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Are the actions against the regimes in Venezuela and Iran merely instances of presidential vanity? The fact that Donald Trump does not make any attempt to conceal but instead celebrates his self-regard causes some to assert that all US policy is now done merely in service to presidential vanity.
Trump's actions in these areas (including the ongoing strangulation of the Cuban dictatorship) may or may not involve some narrower egoistic motivations, but each of these sets of actions is consonant with American interests in large measure because these regimes make no secret of their enmity to the USA and the willingness to ally with other overt enemies to do injury to America's vital interests and its people.
Those two features are in stark contrast to the results of policies executed by a former president whose self-regard clearly rivals and may even exceed that of Donald Trump.
Recall the famous "apology tour" of Barack Obama in which he tried to convince the world's bad actors that because Americans had elected a truly transcendent figure, not bound by tacky allegiance to petty notions like American exceptionalism or the moral and practical superiority of democracy, that it would be OK to cease their heretofore entirely justified dislike of the USA.
We were thus prepared for the wondrous sophistication of Obama's approach to Iran's nuclear weapons program--affirm Iran's grievances and ambitions, make a continuous stream of concessions, rule out retaliation for breaches of agreements or for acts of terrorism, and ignore all hostile acts or rhetoric. By signaling our refusal to counter or seriously threaten Iran's overtly anti-American goals and actions, this would somehow establish lasting peace founded on the personal wonderfulness of Barack Obama—an approach that was delusional, contrary to short and long-term US interests and unambiguously linked to the self-image of the Light Bringer.
Big egos in leaders are to be expected. It becomes a problem when that ego sets an agenda contrary to national interest or effective governance. Donald Trump is often maddeningly petty and rude, given to impromptu actions, bad at listening to critical advice and fond of bombast. But unlike the entire leadership of the opposition party, he does not hate American interests, despise American culture nor disparage the American people as deplorables, racists or persons too stupid to obtain ID and run their own lives. So there is that—and it matters.
Discussion (55)
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I’ll take bombastic success over prideful ineffectiveness any day.
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And whose military actions wouldn't involve silly things like "America winning." Or as then-Secretary of State John Kerry put it: Military strikes would be "just muscular enough not to get mocked."
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Look how effective government agencies suddenly became under his leadership.
His actions make more sense when looked at as part of his grand national strategy. Every one of them helps the US and serves to weaken China's influence. Sure, it looks like he isn't as serious about the Russia threat but weakening China weakens Russia, too. They had an alliance against us. Destroying Iran, Russia’s proxy weakens Russia, too. Showing Chinese and Russian technology to be cheap crap weakens them. The US re-achieves global dominance without going to war with the two remaining “superpowers.” We don’t need to fear them. We need to fear the Democrats and RINOs will stop him and ADD voters will turn on him before he is done.
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To be governed by arrogance is a travesty, and Obama had plenty to spare. At least Trump's arrogance praises our country and our worth; Obama only denigrated us.
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On every day that ends in "y", ...
Benevolent "peacock" > Malevolent "peacock".
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