×

‘Focus on Education’ meetings

So it begins; Donald Trump’s second inaugural is as grim as the first. Instead of hitting unifying themes, he was all grievance. And he was fanciful, advocating taking back the Panama Canal — despite treaty obligations — and planting Old Glory on Mars. He spelled out his specifics without being clear on the methods employed to attain them.

Trump did lay out the operating ideology for his regime which was “common sense”. But what this means is not exactly clear. Albert Einstein’s definition was that “common sense is nothing more than a deposit of prejudices laid down in the mind before you reach eighteen.”

Trump should be a bit more prudent; he telegraphed his early moves. In this respect, he resembles Joe Biden, who seemed bent toward passing legislation overnight. If the new President is serious, he needs to expand his coalition and enact what is possible. To do as Biden did is to overly rely on executive orders. It makes him feel good but can easily be reversed, as Biden did when changing Mount McKinley to Mount Denali. Trump brought the old name back. No double Fort Liberty will revert back to Fort Bragg.

Given his age, Trump, again like Biden, is determined to cram four years of actions into four months. As a President, you need to be both lion and fox. Trump is all lion, straightforward, and addicted to direct assaults. Let the dust settle before moving ahead. Regarding tariffs, Trump might find that markets will decline at the prospect of disrupting world trade.

There was passion in Trump’s words, but what about the realities? If he plans to strike a deal with China, as he did concerning TikTok, he might use the same approach in acquiring control of the Panama Canal. What does China want in a general settlement on Taiwan? Trump risks a great deal by engaging in complicated agreements. Russia could offer America a free hand in Greenland while taking a chunk of Ukraine and destroying NATO. In this respect, he resembles the European diplomats before World War I. In the great game, it will take more shrewdness than being crudely transactional.

For Russia and China, the need to limit the “rules-based” order that only applies to them and not American allies is paramount. Trump opens the door to doing just that, engaging in ad hoc diplomacy that is problematical. This is not the 1890s and this is not the world of William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt. This is a nuclear age and has new players, India will have a say in all of this.

Not to mention, Trump could make enemies of allies. Rattling sabers regarding Canada and Mexico is risky in the extreme. Perhaps he should focus on the crises he already has, namely the Middle East and Ukraine. Early successes there might allow him to build credibility and move on to new projects later. Tariffs, annexations, and other gunboat diplomacy moves could be both hazardous and expensive. Joe Biden accrued deficits pursuing his version of American Exceptionalism. Let’s hope Trump avoids similar results in pursuing his version of the new American Century.

Starting at $3.92/week.

Subscribe Today