To me, as a Norwegian Citizen, or to a Scandinavian, the current American situation feels like a fever dream because it violates the most basic principle of our societies: The State is not the Leader.
In Norway, the money in the Oljefondet (Sovereign Wealth Fund) belongs to the people, managed by institutions that outlast any politician.
In America, those institutional walls are being bulldozed.
1. The “Board of Peace”: A Private State Department
The most alarming development is the Board of Peace. For a European to understand this, imagine a Prime Minister creating a private “Peace Foundation” by decree, naming themselves “Chairman for Life,” and then moving €1 billion from the national disaster fund into it.
- The Mechanism: The administration used “reprogramming” authority—a loophole designed for minor accounting shifts—to move $1.25 billion without a vote from Congress. They took money meant for international disaster relief (humanitarian aid) and redirected it to this private entity.
- The “Membership” Fee: The Board allows foreign nations to “buy a seat” for $1 billion. In diplomacy, we call this a “pay-to-play” system. It bypasses the State Department, the UN, and traditional treaties. It turns international relations into a private brokerage.
- The Heritage Foundation Link: This is the realization of the “Project 2025/2029” roadmap. The goal is to bypass the United Nations—which the Heritage Foundation views as a “globalist threat”—and replace it with a series of bilateral, transactional deals controlled directly by the President’s personal circle.
2. Why do “Regular People” (MAGA) Support This?
This is the hardest part for Europeans to grasp. Why would a working-class person in Ohio or Florida cheer while their tax dollars go to a billionaire’s private board or a $1.43 billion-per-day unapproved war in Iran?
- The “Strongman” vs. “The Bureaucrat”: Many Americans have been convinced that “Institutions” (the IRS, the UN, the Department of Justice) are part of a “Deep State” that hates them. To them, the “Board of Peace” isn’t “corruption”—it’s “efficiency.” They would rather trust a person they like (Trump) than a system they’ve been told is rigged.
- The Narrative of Sovereignty: Supporters view the dismantling of the UN as “bringing power back to America,” even if that power actually ends up in a private fund with no oversight.
3. The “Guns vs. Butter” Reality
While the rhetoric is about “America First,” the math tells a different story.
- The War Burn Rate: The military campaign in Iran is currently burning $1.43 billion every single day. This is unbudgeted and unauthorized by Congress.
- The Domestic Cost: To fund this and the “Board of Peace,” the state is cannibalizing itself. We see this in the DHS funding lapse, where TSA workers were forced to work without pay in March 2026, and in the slashing of healthcare and energy credits for low-income families.
4. The $10 Billion “Self-Settlement”
Perhaps the most “ludicrous” element to a European eye is the President suing his own government for $10 billion.
- In a Nordic court, this would be dismissed as a farce.
- In the U.S. currently, it is a viable strategy to extract wealth from the public treasury. Because the President appoints the people defending the case, he is effectively negotiating a settlement with himself. If he “wins,” $10 billion of taxpayer money moves directly into his private accounts as “restitution.”
Summary for the European Observer
If this were happening in any other Western nation, it would be labeled a “State Capture”—a term usually reserved for developing nations where a leader merges their personal business interests with the functions of the government.
By bypassing the “Power of the Purse” (Congress’s right to control money) and the “Adversarial System” (the idea that the government defends itself against private claims), the current administration is moving toward a Neo-Feudalism.
In this system, the “King” does not need the “Parliament” to fund his wars or his projects; he simply redirects the “Tribute” (taxes) as he sees fit.
This is the ultimate warning for those of us in the Nordics — who have not been swept up in this anti-state narrative championed by the Heritage Foundation in the US — as we acknowledge that transparency is the foundation of our high-trust society. It is the sound of a superpower’s democratic machinery being stripped for parts.
Primary Sources and Reports (2025–2026)
- On the $1.25 Billion Fund Transfer:
- CGTN News (March 26, 2026): “US State Dept Draws on Funds for International Disasters & Peacekeeping to Transfer $1.25B to Board of Peace.” This report details the specific reprogramming of congressionally authorized aid into the new executive entity.
- Semafor (February 19, 2026): “Trump commits $10B to Board of Peace.” Coverage of the inaugural meeting in Washington and the initial capitalization of the fund.
- On the “Board of Peace” Charter and Structure:
- Arab Center Washington DC (February 18, 2026): “Trump’s Board of Peace: Rebuilding Gaza, or Remaking the World?” An in-depth analysis of the Board’s charter, including the provision for Trump’s lifelong chairmanship and the “approval authority” over all member-state decisions.
- INSS – Institute for National Security Studies (February 4, 2026): “Trump’s Board of Peace: An Initiative for the Gaza Strip or an Alternative to the UN?” A breakdown of how the Board operates outside the UN framework and its membership requirements.
- On the $10 Billion IRS Lawsuit:
- Kiplinger Tax Report (February 6, 2026): “Trump $10B IRS Lawsuit Hits an Already Chaotic 2026 Tax Season.” Detailed reporting on the January 2026 filing in the Southern District of Florida, identifying the President as the plaintiff against his own Treasury Department.
- On the Daily Cost of the Iran Conflict:
- Office of Senator Richard Blumenthal (April 3, 2026): “Trump’s Iran war costs more than $1 BILLION a day.” Official press release citing Department of Defense burn rates and air defense interceptor expenditures.
- Anadolu Agency (AA) (April 3, 2026): “Five weeks in, Iran war edges toward costly stalemate.” Analysis of the $26.74 billion spent in the first month of operations.
- On the DHS/TSA Funding Lapse:
- WhiteHouse.gov (March 27, 2026): “Presidential Memorandum on Paying Our Great Transportation Security Administration Officers.” The official executive action taken to bypass the Congressional funding deadlock that left 60,000 workers without pay.
- Time Magazine (April 3, 2026): “TSA Agents Have Received Pay, But These Agencies Are Still Being Impacted by the DHS Shutdown.”
#STATECAPTURE #BOARDOFPEACE #TRANSPARENCY #PUBLICINTEREST #FISCALOVERSIGHT #RULEOFLAW #DEMOCRACY