Calling the reactions of the rest of the world 'quivering and faltering' seems to absolve them of any responsibility for themselves, as if it's impossible for anyone to be an ally of the US government, or at least not an enemy, unless there's blackmail or coercion involved. Other countries are not being terrified into submission, so much as they're complicit and culpable in their own way, using this situation to further their own political ends.