World War II." While this is another #Tbt to the @UN GA speech, it's evergreen. What a difference a year makes though

5) 12 months later and we've had an @NATO Summit that was a literal bully pulpit, a Summit with one of the most authoritarian of them all. But @AndrzejDuda did get @POTUS to provoke Russia just by copywriting "Fort Trump."

6) Last year 's burden sharing language was expected and relatively soft compared to what's followed "The United States ...can no longer be taken advantage of, or enter into a one-sided deal where the United States gets nothing in return."

7) my money (bad pun in this context) is on getting other countries to pay more $$ -- even tho the financial contribution formula is determined by @UN ...

8) So when we #TBT and look at what's changed and what's stayed the same -- where do we end up?

9) Syria: thousands more killed, more war crimes by Assad.and we're still there just to fight ISIS (which has been a successful mission in Syria)

10) North Korea: when we wipe the smoke off the mirrors, they still have nukes but this year that's ok as long as inspectors get to see the dismantlement of a test site ....

11) Iran still doesn't have nukes, but is still funding terrorism. But Iran could push to get nukes again because we violated our deal with them and are about to re-impose more sanctions.