Friday, January 6, 2017

Trump May Become Greatest American President Ever

Let's get something straight.
Donald Trump is an asshole, a vindictive, mean-spirited S.O.B, a misogynist and a liar with an abnormal ego and nasty temperament.
He is the direct opposite of the charming and diplomatic Barak Obama and for the majority of Americans as frightening figure as ever to grace the White House.

But likeable as he is, Obama will probably go down in history as one of the least effective and most damaging Presidents ever, so a pleasing personality does not necessarily make for a great leader and conversely, a nasty demeanour doesn't necessarily make for a bad leader.

Perhaps our fears about Donald Trump based on his not so likeable personality are misguided and that he may well become an entirely effective leader and even perhaps, a great leader, doing exactly what he promised, that is restoring American world preeminence.

What would lead me to make a prediction that Trump will be more than a fine President?

Well, if these last two months of the run-up to the Presidency are a forecast of what's to come, I daresay America will be well-served.

Trump has already done more good for the country than Obama in all his eight years.

He has started by frightening companies into re-considering sending jobs and building factories out of the country. Of course the pundits and media have reminded us that Trump wasn't really responsible for those jobs saved, but the issue of companies exporting jobs is now a hot topic and those guilty companies understand that they will be shamed mercilessly and will perhaps face a consumer boycott and even perhaps loss of government contracts.
At least Trump is trying and at least he cares and I'm betting he'll succeed in his attempt to preserve jobs in America through bullying and perhaps legislation.
Did Obama ever lift a finger to protect American jobs? 

Trump has lived his business life by his own simple credo of "What's in it for me," and will transfer this ideology to "What's in it for America"  when he becomes President, a refreshing reset in foreign and domestic policy where friend and foe will have to understand and deal with an American president who will ruthlessly pursue America's selfish interest.

Trump's much-maligned  mantra of "Make America great again," struck a chord with voters, who unlike the media understood that America has flown off the rails these last thirty years, where both Republican and Democratic White Houses have overseen the gradual decline in American power and wealth. Hillary would represent the same old, same old, a continuation of disastrous polices both foreign and domestic.

Most importantly, Trump will pursue his single-minded reform attempts with pigheadedness and the confidence required to stand-up to the entrenched powers that be. He isn't a team player and comes to his own conclusions, much to the dismay of those who deem to run the country by divine right.
The CIA is now lecturing Trump over his skepticism over Russian hacking and it's good to see the President-elect show a level of distrust, even if the Russian hacking is true.
The media is moaning that Trump is ignoring good advice, but fail to acknowledge that the CIA more often than not gets things wrong, sometimes horribly so, as with the disastrous consequences as we saw in the "Weapons of Mass Destruction" debacle that lead to the meltdown of the Middle East and the displacement of three million people.
So it's good to see a President-elect tell the CIA, "Umm...not so fast, I'm not convinced.." because if George Bush had done the same, instead of blindly accepting CIA intelligence and advice, perhaps the Middle East would be a different and better place today.
This attitude, no doubt irks a lot of entrenched government and military leaders, but it is refreshing to see and all the media squawking about Trump not taking good advice should be measured by the historic record of that advice.

Trump would never have started a war over fake intelligence or backed rebel Arab forces against dictatorships in Syria and Egypt because it would run counter to his policy of doing what is best for America.
While one American president after another has sought foreign military adventures to disastrous effect, Trump has signalled that he's interested in solving America's problems at home, much to the consternation of those powerful forces that profit.

In fact Trump has opined that it's time for allies to pay their own defence and countries like South  Korea, Japan and indeed all of Europe will be forced to pay for any American defence umbrella provided, be it conventional or nuclear, again a policy that scares the bejesus out of beneficiaries, especially NATO which has been feeding off American largess since its creation.

Trump is also rightly identifying real threats to the United States, not those invented by the utterly hopeless policy wags at the State department.
Against this conventional advice, he believes that Russia is not the great enemy that the current establishment portray and on this he is dead right.
Putin has been wrongfully described by the Obama government as the reincarnation of Joseph Stalin, a cold-war devil to be feared and opposed, a portrayal that the media has lapped up and echoed.
This is because Putin has humiliated Obama in one file after another, having outplayed the American leader on just about every front.
The sad reality is that Putin has been on the right side of the issue in Ukraine and Syria and that Obama and the United States on the wrong side. The fact that Putin won the day makes him a reprehensible enemy in Obama's humiliated eyes, but not Trump's, who has signalled that he does not see Putin as an enemy at all. 
Bravo!

In regards to the State department, I pray Trump throws out the entire lot of idiots whom have led America down the wrong path on just about every single foreign policy, including Israel, Ukraine, Syria, Egypt, Iran and other files where America's position was either dead wrong, misguided or foolishly naive.
As for foreign policy, Trump's endorsement of Israel will have a positive effect on the middle east peace process because those wishing and planning for Israel's destruction will have their expectations crushed, perhaps leading to more realistic positions vis-a-vis peace..
Here again, Trump inherently understands that Obama's tilting to the Palestinian side brings no benefits or dividends to America and as such violates Trumps policy of doing what's good for America first and foremost.

I promise you that Iran won't test or humiliate Trump as it is doing presently to Obama in the ongoing harassment by small patrol vessels of US Navy ships in the Gulf.
You can bet that Trump's rules of engagement will dictate that any Iranian ship that threatens American vessels, even as a test, will be fired upon.
And the Iranians know it implicitly, so they won't even try.

Trump has promised a much-needed course correction, the old route touted by Hillary and the Washington establishment, an unmitigated disaster that many voters understood, something mainstream media did not.

But his real achievements will probably be on the domestic front where I have confidence in Trump's ability to effect real positive change, I offer the example of two little tweets that stopped Congress dead in its tracks over the self-serving bill proposed to gut the Office of Congressional Ethics.

 "Public outcry, opposition from ethics watchdog groups, a divided GOP, and two tweets from Trump critical of the rules change prompted a swift reversal of the proposal...." Link
Whomever says that his tweets are embarrassing or counter-productive are dead wrong, they are every bit as effective in transmitting the President's ideas and opinions as were FDR's fireside radio chats.
While the media makes fun of the tweets, friend and foe alike take notice and apparently so does Congress.

Trump has promised to bulldoze ahead on trade. He's made it clear that any agreement that does not benefit America will be torn up or re-negotiated, something every President since Carter failed to take issue with or action upon.
So countries like Canada and China are already trembling over the issue, because they know the trade advantage they enjoy is going out to be challenged by Trump and are reacting now to limit the damage.

While the trade imbalance between Canada and the United States is only $15 billion in Canada's favour (over $575 billion bilateral trade,) instead of pointing out the pittance, our panicked Prime Minister has already offered to re-negotiate NAFTA, the cross border free-trade agreement. Incredibly, this concession was offered by our frightened, deer-in-the-headlights Prime Minister, even before Trumps assumes office! That is the power of Trump.
With Justin as our leader, how do you think he'll measure up against Trump in those negotiations?

As for China, Trump has rightfully set a bulls-eye on the $375 billion trade imbalance in China's favour, a ruinous financial drain that has robbed America of its economic strength and built up a world class rival. If Trump takes any action to substantially reduce or eliminate the trade imbalance, America's economy can begin to return to its former greatness. Again, no recent American President ever faced down the issue of the Chinese trade imbalance and unfair trade practices. If Trump succeeds on this one issue, his presidency will be a resounding success.
And so China is absolutely apoplectic at Trump's ascension to the White House and with good reason. It is desperately pandering the line to anyone in the media that will listen that if Trump starts a trade war, both China and America will both be losers, an untruth that is a pathetic and vain attempt to frighten American exporters into convincing Trump to lay off.
Think it will work?

Trump's great advantage is his ego, his confidence, his disdain for others and his single-mindedness, traits that have made him successful in the past and many times, against all odds.

To finish I'd like to offer this off the cuff imaginary conversation that Trump might have had if he were the President back in 1982, on the eve of the first Gulf war where the United States came to the rescue of the Kuwait ruling family and restored the them to power after expelling and defeating the invading Iraqi troops of Saddam Hussein.

Let's listen in on the fictional phone conversation between President Donald Trump and the now exiled leader of Kuwait Emir Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, who had fled to Saudi Arabia to operate a government in exile.
Al-Sabah:
 Mr President, I beseech you to help us get rid the invading forces of Iraq and restore our family as the rightful rulers of our kingdom.
Trump: 
Hmm, not so fast.. Why should we help you, after all your country is a dictatorship, not so much different from Iraq?

Al-Sabah:
 Mr President, again I beseech to help us. It is only fair and just and the United States has always been on the side of justice and freedom.

Trump:  
Tell you what. We'll get rid of Saddam's forces and restore your family to power, but under conditions.
First.... You're paying for the war. We'll send you a bill when it is over.
Second.... Any American killed in defence of Kuwait will results in a $3 million dollar insurance payment to the family. Same for permanently injured soldiers. All American service personal involved will receive a $50,000 danger pay bonus paid by your government
Third.... A permanent naval base on the Kuwaiti coast which will be under American jurisdiction à la Guantanamo Bay. 
Fourth... A 30% royalty on all oil sales for 50 years. 

Al-Sabah:
 But...but Mr. President that is outlandish!  It is tantamount to blackmail. I cannot accept such a proposal!

Trump:  
BLACKMAIL!!! 
It's called what's in it for me, the United States of America, you snivelling little dictator.
It's a take  it or leave it offer and it won't stay on the table long. 
If we don't come in to take out Saddam, nobody else will, so make up your mind.
And by the way, just so you know, we are in fact going to invade and remove Saddam one way or another, with or without you.  We can make a better deal with other members of your family who would love to take over from you.. Think about it.

Al-Sabah:
 Okay, Mr. President I accept your terms. I have only one question... How soon can you come?
There's little doubt that Trump will take America out of its present comfort zone and that in and of itself is frightening to many who hate the idea of Trump as president.

To those of you who are perturbed, I ask that you put his personality aside and judge him by his deeds and accomplishments, which already are paying dividends.
You might be pleasantly surprised.

4 comments:

  1. Agreed on all points (job offshoring, Syria, Ukraine, Putin) except for the Israel-Palestine issue. President Obama was a vulgar Isreal-firster just like all his predecessors. They all have to grovel in front of an AIPAC audience before being approved and this isn't changing with Trump.

    With Trump my hope is that he wasn't put out there to hoodwink us, like back in 2008 when they installed a biracial puppet with superficial charm and charisma as president. And with all these progressive credentials, he turned out to be nothing more than a war monger and a criminal. Now he's leaving office as probably the worst president ever, and we should be relieved that we dodged the bullet of another "progressive" experiment - the first "woman president".

    Trump looks promising on many fronts, but let's not forget what was orchestrated in 2008 to make everyone believe in "change". We'll need to wait and see. Time will tell if Trump is for real, or whether we've been tricked again.


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  2. Philip, if I understand you correctly, you're OK with Trump alienating his greatest trading partner, Canada?

    Mr. Sauga

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  3. I'm not OK, I just telling you what's going to happen.
    Peewee Trudeau has already contacted Trump's team to capitulate formally on NAFTA.
    Trump to Trudeau ....."BEND OVER, FRENCHIE!!!"

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  4. Absolutely, you are correct. No alternative fact here.Y hat is off to you. Spot on.

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