Your analysis seems to me precisely correct. International diplomacy is a game that is not played well by egocentric people like Trump. Even in times of war, the strong leader is the one who recognizes that the game can be won only by the player who takes into account the goals and interests of all players, not just one's own. Even though Kissinger was a more skillful player than Trump, he also thought he was at the center of the wheel and not just one powerful player among many. Wall Street Journal writer Jonathan Kwitny published a book called "Endless Enemies" in 1984 about how the U.S. repeatedly turned friendly nations into enemies by failing to recognize common interests and forcing nations to align against us. In other words, there are many precedents for Trump's self-destructive international policies. Consider that the U.S. went from being an isolationist country to the world's dominant power almost overnight after World War I, approximately 100 years ago. The U.S. then crashed the global economy with the Smoot-Hawley tariffs, which led to the rise of fascism in Europe and perhaps, indirectly, to the Japanese invasion of China. American dominance was even stronger after World War II, but the U.S. consistently sought short-term gains over long-term alliances. The pursuit of narrow economic objectives that ignore the broader implications of action have also created a global ecological crisis, and the U.S. is at the center of that self-destructive pattern as well. Although Trump's flamboyant narcissism sets him apart from the persona of more nuanced leaders, such as Obama, we need to recognize that Trump's policies are not an aberration, but rather a fulfillment of a tragic flaw at the heart of American culture. The energy and ambition that have made the U.S. a great nation are also the characteristics that will cause its failure.
Your analysis seems to me precisely correct. International diplomacy is a game that is not played well by egocentric people like Trump. Even in times of war, the strong leader is the one who recognizes that the game can be won only by the player who takes into account the goals and interests of all players, not just one's own. Even though Kissinger was a more skillful player than Trump, he also thought he was at the center of the wheel and not just one powerful player among many. Wall Street Journal writer Jonathan Kwitny published a book called "Endless Enemies" in 1984 about how the U.S. repeatedly turned friendly nations into enemies by failing to recognize common interests and forcing nations to align against us. In other words, there are many precedents for Trump's self-destructive international policies. Consider that the U.S. went from being an isolationist country to the world's dominant power almost overnight after World War I, approximately 100 years ago. The U.S. then crashed the global economy with the Smoot-Hawley tariffs, which led to the rise of fascism in Europe and perhaps, indirectly, to the Japanese invasion of China. American dominance was even stronger after World War II, but the U.S. consistently sought short-term gains over long-term alliances. The pursuit of narrow economic objectives that ignore the broader implications of action have also created a global ecological crisis, and the U.S. is at the center of that self-destructive pattern as well. Although Trump's flamboyant narcissism sets him apart from the persona of more nuanced leaders, such as Obama, we need to recognize that Trump's policies are not an aberration, but rather a fulfillment of a tragic flaw at the heart of American culture. The energy and ambition that have made the U.S. a great nation are also the characteristics that will cause its failure.
Thanks Cliff! Your comment is an encouragement to me.