Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
How Trump's White House is making global crises even worse
Source: Washington Post
How Trump’s White House is making global crises even worse
By David Rothkopf August 1 at 10:34 AM
“You think this is bad? Wait until the Trump White House faces a real international crisis!” You’ve no doubt heard this warning.
Here’s the problem with that: An extraordinary constellation of complex global crises is boiling over right now in real time — and they are being exacerbated by President Trump and his team.
The global situation may be more dangerous than it has been at any time since the height of the Cold War. Of the myriad serious geopolitical problems in the world right now, five of them involve nuclear powers and two involve near-nuclear powers. Several of these cases could test whether old notions of nuclear security, like deterrence, can work in the new global-risk environment.
-snip-
Indeed, what makes each of the situations above many degrees more dangerous is that the world is facing a parallel pandemic of leadership and institutional failures. At the center of these is the decline in America’s standing as a leader.
Amidst the global turmoil, our modern-day Nero is choosing to tweet as Rome burns. Trump surrounds himself with generals he views as just more gold-plated bling to show off to his buddies. He has gutted America’s diplomatic capability just when we need it most. Worst, this pig sty of a presidency has sucked all the oxygen out of the room so that none of the above issues are getting the attention they deserve from anyone. It’s no wonder people worry what would happen were these guys to face a real crisis. But that’s just the problem. The crises are here. And the fact that neither the president nor the American people seem to know it may be the greatest crisis of them all.
By David Rothkopf August 1 at 10:34 AM
“You think this is bad? Wait until the Trump White House faces a real international crisis!” You’ve no doubt heard this warning.
Here’s the problem with that: An extraordinary constellation of complex global crises is boiling over right now in real time — and they are being exacerbated by President Trump and his team.
The global situation may be more dangerous than it has been at any time since the height of the Cold War. Of the myriad serious geopolitical problems in the world right now, five of them involve nuclear powers and two involve near-nuclear powers. Several of these cases could test whether old notions of nuclear security, like deterrence, can work in the new global-risk environment.
-snip-
Indeed, what makes each of the situations above many degrees more dangerous is that the world is facing a parallel pandemic of leadership and institutional failures. At the center of these is the decline in America’s standing as a leader.
Amidst the global turmoil, our modern-day Nero is choosing to tweet as Rome burns. Trump surrounds himself with generals he views as just more gold-plated bling to show off to his buddies. He has gutted America’s diplomatic capability just when we need it most. Worst, this pig sty of a presidency has sucked all the oxygen out of the room so that none of the above issues are getting the attention they deserve from anyone. It’s no wonder people worry what would happen were these guys to face a real crisis. But that’s just the problem. The crises are here. And the fact that neither the president nor the American people seem to know it may be the greatest crisis of them all.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/global-opinions/wp/2017/08/01/how-trumps-white-house-is-making-global-crises-even-worse/
