Trump's Foreign Policy Weakness
On the domestic front, our POTUS seems contained by process because of the pre-existing levers of governance and standard regulations in force which seek to apply equitable balance between corporations and their employees, the marketplace and consumers, landlords and tenants, etc. As each American President steps into office they are the heirs of the institutions and social architecture which have been birthed, matured, and modernized over 250 years. But if there is one thing worthy of commendation, it is the extraordinary manner in which the Trump administration is seeking to address the vast levels of fraud and corruption which have metastasized across our fifty states. He truly is - our Golden Eagle. A lot of goats are about to be dropped:
https://thelastenglishprince.wordpress.com/2022/09/22/donald-trump-golden-eagle/
But regarding our Department of State under the chain of command of the Executive Branch - I retain a few concerns. A coinage of "The Donroe Doctrine" is gaining leverage and the term will ultimately find itself inhabiting space in an Urban dictionary. But this doctrine appears to be a fusion of diplomacy with military prowess - on steroids.
If there is a weakness to be noted, Donald J Trump seems to view foreign policy through the lens of the wielding/wilding of America's power. He seems to always be leap-frogging three steps ahead of treaties, memorandum of understanding - which can morph into memorandum of agreement - and testing the limits of SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement). There is no doubt that Donald J Trump is one of the most visionary leaders of this century. He is in a class usually reserved for men such as Winston Churchill and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
But vision cannot slide into the future because vision is not part of a children's playground. Vision is the domain of maturity and real men use a ladder. This ladder is made up of policies and regulations which have been put into place by prior and current generations of Parliamentary and Congressional Bodies who have the distinct ability to craft legislation. And legislation which lacks health or inherent wisdom can serve as a lesson in course correction for the next generation of legislators. We learn by doing. And none do this better than the American People.
Our POTUS understands that he can use the might of the State as a tool of persuasion. But for this to be effective, intellect must take up residence between the two. Brute force alone, does not the battle win. The battle is won within the intellectual battlespace; and this space includes ethnographers, philosophers, political scientists, and humanists. I fear that President Trump is depopulating community experience in favor of a lesser but more expeditious creature. And while our Expeditionary Forces now platform with a "disappearing footprint" - there should not be a concurrent disappearing footprint of our academic communities which provide different perspectives and roles for healthy international relationships.
I remain sensitive... concerned... regarding our role in Syria. And I write about this as an illustrative example; a case in point. Today CENTCOM conducted large-scale operations against multiple ISIS targets across Syria. Media will tell you that these are "collaborative" ventures with the self-appointed Syrian president. Golf clap, please.
For his part, Al Julani will consider our operations to his benefit with use of another "C" word: Consolidation. The ISIS forces who have not joined his military ranks remain as a threat to his future power. By removing these groups, his power is consolidated. But even as we assist in the consolidation of power, this vicious man allows for continued and targeted genocide of minority groups residing within Syria's borders. Just imagine what he will do, when his power is no longer threatened by internal state actors. As we are ridding Syria of terrorists, we are also reconstituting state sponsored terrorism against vulnerable demographics within Syria. We seem a bit bipolar and in need of medication, if we are not capable of elucidating the truth of this matter. People count. Or nothing counts. This is the humanist speaking.
I was going to include something from Aechylus' "Prometheus Bound", but a passage from "Seven Against Thebes" seems more appropriate.
"Yes, may the Gods grant him good luck. At Electra's gates stands by lot Capaneus, a giant this man, taller than the other...."
Donald J Trump is a giant of a man. Larger than life. And he is that Golden eagle. But I hope that our POTUS pulls back a bit regarding his foreign policy goals; that he gives our allies a bit less of the atomic elbow and a lot more breathing space. And in the words of Aechylus, may there be a bit less "pompous blazonry" attached to his actions.
Tammy Swofford
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