Terje Helland Profile picture
Mar 4 11 tweets 4 min read Read on X
🇺🇸🇪🇺🌎The transatlantic alliance faces an uncomfortable truth: the instability in U.S. politics isn't just about Trump. It’s about the deeper flaws in American democracy itself—flaws that make the U.S. an unreliable pillar of Western security.
🧵A security thread.
1/10 Image
Trump—a convicted fraudster, rapist, and insurrectionist—isn’t an outlier. The fact that he can win power again is a symptom of systemic weakness.
In any functioning democracy, such a figure would be politically extinct.
In the U.S., he was the GOPs first choice.
2/10
How did we get here? Its complicated but two core flaws make American democracy structurally unstable:
1️⃣ Money in politics—Citizens United allows billionaires to buy elections.
2️⃣ Electoral system design—A few swing states decide everything, making it easy to manipulate outcomes Image
Unlike in Europe (at least my country), where politicians resign over minor infractions, the U.S. system enables criminals to return to power.
When legal accountability means nothing, when money outweighs votes, when courts are stacked—how democratic is the U.S., really?
4/11Image
This isn’t just about domestic politics. If the U.S. can’t guarantee stable governance, how can Europe, Canada, Australia, Taiwan, or Japan trust it with their security?
5/11
NATO’s backbone has always been U.S. leadership. But when that leadership can swing between Biden’s internationalism and Trump’s isolationism—on a whim—the alliance itself is on borrowed time.
6/11Image
Europe must wake up. The old assumption—that the U.S. will always be there as a security guarantor—is dead.
A country that can be hijacked by extremists every four years is no foundation for defense and security.
7/11Image
The solution? The West must build an independent security framework.
✅ Europe must expand its defense capacity.
✅ Canada, Australia, Taiwan and Japan must coordinate more closely.
✅ NATO must prepare for a world where U.S. support is conditional—or absent.
8/11 Image
This is not an anti-American argument. It’s about recognizing reality. The U.S. remains a vital partner, but the era of blind dependence is over.
The West needs a backup plan—before it’s too late.
9/11 Image
The biggest threat to the Western alliance isn’t just Russia or China.
It’s the fragility of U.S. democracy itself.
If we don’t prepare for a post-American security order now, we may not get a second chance.
10/11
☕️ If you appreciate this thread, consider supporting my work: .
Your support keeps these insights coming.
Thank you! 🙏

11/11buymeacoffee.com/terjehelland

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More from @terjehelland

Feb 24
🇬🇪BREAKING! The BBC @BBC is funding authoritarian propaganda in Georgia.
Its commercial arm, BBC Studios, licenses Dancing with the Stars to Imedi TV, a Georgian Dream-controlled channel that openly admits its mission is to keep the opposition out of power.
🧵A dance dive:
1/11Image
Imedi TV is not an independent broadcaster. It is a Russian-style propaganda machine for Georgia’s extreme ruling party. Its owner, Irakli Rukhadze, is a UK-based mini-oligarch and a close ally of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the Kremlin-linked billionaire who controls Georgia.
2/11 Image
Imedi doesn’t dominate the airwaves because of its news coverage—Georgians don’t trust its journalism very much. Instead, its audience is built on entertainment programming. And at the center of that? The BBC-licensed "Dancing with the Stars".
3/11 Image
Read 11 tweets
Feb 20
🇺🇦🇺🇸Trump’s lies and despicable statements about Ukraine aren’t just embarrassing—they’re isolating him and the U.S. on the world stage.
While he pushes Kremlin propaganda, Europe is moving on without Washington.
The U.S. is now weaker and more irrelevant than ever.
A thread 🧵:Image
For the first time in modern history, Europe no longer trusts the U.S. as a reliable partner.
When Trump gutted NATO in his first term, it was seen as reckless. Now? Allies are actively preparing for a world where Washington doesn’t matter. Image
Even inside the U.S., Trump’s isolationism is creating fractures.
Pro-Ukraine Republicans know abandoning Kyiv would be disastrous. Trump’s actions turn America inward—leaving Europe to take full control of the West’s security strategy. Image
Read 9 tweets
Feb 17
🇬🇪Munich ’25 was a wake-up call. The US is no longer a reliable partner for Europe.
Hegseth betrayed Ukraine🇺🇦, suggesting it should cede land and drop NATO
VP Vance declared that Russia isn’t Europe’s main threat.
🧵Europe must act. And Georgia is the battlefield where we startImage
For too long, Europe has reacted to crises instead of controlling them.
Now, with US disengagement, Europe must take the offensive—economically, politically, and strategically. We must shape the future.
The fastest, most effective move?
A decisive European-led victory in GeorgiaImage
Georgia isn’t just a small country—it’s a strategic battlefield.
✔️ A frontline against Russian influence
✔️ A key energy corridor for Europe
✔️ A test of European strength
A win in Georgia means: saving Georgians, hurting Putin, and proving Europe can lead.
3/17 Image
Read 21 tweets
Feb 8
🇬🇪Western diplomats must recognize a hard truth: any symbolic recognition—whether intentional or not—emboldens the Georgian Dream (GD) regime.
🧵Recent missteps show how GD exploits these moments to fake legitimacy while doubling down on repression.
1/10 Image
Take Alain Berset’s visit to Tbilisi in December. The Council of Europe Secretary General claimed he secured “concessions” on GD’s Russian-style Foreign Agents Law. But this week, GD made its position clear: no amendments. Berset was played. @alain_berset
coe.int/en/web/portal/…
By engaging on GD’s terms, Berset gave the regime an unearned diplomatic win—one they weaponized to project legitimacy. And when scrutiny passed, they reversed course, proving once again that negotiations with an entrenched autocracy are futile. @coe
3/10
civil.ge/archives/661247
Read 12 tweets
Feb 6
🇬🇪Imedi TV is not just biased—it’s a "machine of evil", built to manipulate, silence, and control.
Under Georgian Dream, it has transformed into a Russian-style propaganda weapon, crushing dissent and distorting reality.
🧵Here are firsthand accounts from those who escaped.Image
This thread is based on powerful reporting by @OCMediaorg, featuring testimonies from journalists who escaped Imedi’s grip. Their accounts expose how Georgian Dream has weaponized media to maintain power. Full credit to their work.
2/15
oc-media.org/a-cog-in-the-m…
Imedi’s stated goal? Prevent the opposition from ever returning to power. Journalists who defected describe it as a regime tool, spreading disinformation, vilifying critics, and advancing Ivanishvili’s interests—at the cost of Georgia’s democracy.
3/15
Read 15 tweets
Feb 4
🇬🇪Georgian Dream (GD) just unveiled a barrage of new repressive laws that will further dismantle democracy and centralize power.
The road to authoritarian rule is no longer a possibility—it’s the plan.
🧵A breakdown of Georgia’s descent into dictatorship. 👇 1/21Image
Self-proclaimed leader Mdinaradze framed the changes as necessary to remove “inefficient” laws and replace them with tools that give the government “real leverage.” What does this mean in practice? Criminalizing dissent, silencing opposition, and total control.
2/21Image
The changes are designed to crush protests and free speech, and shield officials from accountability:
🔹Public calls for violence now carry a prison sentence of up to 3 yrs
🔹“Insulting officials” becomes a punishable offense
🔹Administrative detention extended from 15 to 60 days Image
Read 25 tweets

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