Will Trump’s Presidency End with a Bang or a Whimper?
Next year will mark the 100th anniversary of the formation of The American Legion in Paris at the close of World War I; currently, it’s composed of 2.4 million members, each a veteran of a war in which the U.S. fought, from 14,900 posts around the country. It’s a mighty group, and it represents a lot of patriotism.The American Legion is in today’s news, because the U.S. president’s rude and disrespectful treatment of the fallen war hero John McCain was sufficiently blatant to have incited a fierce rebuke by the group’s national commander.
Now, boorish behavior on Trump’s part is hardly news. What makes it so utterly terrifying, however, is the poor judgement it shows. Want to irritate 2.4 million liberals? OK, in fact, that actually seems to fire up the base. But irritate 2.4 million people, most of whom are (were?) Trump supporters? Yikes.
The only explanation here is that he is entirely ruled by his childish petulance. This surly brat with the nuclear codes doesn’t think that angering his base is a good idea, but he simply can’t help himself.
If that doesn’t scare you, it’s hard to know what will.
Craig,
It would be difficult to find anyone who could justify or condone Donald Trump’s churlish remarks toward John McCain.
The President and Senator McCain differed on more than just political policies and visions of America.
They represented a fundamental change taking place in America.
I will always be a tremendous admirer of John McCain, a genuine American hero and a man of deep courage and principle. A thorough gentleman (he even found it in his heart to forgive Jane Fonda).
To me, John McCain is a symbol of the best sort of American, he symbolized not only what American’s should aspire to, but the sort of person everyone should aspire to be.
President Donald Trump is an American of a very different type. Yet at this moment of history, he may not be as personally admirable, but he maybe more what America needs.
America is changing fast. The changes both internal and external will occur no matter who is President. How the US adapts, survives and prospers at this crucial time in history rests upon the actions of President Trump.
McCain, like Obama, was a decent man, but represented a different era. Like Obama a McCain Presidency, would have been incapable of recognizing, accepting and reacting to the fundamental changes occurring in the US and the world.
McCain still saw Russia as the number one threat and enemy, Europe a friendly ally to be protected and aided militarily and economically.
In reality, with the exception of the UK, Europe just sees the US as a naive giant whose pockets deserve to be picked, while Russia has shrunk to an economic pygmy.
McCain believed being nice to China (PRC) would allow China to transition peacefully to democracy. He believed America could afford globalization, because it helped less fortunate nations, even if it bankrupted America.
Like Obama, McCain was an idealist! He believed in seeing the best in others, when dealing with a biased and all powerful media he did his best to be heard in a polite and respectful manner. He was “Gentleman Jim”. A man who didn’t believe it was important if you one or lost, but how you played the game.
As Internationalists, they were prepared to sacrifice the interests of Americans, for the greater good.
In contrast, Donald Trump is a deeply flawed individual who doesn’t care how the game is played as long as he wins !
But, sometimes in the tide of affairs of nations, such individuals possess the qualities that are needed to achieve great changes.
Too often his opponents have written Trump off, underestimating his abilities because of his personality flaws and lapses of judgement. Certainly, he’s rude, boorish, petulant and makes mistakes on occasion.
His opponents scream that’s all there is to the Queens, New York property developer and reality TV star. But that’s where they’re wrong. Donald Trump is far more complex and astute than the simplistic one-dimensional portrayal of his opponents
As a candidate Donald Trump with no political credentials, little senior party backing, no ‘establishment” endorsements, destroyed in rapid succession, a field of very experienced, well connected, primary candidates.
He then fought a Presidential election against the candidate endorsed by the popular outgoing President.
Hillary Clinton was the most experienced, best credentialed, best funded, ‘female’ candidate to ever contest and American election. Hillary Clinton is no gentle idealist ! She is a smart, tough, ruthless politician, not adverse to using any means, fair or foul, to win. With more than 80% of the media on her side and the best party machine ever assembled.
She should have won by a landslide!
Yet the underfunded, unpopular, media reviled, first time amateur, scandal ridden, man from New York, stole not only the election, but the heart of traditional democrat blue collar workers and won the election.
He then set to work to change America. First, he neutralized the heavyweights of the GOP by winning the loyal support of the rank and file.
Then he set about implementing the agenda he promised in his election campaign. His agenda will change America and America’s place in the world, irreversibly.
Time will tell if his capacity for great achievements can overcome his personality flaws, but at least America has produced a competitive champion. Not a gentleman, but a cunning, astute fighter and intriguer capable of mixing it with the best and winning.
Unfortunately for Americans like yourself, you are incapable of understanding President Trump is fighting a war for American survival.
For the last thirty five years, the US has been in a trade war with the rest of the world and losing ! The US has been in deep decay since before the collapse of the USSR. The US has spent all it’s accumulated treasure and prestige, while accumulating massive debt and fighting endless ill advised military adventures.
As American industry and institutions decayed and disappeared through neglect and misplaced (often delusional) idealism and obsession with ideology.
The gift from Exxon and other US oil companies by providing US energy independence, has bought America time for President Trump to transform America.
While President Obama and candidates like Senator McCain tried to be polite and inoffensive in hoping to contain Chinese ambitions, by using elaborately structured and face-saving approach such as the weak Trans-Pacific Partnership, President Trump employed the more effective crude, downright old-fashioned weapon of tariffs.
The open attack on China’s forced technology transfer policy, intellectual property theft and Made in China 2025 strategic plan, exposes the fundamental reality of a trade war already in progress.
Trump is gambling on US free-market economy system proving more resilient than the corrupt.
Chinese state-dominated economic model.
President Trump is no ideologue like President Reagan, Trump doesn’t care about ideological or political views as long as they align with his “America first” policy.
But he knows by attacking the ” Made in China 2025″ plan to develop China’s hi-tech industries, is an assault on the heart of China’s political and economic system.
If Trump can start to do damage to the Chinese model of government dominated and covertly supported state-owned private enterprises with cheap credit from banks in key economic and industrial sectors, the Chinese must eventually cave to the President Trump’s demands.
Curiously, the result could be good for China. China would be forced to turn away from and increasingly aggressive expansionist policy, concentrating instead on China improving incomes, welfare and education investment for its huge working-class and migrant labour population. It could also upgrade poor infrastructure,medical care, education, internet, heating, hygiene, water, in underdeveloped villages and towns.
This would provide export opportunities for a resurgent US industrial sector.
President Trump’s carrot and stick diplomacy may seem as crude as the man himself, but it may be just what the nation needs.
The President’s flaws may also signal a lessening of an era for cant, hypocrisy and sanctimony. It’s certainly broken the dictatorship of the media in politics.
But, like people all over the world, I believe we are all a little poorer when men like John McCain depart our lives.
There is nothing about Trump that represents a “new America.’ He’s an aberration, and he’ll be gone soon. Sadly, about one-third of our population are hateful, ignorant people. Thankfully, the other two-thirds aren’t.
Craig,
I understand you wanting to cling to the dream of the America in which you have spent your life.
But all things change. For a hundred years prior to WW1 Great Britain was the mightiest and most advanced nation the world had ever seen and possessed a vast Empire.
Great Britain seemed assailable in every way, culturally, economically, politically, industrially, scientifically, agriculturally etc,etc.
Pax Britannia, enforced largely through a huge British Navy, gained the admiration and envy of the world.
A mere decade later, although Victorious in WW1, Great Britain was in deep decline, and exhausted nation, with it’s best days behind it. The sunset was already sinking on the Empire and the culture of nation had changed. Evidence of decay was everywhere, although a facade remained, but the cracks were showing.
By a seeming miracle, the nation found a leader to gather the nation, and empire, together for one last heroic battle. The leader, now revered, was very much despised at the time and loathed by the intellectual elite, the “informed” classes, in fact by nearly everyone.
Emerging from WW2, (again victorious) Great Britain was transformed from the mighty, all powerful empire of only 30 years earlier, to a grim, shabby, bankrupt nation of pessimistic misery. The Empire dissolved, leaving new power blocks to emerge of whom Britain was now merely a minor player.
The nation underwent a period of self loathing, chaotic government, social upheaval and economic disaster. In 1979, a new leader emerged with a clear plan in her mind of how to reorganize a new, functioning nation from the muddle of old ideas.
Keeping the best, her reforms transformed the nation. The nation once again regained a new identity and began looking outward with new vigor. The period of reorganization was not without pain and disruption. Although later governments made mistakes, the pattern has been set and Brexit is a symbol of on going national revival and confidence.
America is in the same position as Britain, although the changes aren’t so obvious. From your affluent enclave it’s hard for you to comprehend that you are in the minority.
President Trump is more like two thirds of America, the liberal progressives just hold onto the levers of power, such as academic institutions, mainstream media, civil service etc,and the new privileged economy.
These people are isolated from reality. just as the military are always accused of preparing for the last war when asked to fight a new war, so too is the US elite ignorant as to the profound changes that have occurred in the last thirty years.
Nobody cares about such irrelevancies as, ” one-third of our population are hateful, ignorant people. Thankfully, the other two-thirds aren’t” .
The wolf, or rather dragon, is at America’s door ! “Your old world is rapidly agin'”.
Dylan was right, the times are a changin’. Trump himself is just a catalyst for a new harsher reality. The Readers Digest, Babbitt image of America is fading fast. Trump understands the new reality of America’s place in the coming contest.
Sadly, in the coming contest there will be no room for your gentlemanly approach, the enemy ain’t gentlemen! There’s no time for navel gazing or the luxury of papering over internal decay and divisiveness.
In the 1930’s the intelligentsia of Britain and the gentlemen of the ruling classes, (including the socialists), could barely comprehend men like Mussolini or Franco, true monsters like Hitler and Stalin were far beyond any experience they possessed.
At the time, Churchill’s crudeness, irreverence, recklessness, mood swings, alcohol consumption, outburst of temper, rudeness, lying, personal aggrandizement, boasting, personal eccentricities and brutal savagery, appalled these gentlemen.
But in the end, he alone understood the measure of his nations enemies, he alone was as ruthless and determined as the enemies he encountered.
No Trump is no Churchill, but “cometh the hour cometh the man”. Trump is a product of a new era, not the architect, but the first to see and understand the new era.
Putting your head under the blankets until mummy makes the nasty man stop doing what he’s doing with her and goes away, won’t help. The times are changing, America will never be the same again.
Ensconcing yourself in a cozy affluent bubble, and handshaking with your fellow passengers on a ship of fools,pretending life will go on as before, won’t stop the coming storm.
Craig,
I hate to rub it in, but Trump’s latest approval ratings, despite his bad week remain at 44-46%, which is quite acceptable and shows his support is holding firm, and should incease as better news appears.
The President’s new North American trade deal is just such an opportunity.
The trade deal is very cunning as it puts even more pressure on China(PRC) to join to US sanction on Iran.
The President plan appears to be moving toward a single trade bloc including Canada. The Canadians are beginning to make overtures to resume talks and there’s every indication they will sign up to the President’s plan, albeit with some minor face saving.
The Mexico Accord tightens ‘rules of origin’ on automobiles. This means 40-45% of content must be made by domestic companies whose workers earn at least $16 an hour.
The adoption of such a rule makes it very difficult for Mexican assembly to use Chinese components. The “origin requirement” prevents trans-shipment or use of Mexico as an assembly center. The “new rules” will ensure t only producers using sufficient and significant US Mexican parts and materials receive preferential tariff benefits.
All certification for local producers, (particularly textiles) along with sections co9vering intellectual property, copyrights, clauses on common clauses on common names and trademark protection.
Digital service provisions limit a government (China’s) ability to “require disclosure of proprietary computer source code and algorithms,”. The same section also targets prohibitions being applied to “digital products distributed electronically,” such as Facebook and Twitter. The data and financial-services obligations even prohibit local data-storage requirements.
Beijing has previously declared the audit records of Chinese firms listed in New York off-limits to U.S. regulators for example, this provision will prohibit trade under such terms for Mexico and Canada.
This initiate by Trump will cause great concern to Chinese Authorities as if the US can force such concessions, other nations may follow.
Under heavy pressure from the President personally, Mexico agreed to join the US in prohibiting the trade in Shark Fins (cutting the fins from sharks and leaving them to die). China is a major consumer of shark fins. Mexico also agreed to cooperate with US authorities to prohibit illegal or unregulated fishing.
In a single turn of the cards, President Trump has confounded his enemies and the wiseacre pundits, by snatching back US Trade leadership. Beijing is now seriously exposed and worried it may find the Europeans following Trump’s momentum and Beijing isolated.
When Trump angered his allies at every turn, Beijing delightedly presented itself as a new global leader in free trade. With these new agreements, the initiative has passed back to the US.
If the administration can now create a bloc with Canada, this would not only alter the dynamic of the U.S.-China trade dispute, it could pave the way for similar agreements with Europe, Asia, South America and smaller nations.
No matter how turbulent, the President’s tactics are working, where less aggressive and more polite negotiators were viewed as weak, Trump’s crude carrot and stick diplomacy is working.
China is slowly being squeezed to comply with US policy. The Dragon isn’t easily beaten, and the stakes are getting higher, but Tehran must be starting to notice their only ally is quite so enthusiastic lately.
His supporters can see and applaud his victories, all the more so because the mainstream media pundit screamed it couldn’t be done!
That’s why he can’t be easily defeated, his policies and victories are their victories. As long as he does what he said in his campaign, his supporters will stay loyal. The scandals don’t really matter.
He’s helped by outraged critics like Robert Reich , Newsweek Columnist and Professor of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley who writes demanding Trump not only be impeached, but Congress and the States should amend the Constitution to “annul” his Presidency.
In other words, eradicate his election altogether. It never happened !
Imagine the fury of all those Trump voters at being told their vote never mattered, the achievements are all abolished, they should just be ignored.
Nothing could galvanize Trump supporters more than the arrogant outpourings of these over privileged, smugly superior fantasists.