09-22-2017, 01:02 PM
(09-22-2017, 12:57 PM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: I said upon his election that a possible positive of a Trump presidency is that he won't play by conventional rules in regards to foreign policy. While consistency is good for allies, it's something they can rely upon, it can be exploited by enemies. North Korea has been able to conduct itself with such bellicosity precisely because the US would predictably respond with restraint. The same could be said for Putin's annexation of the Crimean peninsula. Trump doesn't allow for that kind of predictability and consequently the North Korean can may no longer be kicked down the road. Whether it turns out well, or in a bloodless fashion, of course remains to be seen.
I just wish that he wasn't overseeing what is damn near a dismantling of our State Department. His approach could turn out well for the reasons you stated, but they will come with consequences regarding our allies. With our diplomatic corps depleted in such a way, it makes it difficult to mitigate those consequences and it makes it difficult for him to really understand the situations he is in around the world.
