I do believe that the Poles are happy to see Americans. They were carved up first by the Cossacks, then by Austria, Russia and Prussia, to whom they were kept in bondage for centuries. Last time around, they were overrun by Germany and the Soviets combined, then overrun by the Soviets, then kept in bondage to communism for decades. America was what they hoped for back then, and instead they got Stalin and fake sovereignty. They’re genuinely scared right now, and American faces are good news to them.
That doesn’t mean that this was a wise move by O, more like a spiteful four-year-old knocking all the building blocks down before going home in a huff. Trump, however, promised to treat US allies better in future, and so he can’t very well just disavow the deployment and go back to square one. That would send a negative signal around the world, and if ever there was a worthy ally who’s historically been neglected, it’s Poland.
He needs to keep a diminished force there as a trip wire. The fact that the numbers go down will reassure Putin that The US is not looking for war. The fact that he keeps some there will warn Putin and reassure Poland and all other allies that the US is not to be trifled with.
“Last time around, they were overrun by Germany and the Soviets combined, then overrun by the Soviets, then kept in bondage to communism for decades.”
Should read, “Last time around, they were carved up by Germany and the Soviets combined, then overrun by Germany, then overrun by the Soviets, then kept in bondage to communism for decades.” My bad.
Keep in mind that Poland took over 99% of Russia during the Time of Troubles, 1605-1613, which ended with the election by the boyars of Mikhail Romanov to be ruler. The only part of Russia not controlled by the Poles was the [walled city] Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Monastery in Sergiev Posad northeast of Moscow, with 30,000 Russian troops surrounded by the Polish forces. (The successful revolt against Polish rule began 1612.)
Then, Poland was gradually pushed back from current-day Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus over the course of the 1600s and 1700s, culminating in taking its own turn to be controlled by others, starting with the partitions 1763-1795.
These are just historical facts easily confirmed, set forth solely to act against the concept that Poland has been some sort of eternal victim. They were also an imperial power when circumstances permitted.
PS: Poland cooperated with the Nazi regime to get its own part of Czechoslovakia (Upper Silesia) in the Munich Agreement of 1938. High-level politics is so confusing!