The colonies should hve staued with the Crown, look at Canada.
4
The Hate goes on............................
Mr. Friedman has posted the following:
"What is terrifying about Trump is that he seems to prefer dictators to our democratic allies everywhere." That, of course, is not at all true. I know it and, surely, Mr. Friedman must know it. Besides his operative word is, "seems," which does not denote fact.
Have a nice day, Mr. Friedman.
2
Note to the current occupant of the White House:
We are NOT "your people". YOU are supposed to be working for US.
7
"Dictator envy" It's a severe syndrome first identified by Sigmund Freud.
6
Trump is one voice in 300 million and he makes no effort to represent our country despite being the President, so his opinion about dictators and democratic leaders means no more than anyone's opinion. His voice is just loudest, not representative of anyone else.
2
Action is what we need. Not just talk.
2
Former Supreme Court Justice David Souter's prescient warning from 2012 bears repeating once again:
“I don’t worry about our losing republican government in the United States because I’m afraid of a foreign invasion. I don’t worry about it because I think there is going to be a coup by the military as has happened in some of other places. What I worry about is that when problems are not addressed, people will not know who is responsible. And when the problems get bad enough, as they might do, for example, with another serious terrorist attack, as they might do with another financial meltdown, some one person will come forward and say, ‘Give me total power and I will solve this problem.’"
What Justice Souter did not foresee is that Trump has managed to manufacture his own crisis. Trump, with the help of Fox News and Breitbart, has made a narrative where there is an "illegal" hiding every bed, who is simultaneously stealing welfare benefits and jobs at the same time. Even as he brags about 96% employment rate, Trump claims there are millions of jobs being lost to immigration. The fiction of "white genocide" is making it to the mainstream. If Souter got anything wrong, it's that - in the age of alternative facts - you don't need to wait for a real crisis to get power.
6
There is a big elephant in the closest missing from the whole discussion on refugees and immigrants from Central America showing up on the US border - acknowledgement of responsibility. The USA has played no small role in why some Central American countries are dangerous and dysfunctional, now and in the past.
Some european countries allow immigration from their former colonies in acknowledgement of their past exploitation and injustices perpetrated in those places. The USA never called the Americas their colonies, but instead went with the Monroe Doctrine or Sphere of Influence to justify exploitation, invasion, interference in local democracy or support for dictators.
In the 21st century all of the above still exists plus the no end in sight “War on Drugs”. Again, no acknowledgement of responsibility. The USA buys the drugs and sells the weapons and ammunition and acts like there is no direct link between the USA and the drug gangs. Really?????
A parent looking for a safer, better life for their family are heroes. Trump and the arms industry are just mafiosos looking to profit from misery.
7
I concur with Mr. Friedman that Donald Trump has very strong relationships with dictators all over the world. However, how is Trump different than any other US president? Mr. Obama had similar relationships, and he is the one who supported Al Sisi to become an illegal president of Egypt.
1
When will the president visit our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq?
3
With Trump the foxes are truly well in charge of the hen house. If we all get eaten up we will know before the jaws clamp who did it.
Don’t expect anything to change for the better, what you see is what you have and what you get may get progressively worse under an unhinged leader and servile followers.
I can’t understand why Trump and his followers are still in office. Do you really want to be a third world dictatorship? Do you expect better conditions when most social and environmental programs are about to be dissolved one way or another, and Trump and his cohorts are putting away millions illegally?A dictator does what he wants and with Trump it will all benefit him. Or maybe something will benefit Putin.
4
Were there some systematic strategy being deployed by Trump in how he deals with allies and opponents, with democratic governments and with authoritarian governments, I'd at least understand what he is doing. But there is none of that. It all seems ad hominem. Trump likes leaders who trampel opposition because they can do it and hates leaders who stand up to him. Trump's admiration for Kim and his ability to get his people to do his will was no joke. Trump just wants to get things done. What those things are seems to be determined by his whim or his gut, not by what makes sense for America and the world
5
Trump seems intent on legitimizing his own tyrannical reign so what better way than to elevate the status of other tyrants. Fortunately at least so far we still enjoy freedom of the press, of speech and the right to assembly. Until trump is successful in curbing these freedoms he will have to sustain criticism, disagreements and actions to undermine his policies and goals.
7
Fascists lie while claiming truth. Fascists are racist. Fascists are bullies. Fascists are hateful. Are we too quick to cry fascist? And if too quick, does that diminish our credibility and then allow the actual fascist to obtain power? Is it not losing its force as a word? We have become to accustom to calling others “fascist” whenever it looks as though they might have done something that we didn’t want them to do. Is Donald Trump a fascist, a dictator? That depends. He’s doing much that the public wishes he would not. Does that make him a dictator, a fascist? Could be, he’s simply a fool. Could be, he’s a genius (another over used word) deceiving a weary public into believing he’s a fool. Could be he’s a fascist building an authoritarian hierarchical government right underneath our noses. Should we run for the hills; burn down the barn, as some advocate. What should we do? Well; a populace, lazy or otherwise that becomes content with government, that assumes all is running fine, well that public is prime for fascism. And with the left/right split, the dichotomy of I’m right and you’re wrong, half the people always telling the other half we’re right; well, sadly, they’re both wrong. And Donald Trump, fascist clown or dictator that he maybe; well, he fits the bill exactly!
3
How did Putin avoid getting his face into the photo? Collusion? Seems like he would be well apropos on this Mt. Trumpmore-the most tremendous, awesome leaders of our day. Is "Mt. Tyrants" preferred?
4
Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat are rolling their graves.
I've run out of things to say about this vile man.
6
I think as many will drop out of the elective process as will begin to participate because of the Trump travesty causing the melodrama to continue . I sent away a fledgling politician yesterday who came to the door trying to get me to sign so he could get “ on the ballot “ . I never did that before ; always entertained those people , and it felt really good .
1
Autocrats in Taiwan and South Korea tempered their actions and eventually allowed democracy to flourish in part because the US quietly held them to account for their actions for decades. Yes, it matters.
4
I was one of those who thought except for John Kasich, Donald Trump was probably the best Republican to have the presidency. I didn't think he was callous, that he had a heart.
But when he announced his cabinet picks, I couldn't believe that; thought what made him picks those characters?
As time passed my dislike of him grew. He's a self-absorbed narcissistic brute. The sooner he leaves the scene the better the country & the world would be.
If he's impeached & ousted that would be great but it's also just a wishful thinking. A more realistic expectation is that at least one chamber of Congress will flip in Nov. And he would not be re-elected.
7
Millions and millions and millions of American citizens will reject the outrageous Trump claim that we are, as he says, "my people". Not ever!
5
Recently I just happened to be wondering around Ottawa, on Google Maps possibly on the very day Trump was flying to N. Korea having called Trudeau all those names. And for a position that Trudeau had maintained publicly for days, if not weeks. Going up Elgin toward Capitol Hill. I came upon the Canadian War Memorial. Zooming in on the nearest side I saw. 1950 -1953.
Asking myself "What is wrong with this 'picture' and this administration?" Everything!
4
Trump's glaring insecurities about his masculinity prompt allegiances to "strong" rulers. But then, psychopaths conflict strength with power. Trump will never be strong, just brutal. While we seem unable to note the date when he turned vile it was long before his presidency. His reputation was rancid as early as his military schooldays. Love nature's revenge in that he is NOT aging well.
4
Starting with this piece that peers into human rights records of some of the present dictatorships in the world that our president admires, perhaps we should begin to look into a mirror at what the United States has become.
It would be a complex task because the seeds for both our destruction and glorification have been with us all along. Sadly our citizens, for too many reasons to recount here, have chosen to be led by those who would squander and steal their future from them and their children. We are in the hands of a totally corrupt government.
Putting children in internment camps is only an apparent beginning. Before this we refused to grant legal asylum to people fleeing from other countries. We have heard these people being vilified as vermin. We have been fed the false narrative that there isn't enough for the white man when our economy is presently humming along.
And like all these countries spoken of such as Turkey, Egypt, or Saudi Arabia, our United States could one day soon join them as a place where citizens live in fear of being jailed for speaking their minds. Our president already despises people who do.
6
While I hope he is right, I'm not so sure American democracy will survive Trump as Mr Posner claims in the post. Its not just Trump, its the rule or ruin GOP seeking one party rule by appeals to intolerance, smear campaigns, by voter suppression, by extreme gerrymandering, packing the Federal courts with right-wing extremists. Then there is the undermining of respect for the press and even the rule of law. On top of that there are their financial backers that are allowed to spend unlimited money to buy elections so that they can further enrich themselves and destroy the effectiveness of countervailing powers to corporate rule such as unions, non-profits and government regulators. That about 1/2 the American voters are OK with all this does not bode well.
One bright spot is we will apparently be well entertained as we go into the darkness!
3
And for what its worth, virtually ALL republican congress people are supporting trump. This is on the party as much as trump.
5
The country elected a man who received the endorsement of the Klan. What in the name of sweet Christ did we expect would happen?
13
Proud of American people as they forced Trump and the R's to take back that awful regulation on immigrant children. Democracy again Trumps Trump and Dictators.
5
Friedman keeps referring to all of this as if it is only Trump, as if everything in America and in it foreign policy was right and reasonable until Trump came along.
Nonsense.
First of all, 85% of Republicans support Trump and his policies. The Republican Congress is mostly running interference for him, and his critics are losing Republican primaries.
Trump has a symbiotic relationship with Fox News, right wing radio, and the alt-right web.
Trump is not an aberration. He its a perfect fit for the Republican Party, encouraging it to be itself, instead of hiding behind plausible deniability.
Second, most of Friedman's examples of dictatorships have been allies if the U.S. for decades, under both parties.
Saudi Arabia has long been or "second most import ally in the Middle East," receiving defense protections and large amounts of U.S. military hardware. Their terroristic war in Yemen was supported by Obama before it was supported by Trump.
We suppoted Mubarak's reign in Egypt for decades, while he crushed dissidents, then after a brief flirtation with the Arab Spring, Obama implicitly backed the military coup that put Sisi in power, and few in the U.S. government have criticized his crackdowns.
Likewise, there is little pressure from either party on our old ally Turkey or Erdagon, or criticism of Duarte in the Philippines that I hear.
Capitalism is transactional, Democracy is the counterbalance, but billionaires are buying that, and Friedman is their cheerleader.
5
“It (America) is unencumbered by historical memory.”
And you don’t even have to be a good student on history to grasp the concepts of kindness, compassion, and empathy - especially for those less fortunate than us. These are both religious and secular principles.
We need to survive until we hopefully have the Dems take control of one chamber of Congress this fall, and until this monster/child of a president is back in his NYC penthouse, or better yet, jail.
3
There is no doubt in my mind that Trump's goal is to be an authoritarian dictator. His destruction of alliances with democratic countries is purposeful, with an aim to replace these allies with allegiances with other dictatorships.
What amazes me is weakness of the Republican leaders, who follow him no matter which immoral course Trump chooses. Perhaps I am assuming they prefer democracy. I watch McConnell, Ryan, other members of Congress with shock and sadness. They either have no moral core, like Trump, or perhaps their greed for power makes them spineless. They will follow Trump and destroy our democracy no matter what the cost to the US.
I have tremendous disappointment in many Americans who not only allow, but encourage this disaster.
4
Trump is a would be dictator but what about his willing collaborators? That is, most of the Republicans in Congress and most Republican voters?
6
Trump does not represent this country. He is the President but that does not mean that his choices conform with those typical of Americans. He governs to suit his purposes and if it affects anybody or everybody adversely he could not care less. He has abandoned his role in our government, and history will see him as the silliest man ever to hold the office.
2
There is only one solution!
Trump must be rendered powerless and ineffectural.
How?
The non-voters in previous elections have allowed organized big money conservatives and Trump, to win elections which DIRECTLY CAUSE HARM TO THESE FOOLISH NON-VOTERS!
Trump's opponents must stimulate a voting program to induce everyone to vote, starting in November, 2018!
3
Seeing the photo of him embracing the Stars and Stripes was nauseating.
3
Your president is a dupe for Putin. What else explains the grenade he tossed into the latest G7 meeting by stating that Russia should be re- admitted. What else explains how he is trying to undermine the EU, NATO, etc. Etc.
I am convinced the dossier is right. The Russians are hanging something over your president and he is doing their bidding. One day we will all know the gravity of his treason. I hope he is still alive when everyone, even his staunchest supporters, have to acknowledge this as truth. I also hope he lives long enough to face all the consequences of his treasonous actions.
11
Why no photo of Trumps BBF Putin? Did his recent election prove he isn't a dictator?
3
Comrade Trump to do list : Destroy American credibility, destroy NATO, builds dictatorships around the world, frighten Americans daily, aggressively attack any people who didn’t vote for him, call Putin and ask for his next to do list
3
Hilarious how the fascist coup-plotters are complaining about a freely and fairly elected president who is cruising towards a landslide re-election
He’s cruising all right...cruising towards federal prison.
3
Don't be stupid. Trump is Putin's lackey to establish a new world order with Russia and other authoritarian and/or criminal states as a central players. Manchurian Candidate ring a bell? Only its worse than that...Stop being surprised by his actions to alienate us from our allies and destroy our institutions. Please. We had better vote for sanity this year or we are lost. Meantime, stop playing Pollyanna. You know the deal here
8
Is there a dictator anywhere that the lying tyrant Obama didn’t try to emulate?
1
An often ignored egregious act violating our constitution occurred when one man decided to ignore a sitting president's supreme court nominee. Our country is now in the same league as Poland.
5
What have you been smoking, Tom Friedman, when you say "the U.S. Congress should be taking up their cause if our president and secretary of state are too cynical to do so"?
The Republicans in Congress are little more than apparatchiks for Trump, not defenders of American values like human rights, justice,and democracy. This is one taxpayer that will not be holding his breath until the Republican-controlled Congress begins challenging the undemocratic practices of dictators that POTUS has embraced.
4
The willingness to abandon or ignore the values that the U.S. has always stood for in order to strike a better trade deal or negotiate peace with a rogue nation should be a non starter for our commander in chief. This country is founded on these ideas and values and has fought to uphold and promote them for over 200 years. They are at the core of what makes us great. It's not being the richest or most powerful nation. It's being the most just and benevolent. Unfortunately, that concept is lost on the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
5
And just yesterday the UN announced that the number of refugees world wide is 69 million. Are we interested in maintaining a society with an imperfect social safety net but clean water, electricity, and some accountability to the people, or are we interested in joining the hopeless, grossly overpopulated and under resourced third world? Support dictators? Nasty. But we need people in charge of America who understand that America needs to be defended. Didn't thirty years worth of coddling North Korea and Pakistan as they became nuclear powers prove that point? Are we forgetting the threats to hit our territory with Kim's nuclear missiles and Pakistan's whining about what wonderful allies they are as missiles rained down on our troops in Afghanistan from Pakistan? Pres Trump is steadfast in defending America, not some abstract noble moral high ground.
Remind me who supported Palestine (whose leader hasn’t bothered with elections in over a decade) over the democratic Israel. Tell me who cozied up to the Supreme Leader of Iran. Enlighten me who decided to reward the Castros by ending the embargo. Which leader ignored all Arab dictators until the Arab Spring was well on its way? And who still was fine with Saudi Arabia? Which leader told Russia that he would have the space to deal with their dictator when he was re-elected?
It wasn’t Trump.
2
Yes a telling list of raw strongmen. But why, Thomas, never a mention of Benjamin Netanyahu? He's the major bully that Trump admires and the guy that drives US policy in the Middle East.
12
I was wondering the same thing...
5
We are headed for Civil War II: Apocalypse Boogaloo, with a possible, and increasingly probable, WWIII thrown in for good measure.
It is worth noting that the German Nazis looked to America for inspiration on how to perpetrate its genocidal race war.
We have too much blood, hatred, corruption, and ignorance in our past and present to have any hope of coming out of this resurgent Neo-fascist Confederacy looking the same as we did going in. Remember, the last time America faced the Confederacy, we had one of the very best human beings our country could produce in charge of the federal government. Over 600,000 soldiers perished as we enthusiastically slaughtered each other.
Now we have the federal government in the hands of the very worst our nation could produce, with a willingly deluded horde of paranoid sociopaths ready to murder people of color, and any whites who get in their way. America will survive this? Not without a lot of blood and tears first.
I am having difficulty understanding how the historically and culturally literate can come to any other conclusion.
4
It is not just dictators that Trump favors but also Democratic dictators as he fashions himself, Poland, Hungry, Egypt, even Israel. Those are places where democracy and American values hang in the balance. Why, because like here, they have a strongman or strongman wanabe that has used democracy as a tool and weapon to bring them to power and now to keep them there. Even in Israel there is considerable suppression of critical thoughts or words against the sitting government. As a NY Times article pointed out, Israelis can criticize Israeli policies by not Arab-Israelis. How is that different from the desire for an all white regime here? Different arguments, and different supporters, but the same result. The world is truly on the verge of forgetting all the lessons WWII were supposed to have taught it and we will end up in WWIII because of it. This time for every group there will be a dictator and an oppressor. Get ready for your turn in the Gulag.
4
A legitimate argument can be made that overreacting to Trump only lowers us to his level and deadens our voices; however, how is one expected to respond quietly when he continues to indulge in such atrocious behavior.
See: RevolutionOfReason.com
3
There will be a reduced threat of war on the Korean Peninsula, and it will be effected by a coalition among South Korea, North Korea, and China. We will be invited to leave the Peninsula by the South Koreans, who will have been promised protection by China, and the Asian triumvirate will align with Russia as a global trade and military force that will establish itself as an alternative to American hegemony. The systematic dismantling by the Republican party of the institutions that once seemed to protected us from maniacal extremists like our current President, will be sold to the American people as the only way to survive against the Asian threat. Our peculiar republican form of democracy--it's had a good 240 year ride--now facing permanent paralysis will be powerless to prevent the metamorphosis of the United States into a conscienceless, isolated, moribund state, sustained by its fables, a chimera devouring its own tail.
2
Welcome to the United States of Surrealism, where a democratically elected fascist grinds children into mortar to erect a wall made of spite, and where all your friends are your enemies, and all your enemies friends...
16
If Trump would just ditch the goggles whilst in the tanning booth he might look a little more suitable for his job.
3
It's all part of the march toward the "new world order" that the elder Bush introduced.
3
Donald Trump feels comfortable with dictators because dictators think only about themselves, they do not possess the ability to have compassion for others... Trump is a man who has absolutely no empathy and compassion for the people around him. As long as somebody is helpful to him, he will be on their side, but the moment they cease to be of use to him they are discarded. Those of us who have lived in New York know that this is his history.
The very distinct possibility that Donald Trump is a sociopath, and a very sick man,, will not remove him from office. We the people of America are able to do that. It starts by paying attention , it depends upon our awareness of the situation. And it should begin with the midterms – if America sends a message to the Trump administration and to all of the Republicans in Congress who are supporting him, we will indeed see a change.
11
For true irony, just note the fact that one of our stated reasons for leaving Human Rights Council is its support for dictatorships and authoritarian governments.
9
Trump's resemblance to dictators in places across the world?
I believe totalitarianism to be inevitable across the 21st century. We have simply too many people worldwide, too many differences, too few resources, too little intelligence and integrity. Democracy, freedom, is a noble goal, but it doesn't seem sustainable. Masses of people seem incapable of being coordinated without increase of law, bureaucracy, military and police threat, and quite vulgar, lowest common denominator people in charge of society.
Socialistic goals for all their nobility seem absurd, likely to just lead to anarchy or implosion like the Soviet empire suffered and just a return to authoritarianism. In short we seem caught between collapse of democracy into authoritarianism and socialistic goals which for all their nobility just threaten to collapse again into anarchy and authoritarianism. The delicate balance of democratic society is lost. We no longer have the capacity to coordinate politically in an at least approaching sophistication sense.
All the advanced democracies now are fast approaching authoritarianism of the right or left wing type. Power across the world is fast moving toward as much technology of control as possible to stabilize itself, and this stability promises to be on a low level, that strong but forgettable people will be in power. Looking at world leaders today and tomorrow will probably be as dull as contemplating forgettable Egyptian pharaohs or emperors of the past.
1
yep, exactly. yet another reason why its so important for everyone who cares about democracy (or justice or the environment or ... ) to get out and vote in the midterms this fall.
9
Tom, though you glancingly mention China in a quote from someone else, it remains your biggest blind spot and credibility stealer.
America and her G7 allies took a big hit in the democracy promotion department when they decided that "engagement" with China was a great idea. Of course the pathway to that decision was smoothed by corporate lobbying and encouragement from the punditry, very notably yourself.
This sent a message to the world's despots: "In today's world, commerce supersedes everything. If you're willing to endure our occasional lip service to "human rights, yadayadayada" then we'll gladly trade with you and enrich you."
Worked like a charm!
3
It is obvious that Trump envies these dictators and wishes he could be like them - in total control of our country. He is doing his best to follow their lead beginning with his demonizing of the press. He will continue in his pursuit unless he is stopped.
This is why it is important to register and vote this November. We need a Democratic Congress which can rein in Trump by threatening (or even beginning) an impeachment process.
Act as though our country depends on you. Because it does!!
13
Suppose the Democrats win and Trump gets the Supreme Court to declare the results invalid --what then?
3
Also, Mr. Friedman, Canadians were right next to us on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944.
11
I just finished reading The Despot's Apprentice by Brian Klaas. The author lays out exactly what is happening to our democracy while Trump is at the helm, and discusses at length the dictator/despots mentioned in this column.
God help us. It seems like even getting voters to the polls in November 2018 and 2020 may not be enough.
10
Thank you Mr. Friedman for yet another incisive column. It is amusing you can't quite admit your worship of MBS ("hugely important efforts to diminish the control of hard-line Islamists ... and empower its women.") gets in the way of admitting he is just another one of the dictators you excoriate. You indicate his actions are "contributing to a climate of fear ... that will undermine his efforts to attract ... investments.", indicating you care more about the money he provides to you to fly to his kingdom to worship in person than the rights he tramples on.
3
Could former President Obama go to Cairo and give a speech today, as he had done previously?
Could he go to Tripoli and proclaim the ‘freedom’ Libyans now have after Obama’s overthrow of their leader using NATO air power? His policies have left North Africa, Syria and Yemen in shambles, yet Friedman blames Trump for the world’s troubles...to call for regime change has real costs...Egypt s just one example where you may make the situation worse.
3
Trump has now made the USA a paraiha nation. I wonder what his MAGA voters think of that.
3
What will they think?
They will think it’s just fine because Trump has devalued all democratically governed nations as “unfair”, “weak”, and not properly respectful of the Mango Mussolini, so not worthy of our company.
1
Why, just three years ago Friedman was gushing on about Obama doing the same thing with Iran and Cuba:
"President Obama invited me to the Oval Office Saturday afternoon... It emerged when I asked if there was a common denominator to his decisions to break free from longstanding United States policies isolating Burma, Cuba and now Iran. Obama said his view was that “engagement,” combined with meeting core strategic needs, could serve American interests vis-à-vis these three countries far better than endless sanctions and isolation."
I wonder what's behind Tom's change of heart?
4
Great obfuscation to point out presidential talks with dictators being hypocritical. The bigger point is the admiration and emulation of dictators and the denigration of our closest ally the current president. Obama never lauded dictators for their governing style.
2
As a child, I used to ask adults how dictators could rule their country and steal all the money- while people starved to death. There are millions of them I would say. Why don’t they remove him? I now have my answer and can’t help but wonder what our young people are feeling and thinking at this time. I wish there was a way to get the majority of this country to march on Washington D.C. and overthrow this fascist!
6
What about the 35% to 40% who support this guy. Every talk to a Trump supporter. They drank the Kool Aid, and we know what happened to those true followers. Blind faith/belief "trumps" facts/reason today.
Very sad.
8
What will it take for the decent america to react to this nonsense? The actual administration is a treath to your democraty and everybody lays low. Where are the millions of people who toke the streets on the day after the inauguration?
Are they afraid of the Bully in chief and is minions?
USA use to be a role model to a large portion of the world population. Now, because of its enormous economical strength, your president is trying to bully the rest of the world, except for Russia, into submission, starting with the very threatening Canada. Pathetic.
I have to admit that I am a treath to your national security and my opinion is of no value. I am CANADIAN.
Sleep well.
3
As trump meets all the dictators he is very impressed by how they can control their governments and populations. And it is exactly what he wants in the US. The sooner we get rid of him the better for us.
Trumpers - are you paying attention AT ALL??
3
Funny how Trumpers have just vanished off the radar
3
Be very careful whom you brand as a dictator!
Even Jesus would fit your description!
Didn’t Christ dictate and prescribed to the entire world how the people should behave and act in spite of nobody voting for Him?
Lie down with dogs, wake up with fleas. Watch for Trump to be scratching himself.
5
Trumps understands his base electorate. His electorate is unencumbered by historical memory and recognizes no political or strategic commitments because they are largely ignorant of them. Trump understands that most Americans can't find places like North Korea, Gaza, or Syria on a map let alone actually having traveled abroad. The world has largely been seen as something to serve our needs or something/someone to be conquered or tamed. This mindset can be easily manipulated by fear; fear of the unknown. To find answers, many tune into Fox News. Cycle complete.
5
These dictators feel all the more emboldened to jail their citizens that are peaceful activists and those that are outspoken about the travesties committed by their governments. BECAUSE OF TRUMP and his repititious mantra of "Fake News!" and public disparagement of all news outlets (except Fox News). They know Trump would likely jail our journalists, if we didn't have the First Amendment. But they can jail theirs, so they do, and Trump hepas praise on them. When he referred to US citizens as "my people" that he wished would sit up in attention to him, like North Koreans, it was no joke. That will be his dying wish.
2
A point of extension: the entire governing contingent of the Republican party views the world in the same way as President Trump does; as evidenced by their silence, complicity and/or fawning praise of everything the president does.
2
Trump should not joke. He should choose his words carefully.
He would do well to consider the following journalist's statement regarding President Abraham Lincoln, written in April of 1865 (excerpted from Carl Sandburg's "Lincoln: The War Years"):
" He [Lincoln] desired to be particular, because everything he said got into print. Occupying the position he did, a mistake
would produce harm, and therefore he wanted to be careful not to make a mistake."
3
America won't "survive trump", because the problem isn't just "trump". He's just a possibly final, high-value card. In my view, the activities of Mitch McConnell and his "colleagues" in preventing a vote for/against Merrick Garland are a lot like Jaroslaw Kaczynski, "... trying to replace the independent judiciary with judges selected purely for their loyalty to him and his party..." I've been disgusted and frightened for our country since I heard McConnell, surrounded by his applause of his republican colleagues, declare that his number one priority was stopping everything Obama tried to do. I hope I have the energy and courage to try to vote against this Republican tide. I'm second generation American and it's been getting harder to convince people that I have the right!
6
Can you imagine what the world would be like today if Donald Trump were president instead of F.D.R.?
1
Trump acts this way due to two factors: his wretched malignant personality and his need to divert attention from the inevitable report from Mueller on his financial and political crimes. Oh, toss in that he's a weak coward who wants to be everything he's not, including strong and well-liked. But his effect on the world is devastating, as outlined by Mr. Friedman.
2
Friedman says he can back Trump for using words to sway Kim Jong Un into possibly giving up his nuclear program
Whether Kim will actually do anything is open to doubt, but Trump will claim victory and declare that the world is safe from Kim’s nukes.
And meanwhile his other soulless atrocities continue. Trump continues to hold sway because people are ready to find one thing—anything—redeeming.
Mr. Friedman,
You are conveniently omitting -MBS of Saudi Arabia. You’ve seemed unable to praise the good signs of progress while also calling in question the human rights issues. It’s extremely disturbing to follow what’s almost a “bromance” while such serious violations play in the background. Even before the jailing of progressive clerics, followed by the shakedown of the wealthy, then the jailing of women driving activists, Saudi’s authoritarian record should have given you pause. Is it the fact that they are a major customer of American arms that halts your criticism? Or perhaps that Saudi is a monarchy with impressive pomp and circumstance to greet you on your visits? How can you explain turning a blind eye? We can and should support Saudi Arabia’s positive steps, while advocating strongly for the respect if human rights.
criminalizing dissent & debate... in the USA, Trump just calls it "fake news". what's the difference?
2
You fail to mention another terrible leader, Netanyahu. He has played Trump like a fiddle and has interfered in our domestic politics. Netanyahu and Trump have scuttled the Iran Nuclear Accord. Instead Trump "negotiated" a nuclear deal with North Korea that has serious doubts. Trump and his son-in-law have given Netanyahu a free hand in its treatment of the Palastinians. The occupation of the West Bank and the ghettoization of Gaza will continue. Netanyahu will give lip service to the two state solution but continue taking territory from the West Bank. The Trump adminstration will remain silent.
2
And I'm wondering why Vladimir Putin wasn't mentioned...
2
Can it be surprising that there is an immoral or amoral policy on the border when we have an immoral or amoral leader?
3
Mr. Friedman,
You are too kind to Trump. If you haven’t already, read The Road to Unfreedom by Timothy Snyder. And you may be aware of Putin’s hand in why Trump came to be. Trump is a construct, he’s playing his Apprentice role and is supported by Russian Oligarchs and American Oligarchs.
5
At the last Republican convention, when Trump proclaimed, "I alone can fix America," the writing was on the wall; these are the words of a dictator, or a person striving to be. What we have seen since is his desperation to be part of what he believes is an exclusive club of strong leaders. That they murder and torture their own people is of no consequence to Trump -- it's part of being 'listened to.' Imprisoning stolen babies, to this wannabe dictator, is his initiation into the club. And we all suffer the dire consequences of his madness.
4
don't be so sure that trump cannot succeed with bringing authoritarianism to the US. i know a lot of people that are completely ok with trump jailing children, attacking the press and demeaning anything/anyone he deems to be an obstacle. the belief that trump and those that support him in the media are the only source of truth has already been cemented in the minds of approx. 40% of the voting american public.
5
Canada has nothing to fear from any country. They should simply pull out of any military alliance with US. Unless you talk Trump’s language back to him he won’t straighten up.
I note a hint of complaint, a whimper of protest coming from the likes of Franklin Graham and other Big Bible Christians over this as well as Trump's Sophie's Choice policies on the Southern Border.
Poor Franklin; Thought allying with Trump was a marriage made in Heaven, but it was a pact with Devil.
FG and the others are just now finding out about Trump what most here knew well before 11/8/16; He is poison and in the end it will spread to one and all.
6
Trump might want to take jaunt down to Venezuela and play a little golf or scarf some burgers with Maduro and his cronies. We don't want him ignoring the western hemisphere's worst despot, do we? At least get him to dinner at Mar A Loco or put him up at the Trump property down the street from the White House.
There are valuable lessons Maduro can impart, Mr. President, on how to destroy a vibrant democracy. Don't let the world's largest oil reserves go begging. Oh wait - better first ask your broham Vlad if that's ok. Check with Xi and his pet furby Kim too. You don't want to step on any toes.
1
'What have you done for ME today?"
It's worse than a normal business transaction; they can be win-win.
Trump can think only in terms of zero-sum--winners take from losers.
And it's even worse than that--his idea of winning is not mere profit; it's called "economic rent" and "rent seeking."
The idea is to set up an artificial restriction--and charge to take it away--like a toll booth and a barrier. Such "rent" is not productive. It's not profit from selling goods or services. It's extortion.
Trump extortion is even worse. It not just US extortion--pay a fee to avoid harm. He wants the fee paid to Trump Inc. That's bribery + extortion.
4
What will happen when climate change drives even more people to migrate because their livelihoods are ruined, in sub-Saharan Africa, India, Pakistan, Mexico, and other places that had little to do with causing climate change?
The world is ignoring the drivers of climate change and is now reacting to the human consequences, without justice.
7
And yet, Trump has over 80% approval rating from Republicans. That is worrisome, indeed. I suspect they approve of him because the alternative in their minds is worse. They don't trust any Democrat. Red vs. Blue. Which leads me to think that the individual who could easily win the Presidency in 2020 is a moderate Democrat. Someone who can be trusted by enough Republican voters to break the Trump lock. A moderate Republican might also prevail but would first have to win the nomination. Not an easy thing to achieve against a sitting president.
In any event, there is hope for the future. Just not much.
1
Trump to dictators: "Have a nice day!"
Trump's relationship with many other constituencies can also be summed up in one sentence.
Trump to long time US allies: "You're worthless and weak and you can choke on my tariffs"
Trump to hispanic immigrants: "Wish you were Norwegian but thanks for letting me use your children as political bargaining chips!"
Trump to his rural white base: "You keep voting for me and I'll keep letting you have all the guns you want and sending out those racist dog whistles you love so much!"
Trump to big corporations, banks and the uber-rich: "It's truly amazing how you toadies sold your ethics and morals for a tax cut!"
Trump to GOP leaders: "I took over your worthless party and you didn't even realize it was happening!"
Trump to evangelicals: "You keep voting for me and I'll keep pretending I have read a couple of pages of the Bible and getting Israel ready for the second coming. (I know you guys love that End of Days stuff!)"
Trump to Putin: "Wish I could just assassinate my enemies like you do. And when will Don Jr. have that building permit for the Trump Tower Moscow?"
Trump to Americans who don't support him: "It must be killing you how I convinced just enough of your fellow citizens I could turn back the clock to 1955 and that every lie I utter is the gospel."
15
Astute observations; well done!
Friedman, an early promoter of Mohammed bin Salman, refers to the illegal imprisonment of the prince's rivals but fails to mention the Saudi war crimes in Yemen in which the U.S. is complicit.
3
It seems odd that the usually astute Thomas Friedman is surprised at President Trump's embrace of semi and actual dictators, while stabbing in the back America's good friends. After all, what else would one expect from a student who graduated summa cum laude from the Joseph Goebbels College of Marketing, as well as magna cum laude from the Joseph Stalin College of Loyalty for his dissertation, "The Case of Leon Trotsky: Using Apprentices When 'Lock Him Up' Aint Enough"?
1
A diseased narcissistic personality roams the halls of the White House, flagrantly using the power of the office to degrade, demean and threaten any and all who do not abide and support this creature who crawled out of a sewer. Unfortunately fear of retaliation seems to keep full condemnation of this behavior by those who have taken oath to protect the nation from outside dictatorial threats but are failing to protect the nation from a home grown dictatorial threat.
4
In the meantime, in the United States, Mr Sessions, Ms Nielsen and Mr Kelly are "just following orders" from the would-be Fuhrer and his Jewish soulmate (Stephen Miller). That's what they are implicitly pleading now in their trial in the court of opinion and that's most probably what they will try to plead in a future Court of Justice. The Attorney General is guilty of executing a new form of crime against humanity cooked up in the minds of the two dangerous lunatics who sent the order. If these people are not in prison in the next few days, it means that there is a fascist takeover of the US Government. It is a national and international emergency.
3
Trump saluting the Korean General was idiotic, repulsive. Kim Jong Um reaction was a wide smile, too bad we couldn't hear the laughter. That clip must have been replayed countless times on Kim's visit to China after the Singapore sling, maybe they have a show..... Korea's Funniest Videos.
Trump and company commit stain after stain domestically and globally. They bring shame on all of us.
5
Everybody... let's get high!!
1
Trump is an abusive thug with too much power, who admires the ease with which other dictators are able to receive blind obedience from all others...or else. You mentioned several well known 'criminals' in different countries where human rights are being trampled...but not Putin, an ex-KGB agent with absolute power to own lives and treasure at will. Of which Trump is deeply envious, and confused as to why he can't do likewise. Trump's assault on children escaping violence at home, and seeking asylum, is just another episode of his nastiness and despotic behavior towards those unable to defend themselves. Trump is a despicable bully (a coward in disguise) seeking the impossible, respect and relevance, by abusing his station, a sign of deep insecurity and immaturity, and clueless about the meaning of solidarity, and justice, let alone compassion for those desperate to escape violence at home. A long journey, just to find Trump's violence at the border of a country that seeks to build walls...instead of bridges. Where is the America we knew 18 months ago, AWOL?!
3
Anybody, who reads the Titan’s comments knows I’ve predicted this along time ago. I’ve also said, optimism and optimists are very dangerous; follow them at your own peril. This proposition strengthens over time.
Pessimism is a much better political philosophy. Our founders were enlightened but not optimistic fools.....maybe they were not pessimistic enough, but no body is perfect that would be optimistic.
You see a pessimist would have known Bernie could and would never win a POTUS election in this country and therefore would have voted for HRC as an extra rider to his insurance policy for his fireproof room.
N.b., Hitler was a very big optimist..... A 1000 year Reich was his dream, he squeezed about 15 years out that.....
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
Staring you right in the face Congress.
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
8
I am 79 years old. I have lived through a lot of leaders in the United States both good and not so good, but I never thought I would see the likes of this loathsome repulsive individual whom we now call president. He is doing anything he can to destroy the country I grew up in and learned to be proud of. He is a fit creature for the swamp..not for the White House.
7
You forgot Netanyahu. We have left the Human Rights division of the UN because of its stand on Israel, where Netanyahu stifles dissent and cozies up to DT.
Please include Netanyahu in your rogues gallery.
Thank you.
6
Meanwhile, the USA has pulled itself out of the UN Human Right Commission. The reason was the commission is too harsh on Israel but too lenient on North Korea. Very ironic after all the praise that Trump gave to the Dear Leader Kim.
5
Trump has no right to take the hard won reputation America has earned over decades, and even centuries. The phony that got out of the draft with bone spurs has the nerve to, literally, hug the flag. That was on par with his fake praise of the bible, early in his campaign. Who ARE these people who can't see right through him? Is it just a New York thing that we knew he was full of it years ago? I don't think so. I just don't get it. Every day he gives us more and more reasons to hate him. Every day he makes me sicker & sicker of him. I can't even listen to his blowhard voice anymore. I used to turn the sound off whenever Sarah Palin would talk. Her voice went right through me. Now I just can't listen to Trump anymore. When will this national nightmare be over?
8
I cannot imagine how anyone could have voted for such a blatant liar to lead the republican party, let alone the country. Even if he turned out (highly unlikely) to be a changed person once in office, I still could never forgive him for getting there by insulting and slandering other more worthy and accomplished opponents. As for your Palin reference, Conway has the same affect on me. When he was elected I couldn't imagine any military enlistee risking his life for the whims and foolhardiness of this leader, whose only contribution appears to be overt flag-hugging. He is sucking the life out of the western world, one day at a time.
2
One of my friend's sons was killed in Afghanistan leading his platoon on a mission. And this is the way the POTUS expresses his gratitude. Mr. Trump, have you no honour? No decency? Oh, of course, narcissistic sociopaths have no empathy.
5
This is not the first president to cozy up to dictators.
Some other postwar 'Pax Americana' era US presidents & their thuggish, repressive, atrocity-laden BFF's:
General Augusto Pinochet (Nixon)
Efraín Ríos Montt (Reagan)
Jean-Claude Duvalier (Reagan)
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (Nixon)
Etc.
We could go on all night.
4
"How many Canadians were killed or wounded since April 2002 fighting alongside Americans in Afghanistan? The answer: 158 were killed and 635 wounded."
The only one to stab anyone in the back here is Trump stabbing Canada. What a disgrace.
7
Somehow, for some reason, you forgot Putin.
1
Removing Gaddafi and Saddam went so well that Friedman wants to continue fighting to the last drop of some other American's blood.
No thanks, Tom. We've had enough wars for Israel.
1
I think Trump can kiss that Nobel Peace Prize good bye.
3
I think the Norwegians would rather scrap the whole process than give it to Trump. If they ever did, all previous recipients should return theirs as they would be totally devalued.
The people don’t understand the faith correctly.
We don’t have to wait on the return of Jesus. It is just a symbolic phrase. You can be Jesus if you want to, but just have to embrace His spirit and the system of values.
Jesus allegedly revived a dead person. Again, that’s just a metaphor. Maybe the Holy Book talked about a spiritually dead individual. You have the power to revive friendship, tolerance, love, team spirit, unity, solidarity et cetera.
It’s solely your choice. Nobody is coming from the heaven to do it for you. Your future is exclusively in your hands.
They claim that Josip Broz Tito was a dictator. For me personally he was Jesus’ incarnation. He revived Yugoslavia that was killed, chopped up and terribly mutilated by the fascists and Nazis during the WWII.
Yugoslavia was destroyed again after Tito’s death but it could be brought to life again.
What’s the prerequisite?
The locals just have to love their neighbors. They have to act as a little Jesus. It’s their choice.
If a “dictator” could have done it, everybody else can do it too.
The next time you think that somebody was a dictator, compare him first to Jesus and verify how many similarities they have in common…
Didn’t Jesus contemporaries construed him as a threat? That’s exactly why he ended up on the cross…
Saying “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” strongly indicates that Jesus didn’t have intention to die for our sins but to help us rid of them…
Columnists write again and again about the faults of Donald Trump. The American people spoke at the ballot box and elected him president (something they might well do again). And he did not pretend to be someone else. He was a wolf who came dressed in wolf's clothing, so in the end America got the president they wanted. The problem is not Trump.
6
I think Mr. Posner fails to look closely at the Cabinet of this Administration and what it is doing from within the agencies they head up. These members are doing everything they can to weaken the Agencies and emptying them out of career bureaucrats and Diplomats.
Also, the Republican Congress is not doing anything to protect these agencies from desolation. In fact, this Congress voted for the appointments of these less than scrupulous Cabinet heads, despite the facts that when they were questioned in their interviews for their positions they showed no competence in matters of what the Agencies main functions were or their history nor did they care.
Think about it, not soon after Trump was put into the office by the Electoral College, he or his cronies have been under investigation by Mueller for alleged crimes against the Country, the very Country that Trump sworn to loyally lead and uphold the Constitution. That was no way to start an Administration. So from the very beginning, because of Trump and his cronies, this country has been under siege every day. From the Russian interference in our elections to the question of money laundering. And every other crime that can possibly happen against our Democracy.
So we not only have to survive Trump, we will need to rebuild the agencies and almost every other Institution in our Country. If the Republicans maintain their majority after the November elections, this will be an impossible task.
7
Perhaps the greatest long-term danger of the Trump Administration is that there he has discovered a large segment of our population who truly believe the notion that complex, long-standing problems have simple, uncomplicated solutions. And his incessant tweeting feeds into these notions, suggesting that there will never be, under his leadership, a rational and thorough examination of answers to our most vexing problems.
11
Thank you, Mr. Friedman! Well-said, as usual. And spot on, concerning the impact President Trump is having on the rest of the world.
You quoted one of Trump's jokes that most rankles me, where he refers to Americans as "my people."
No, Mr. President. We are not your people, in any sense of the word. You are our president, in every sense of the word.
No matter how many times those of us who post here do it is always the same. Trump is awful, disgusting, horrible, and all the people who support him are the same.
There is great evil and darkness around the man and his enormous ego. Those who are either afraid of him or are controlled by similar darkness are more than part of the problem, they are the problem. He wouldn't be there without them.
No matter how many articles the TNY writes, it cannot counter FOX. It cannot counter Murdoch, Adelson, Kochs, Sinclairs and their mouthpieces Hannity and Limbaugh. I cannot counter the other astoundingly rich people who can never ever have enough money or power and their desire endlessly to have more for themselves and leave the poor and lower middle class in the dust.
Despairing of watching the children suffer. Crying a lot.
8
Prediction..if trump stays in office, we are headed in the same direction as Egypt, Turkey, etc.
We are locking up babies, children, soon it will be journalists. Trump is a madman who demands the people obey him. He is the threat to our freedoms, never forget.
5
Where was the outrage from the liberal democrats when Obama courted Fidel and Cuba. Cuba is the biggest Island prison camp, gay people have been jailed, political opponents are jailed .
i note the words "human rights" several times in mr. friedman's article, but no mention of the recent flight of the united states from the human rights council at the UN. hmmm. could it be mr. friedman's unyielding support of israel, regardless of its deeds, puts his ancestral country away from discourse so as not to bring it to comparison? methinks so. he has no right to speak of other dictatorial countries without including israel.
1
Trump admires this list of tyrants because he himself is a coward. He doesn't call Trudeau names to his face, he does it via Twitter after he has left the venue. He sends his henchmen in to deliver the unpleasant messages and then throws them under the bus if the message is poorly received. The Buck never stops at Trump. He abhors anything close to real responsibility.
He needs to go now!
8
As Trump aligns himself with dictators, he diminishes our standing in the world and diminishes our once good reputation. The US now has a shady-ness about it that reflects trumps self centered and corrupt way of doing business. It will take decades to shake off the trump stink that we have on ourselves.
5
Trump, as we know, is an extreme narcissist with ambitions of being a dictator like those of the past and present that he openly admires. Putin is one of his idols and Trump clearly has poisoned our relations with America's historic allies in order to please Putin.
Trump's personal obligations to Putin supercede the diplomatic needs of the United States.
Most recently Trump has stepped up his anti-immigrant bigotry to appeal to his rabid base. He is ripping children from their immigrant mother's arms There is nothing really new here. Donald Trump has taken a leaf from the Dictator's Handbook. Find a minority to hate and make them the enemy. Trump
What is most disturbing about our the crisis our country faces is that the two-party system has collapsed and the Republican one-party state allows the incompetent, ignorant Trump to humiliate our country before the world. The one-party state where checks and balances no longer exist is fertile ground for a "wannabe" dictator like Donald Trump.
To avoid repeating the history of Europe in the 30's and 40's, it is essential for Americans to become active in what remains of our democratic process. Get out the vote in massive numbers or prepare for more of Trump's blackshirts to attack immigrants with growing aggression.
7
If we don't fight back it'll be more than just immigrants that will be under threat. US Citizens who decent will be targeted next, starting with the weakest...actually, it has already begun. This will get much worse if we don't change our direction.
2
Yes, the whole scenario is deteriorating as we watch.
Trump is in control because they all fear him. He is absolutely totally vindictive and ruthless.Those children proved that beyond all doubt and he is likely to get even more unhinged. His followers are blind.
If Democrats somehow wrest control back they had better look out for the little person because it is likely to be the last chance.
1
So, Mr. Trump goes dillydallying with Mr. Kim and has nothing but praise and good words for him and then he pulls the US out of the UN Human Rights Councel accusing it of hypocracy ? I might agree on the latter description, but hello...???
2
Yes, we have Trump. But, we also have his GOP enablers. Trump is the classic 'useful idiot' that has given the GOP the room they needed to trash the US altogether.
It is now more than obvious so why does it continue? McConnell and Ryan are both evil instruments of the donor class, Putin, and Murdoch. They ensure that Trump will have the freedom to exercise his worst instincts.
Turkish friends were dismayed when Erdogan was elected by voters who thought 'stability' was more important than democracy. Will the US succumb to such nonsense?
Like others say here, we still have a democracy and WE need to stand up for it.
4
There's no excuse for the way Trump acts, but the scary thing to most people outside the US is how other American's are letting him get away with it and worse, acting more like him themselves in daily life. Pathetic. History will judge you.
5
He is one of them.
2
We will survive Trump only if we get him out of office as quickly as possible. Please, Republicans in Congress, do your job! Check this travesty. Trump is violating laws, rules, policies, ethics, norms, standards of decency -- you name it. He is attacking the press, telling lies, undermining the judiciary, and putting himself above the law -- pages 1, 2, 3, and 4 out of the totalitarian dictator playbook. If it's good, right, and true, he is stomping on it or ripping it to shreds. He would steal every dollar and lock up every dissenter if he could. He is that kind of person, all he lacks is the power— for now. America must not be like the proverbial frog in the pot — the one where, if you try to throw him into boiling water, he will leap right out, but if you put him in a tepid pot and gradually turn up the heat, he will sit there until he boils to death.
5
Trump and his advisors (e.g., Steve Miller, Bolton...) are turning the so-called Washington Swamp into a field of openly decaying corpses.
2
Trump will stop at nothing. America, you know how to stop him. Do it.
8
We have spineless Republicans controlling Congress that are afraid they will lose their next election by opposing anything Trump says or does. They only care about their power, not "We, the People." He has committed numerous high crimes and misdemeanors for which he could have been impeached months ago. Trump has dedicated ZERO resources to counter Russian interference in our Nov 2018 elections. It's the only way they can win. Many of us are outraged at what our country has become. He represents the darkness in his heart, not the goodness of America. So, please accept my apologies for his atrocious behavior toward Canadians. We love you!
85
Hear, Hear!! Well said. We shall fight for all of our kindred spirits whether in Canada or beyond. The majority of Americans are appalled by his behavior and will fight to get him and his enablers OUT!
The NYT forgot to add a picture of MBS, the prince from Saudi Arabia who isolated his mother so he could take power away from his father, and leads a country that cuts off hands, feet, gouges out eyes and beheads for non corporal crimes. If one looks at the body language of all of these men, Trump clearly is the most unhinged and off his rocker. Thankfully he is not a young man!
1
Please relax Tom, and enjoy the ride. Did you ever hear the one about, "we reap what we sow"? Yeah, it says that good seeds bear good crops, and vice versa. Well, think for a minute about the seeds America has been planting around the world for 70 years...secret CIA murders and regime changes, using American money and mercenaries to turn Central America into our colony, propping up the Shah of Iran for our oil colony, currently dropping a bomb on some foreign country every 12-minutes day in and out, raining drone fire from the sky to kill 2% on our list with 98% collaterals, illegal wars based on lies...Where do we stop? Well, the dam is cracking, and all that evil we've done is starting to trickle in. It's called justice, and it's a principle of the universe. It will not, any more than gravity, be denied.
3
Agree with our past as you outlined, but what you're asking us to do is to give up and let this monstrosity just happen. The only way it changes is for good people to stand up and fight back...it doesn't have to be this way.
1
"Trump later said this was a joke. Sorry, no U.S. president should make such a joke, ..."
It was not a joke. Don't treat it as a joke, even an inappropriate joke. Trump is 100% liar but still as transparent as glass. He meant it and we all know he meant it. We are in the grip of a fascist revolution. I hope we can get out of it. Don't count on this man or his party to respect election results in November if they return control of one house of Congress to the Democrats. They will not.
7
And if Trump took steps to depose them he would be labeled by Friedman as a war monger. I thought Obama was brilliant by not deposing them
There are more choices than either depose a bad leader or tolerate him. It’s possible to impose consequences on bad behavior that don’t involve overthrowing the bad actor.
All true--- but just a bit ironic coming from Mr. Friedman, prime advocate and supporter for MBS of Saudi Arabia and his ongoing suppression of any dissent, not to mention the brutal massacre of Yemeni civilians.
1
This is a nice compendium. But if it can't be boiled down to a Fox News chiron, the Trump-loving minority who got him unfairly elected won't know any better.
1
Trump's brilliant strategy is working. North Korea came groveling on its knees for peace. The Art of The Deal. chapter 5. Iran next. Then Europe will fall in line. America is through with the appeasement, America is evil strategy, employed by the neophyte Obama and his sorry foreign policy team headed by the liar Susan Rice, and the leaker James Clapper. Those days are over.
Friedman forgot one more would be dictator, who would like to suppress dissent, who admires Trump and is admired by him - Netanyahu of Israel
2
America under Trump stands for exactly nothing. Not freedom, not democracy, not tolerance, not equality, not opportunity.
We are as soulless, greedy and cruel as the President who is re-making us in his image.
4
Why did Mr. Friedman exclude Vlad the Enabler from his list of Trump's favorite despots? Putin, with his proud history of terminating journalists and other political enemies, is everything that Agent Orange aspires to be.
5
KJU is a dime-store dictator held up by China and to some extent Russia. N. Korea wouldn't even be here today if it wasn't for their big brothers support after the north attacked the south in June 1950. What message do we send out to future nuclear powers by holding hands with one of the world's greatest perpetrators of crimes aginst humanity? Get a bomb to get respect is what we train them to do. KJU should be relocated to an island where he can grow flowers the rest of his life. That is what he deserves! Death would be better, but we're supposed to be above that, so flowers it is. Anything else is just cowardess.
1
Trump and all his relatives and political stooges should be brought up on charges of crimes against humanity and one out of power, should any of them travel abroad to our 70 year "allies" would arrested, and tried at the Haig and when convicted jailed for life.
Also, these nations should seize all of Trumps properties and financial investments in these countries as we have done in the past to other dictator counties like we did to Iran.
It's time, after Trump becomes a private citizen again that these actions be taken by all our "former" allies.
6
This is not just "sick". It is all EVIL.
3
One had to know this would happen with trump’s election. I wish there was some way we could punish these low information voters for voting for a despot and a sadist. This man is worsening every day in the White House and that’s truly scary.
3
Does anyone doubt that he would do the same here, if he could?
3
You forgot to show the puppeteer Putins pix.
3
Donald Trump is a wannabe dictator. Down deep , he realizes he will never be accepted as a “real President” , so he seeks to join the fraternity of brutal dictators. That way, people will be forced to recognize his place on the throne. It helps him to deflect the bitterness he still feels about being the popular voter loser in the 2016 election, despite the best efforts of Putin. The irony is that a reality tv actor cannot and will not accept reality, ie, that he did not win the popular vote and did not receive the most electoral college votes of any President. And , most difficult, of all,for him to bear, the crowd at his inauguration was minuscule compared to President Obama’s first inauguration.
5
In the portraits of the five dictators, Putin and Netanyahu are missing! The (baker's) Dirty Half-Dozen.
Trump protects dictators and tyrants, while ripping families apart, especially immigrant families and mixed American-immigrant families. Why?
Trump is already practicing and exercising his dictatorial powers, testing and pushing the boundaries and getting away with it. Indeed, double down support from his depraved baseless base's help. Destroying allies and friendships - both military and economic - and kidnapping and interning little immigrant children and kidnapping the immigrant parents of AMERICAN CHILDREN to kick them our of the country.
Trump is already a de facto tyrant - and he's loving it. He even loves Erdogan's thugs beating civilians on American soil with impunity!
"Trump later said this was a joke." Yet another trumpian lie.
Unlike MBS, trump is enhancing the control of our lives by hard-line evangelists. Like Poland, trump is appointing judges who are loyal to him too.
Trump and his gang are intent on making America so despicably horrible and inhuman that no one would want to come. Indeed, why would anyone want to stay, including Americans?
As long as America continues to use babies and children as hostages, as long as trump is in power, America IS NOT the greatest country on Earth. The Republican Congress is the home of the cowards, certainly not of the brave.
“In America, we’re going to survive Trump.” Really? Not at the current downward trajectory.
4
Actually Trump called Trudeau “very dishonest & weak.” It’s not even a case of the pot calling the kettle black because Trump lies like the proverbial lawyer – every time he opens his mouth!
But the picture accompanying Mr. Friedman’s online column says it all with President Trump juxtaposed alongside a who’s who of the world’s worst dictators – Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan, North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, Philippines’ Rodrigo Duterte and Egypt’s Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. One wonders why Russia’s Putin didn’t make the cut?
But seriously, is this what Trump’s America has become? We wink and nod at dictators and we walk all over our long-standing friends and allies – when will we wake up from this nightmare?
6
Trump is a toddler tyrant in training. He has shown us -- the people who did not vote for him and have been shuddering since he was elected in November, 2016 -- why he has terrified our democracy. All of the dictators he has admired, from Erdogan in Turkey to Duarte in the Philippines, are as uncaring and scary as Honey Badgers. Oppressing the people, traumatizing children and immigrants is trending in America and all the other places dictators are holding sway. Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, North Korea. How many people are dying to migrate to Syria, Saudi Arabia, North Korea? Trump's horrific tyranny will pass. All the dictators will fall like statues of Saddam Hussein and Ozymandias. Meanwhile, Tom Friedman, please tell us how to survive here in the mortally stricken land of the free and home of the brave.
You would have dictator aspirations too if you knew treason/money laundering/obstruction of justice crimes were to be uncovered and you might have to pay for those crimes. The price is extremely high.
5
He wants to be, and probably thinks he already is, the dictator of America. He, acting like a true sociopath, is holding children hostage to "send a message" to all who would dare come to our nation uninvited and without his blessing.
Who is the next hostage? Perhaps Congress which will get suspended and purged of disloyal Americans. Supported by martial law he purges the courts, suspends The Constitution and declares himself absolute ruler of America in perpetuity to be passed down his genetic line forever.
Can't happen here? Don't be so sure. He does anything he wants already and Congress doesn't have the guts to override a veto as both House and Senate leaders tremble about upsetting Trump. He also has an army of supporters who are armed.
This is not going to end well.
2
I guess my message needs to turn. Instead of a thoughtful "liberal" view where I try to consider both sides of an argument, I need to simply say this. Trump is one man. One man creating all of this chaos, harm and discord for billions of people. One man in his White Castle. All of this trauma for one stinking man. I will say another thing; for the first time I am starting to fear expressing my views in public or in print. When will my dissent be criminalized as treason like the democrats who didn't clap for our Supreme Leader, when will our town square have a statue of Trump, when will our news be "regulated" by state "fact police" to protect us from "fake news" like they are "protecting" children in "tender age camps". They came for the children and I did nothing, they came for my neighbors and did nothing, this one man. One man who rules the world as we all go on with our day. Secretly saying "it's not me, it will never happen to me", it's only affecting "them". I agree that impeachment is an admission of failure. Well We've failed, how do we remove one man? Trump will surround himself with generals and name anyone impeaching him a thieves and criminals, he will break the house before he is evicted. One Man in his High Castle.
3
Your letter could be a sermon from the pulpit or a speech from the steps of the Capitol. You say it well and forcefully and I wish I could heard it resound through the country.
Given the old saying about being known by your friends and birds of a feather flock together, what does that say about trump?
3
Amen. Now let us pray(and vote this man out of office)!
3
What will Donald Trump do if he has a real national security crisis like George W. Bush did on 9-11-2001?
1
What can American expats from a person, that after the fame of "the apprentice" proved to be a Narcissist, Egomaniac, Megaloman, a lier and a Bulli.
After hijacking the Republican Party, abusing and humiliate 16 Republican candidates, with the help of a ridiculous election system and getting less than the opponent number of votes, he conquered the Presidency. His behaviour, since the election, proved his character don't have the "Tools" to be a President. Trump create the " fake news" and " alternative facts" lies after lies. "America first" is really Trump first. His supporters always point to good things he is doing,even if you support them,
Trump personality, question his ability to the job.
Now he head for a Nobel Peace Prize, may be he deserve it, If Rabin-Peres-Arafat, President Obama got it...
How got Americans, Let Trump got a away, with the Senator Mccain saga, who was sent by the President of the US to fight, so Mr Trump will be able to make more money in the US.
It's the man, not his policies are questionable
3
Kim Jong-un and all other nuclear nations leaders should agree to half their nuclear arsenals on land, sea, air and outer space. That would be a good start in the right direction.
Open all borders to free trade and movement to people.
Thomas, you say "The world will eventually become a more dangerous place"? Wake up! It's happening right now, before your very eyes.
6
Please Be careful with phrases like "The notion of America as the upholder of last resort for human rights...is over." Those kind of statements are playing right into their hands and fueling What Trump and his heartless cronies are doing is abhorrant and against everything
1
The President seems to be all about image. He seeks to project strength to the roar of imagined cheers. Of all the posed photographs I've seen of him this year, none have been without the Il Duce chin jutting that insists- "I am the supreme leader of the people. I am America's father and the free world's big brother and I cannot abide comparison to "little" siblings such as Justin Trudeau or Angela Merkle and they must be kept in place, kept inferior." In his mind, they are not in his league in terms of power or majesty. They need him, to his chagrin, because he is embarrassed by their frailties. He has to look elsewhere for peers, to the like of Putin, the de facto tsar. He is ego. He is stature. He is image. His only responsibility is to venerate his persona unlike any other President before him.
1
When you abuse people (by not making provisions for those displaced by union busting, offshoring, automation, monopolization and trade deals) and you propagandize them by blaming women's rights, darker skinned human beings and darker skinned immigrants for their loss in wealth and status - you get Trump Nation.
Now, the abused simply want to destroy their abusers - Democrats who should have cared as they stood by to witness the abuse and Republicans who blamed the abused for their resultant pain. This is what long trapped and helpless people do when they get a chance to get even.
It took three generations to create this wound and I don't know if it can ever be healed.
1
"In America, we’re going to survive Trump,” (?) - or so Posner thinks.
Wake up.
I have worked in thirty countries. Many of those are dictatorships, and I can tell you that those dictatorships survive because there is a segment of the population that wants them to survive.
Trump is at an all time high in Republican popularity right now (~87%). If Trump wanted to postpone the 2020 election today, a majority in the Republican Party would agree. He is incarcerating children in gulags down on the Mexican border, yet Fox News wants more of this type of behavior, not less. Not only could he shoot somebody on 5th Avenue, he would probably survive an impeachment.
Trump has no intention of changing; of negotiating, or of working with our Allies. Why is this? Because the Republican Party wants it this way. There is a small but powerful minority in that party that just does not think that the rules apply to them. They are extreme ideologues; they are backed with a lot of money, and they simply do not care if our democracy lives - or dies.
Why? For them, democracy is overhead; it is messy. They want efficient, not effective. They see the Democratic Party as an oxymoron.
To be sure, they are demographically challenged. Their racist base is literally dying. Without them, they have no numbers.
But they know this: in marketing, they say that when rules of the game are crafted against you; change the rules. What you see in Trump is the changing of the rules - to an autocracy.
4
Mr. Trump encourages his hand-picked crowds to chant "lock her up!" and tells them he would pay the legal fees for anyone who roughs up a protestor at one of his rallies. Is a red MAGA hat soon to be the insignia of an American "Storm Detachment" like the German SA of the 1920's?
Mr. Trump encourages NFL owners to fire players who seek peaceful protest. Mr. Trump constantly belittles reporters who are not sycophants, crying "fake news". He calls deferential programs ("Fox and Friends", "Infowars") to tout their work. Reporters have been denied access to detained children at the border regions, especially infants and girls. A free press is not free if it cannot report the difficult or disturbing but real news.
How much different is America now than the Philippines or Saudi Arabia or Egypt, really? Mr. Trump wants Americans to "sit up at attention" like the North Koreans do for Kim. A gaffe is when a politician speaks the truth.
4
We live in such scary times, scariest I have ever known. Freedom of the press never seemed so vital. And incisive reporting and commentary likewise so important. It keeps us focused on the essentials and helps us separate the bluster from the real consequences of this malicious and fraudulent Presidency. Thank-you Mr. Friedman for your outstanding writing in this dark time.
2
“As Trump told reporters about the North Korean dictator on Friday: ‘He speaks, and his people sit up at attention. I want my people to do the same..’”
“Trump later said that this was a joke.”
No need to talk about “a Freudian slip” (“MY people” -seriously?!) with Donald Trump. He wears his malevolent authoritarian credentials squarely on his sleeve for all to see. How galling for him it must be that there are still millions of Americans who do not “sit(?) up at attention” at his every word, deed, and tweet.
I find myself imagining that during the private moments he spent with Kim, the North Korean dictator tried to comfort the president, as Trump sobbed -“I don’t get no respect.”
2
I feel a little ill that the President of the United States is pictured among those rulers and that the placement is well-justified.
3
How many dictatorial regimes has Thomas Friedman supported over the years -- as long as their "our" dictators or favored trading partners (China, for one)?
It's true, however, that Trump is less discriminating.
1
Democratic voters will vote for Democrats. What about "swing" voters who still can't figure it out? Equate them to Trump voters. So what to do with Trump voters? Maximize their fear and hate, just like Trump does. Fight fire with fire. It's the only way.
Jobs and the economy, the bread and butter issues, are both good now. And Democrats are in trouble promoting globalization that Trump supporters fear. Immigration is a mess. Education is a mess. Climate change is a mess. Health care is a mess (Medicare for All anytime soon? Seriously.)
Trump loves dictators who imprison, torture, and kill their citizens. I would play on that. Democrats need to take off the gloves, big time. If Trump loves homicidal despots, then what are his plans for his own people, sooner or later? That would be you and me. Is this the kind of president we want controlling us? And should we vote for those in Congress who enable him?
We can't wait for November. We need to go after Trump the way he goes after us. And if Democrats don't have the ability to get that job done, right now, then we truly are lost.
4
"What is terrifying about Trump . . ."
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps was established in 1979 by Ayatollah Khomeini to “protect” Iran’s internal government and society. This palace guard controls and polices every aspect of Iranian society down to having its own propaganda outlet called Sepah News.
Cut to 2018, and Trump’s announcement that he will establish a sixth branch of the military, the Space Force. The difference in the existing Air Force Space Command whose beginnings date to the 1970s is that the Space Force will be Trump’s creation. Make no mistake, Trump’s Space Force which owes its existence and loyalty to Trump adumbrates Khomeini’s “Revolutionary Guard.” Trump is working to undermine NATO as he creates his own branch of the military.
We look on in disbelief through this bloodless revolution made possible by our societal complacence. We are fat and happy but becoming nervous. Congressional Republicans prostitute themselves to hold power at any cost. And Trump’s hard-core supporters have guns. Putin’s mission accomplished.
Trump is making the U.S. into a country I don't want to live in.
4
Spot on. DT is a loathsome individual. But the most frightening thing is watching the crowd at his rallies, exhilarating with every lie and falsehood from the great leaders mouth: "Lock her up", "build the wall", and the hatred he is able to build among his followers for those who remain to check his powers: journalists of main-stream media, the FBI, Democratic leaders, even school children protesting mass shootings.
What does it remind us of?
America doesn't care about human rights anymore.
We pulled out of the UN Human Rights Council Tuesday.
Trump felt too many countries weren't putting him, er, America first.
Trump is unencumbered by our Constitution, laws, values and morals. Trump thinks he can wave his hands and it will be done. He wants to run the country fast and loose like his private empire, let lawyers clean up his messes. Every deal should have something for Trump, a little vigorish for his businesses. Trump wants to ignore the law like he always has, as Mueller's investigation is beginning to show.
Trump thinks the presidency is a reality TV show. That Fox News is Official US Government TV. He has instructed his staff to treat every day as an episode of his show. Snap decisions play so much better on air, all the drama & excitement. As long as it looks good from the front it is fine. It doesn't matter it's all Styrofoam and nothing on the other side of the wall.
Trump thinks it would look great if everywhere he went people would leap to their feet, hand over heart. He wants people to worship him like he sees other dictators worshiped on TV. He wants his face projected on buildings like when he went to Saudi Arabia. He wants top billing on every newscast, all the headlines.
It is all about Trump. Only about Trump. He is the Only One Who Can Save Us.
Vote Democratic on November 6th.
Every seat, every office.
Changing Congress is how We The People can begin to fix this.
1
Make no mistake, Trump IS a dictator, and the Republican Party is a dictatorial force. True, they are in some degree of check, but we get frequent glimpses of what could be, and perhaps what is to come, through their opportunistic authoritarian behavior--the most recent example being the racist and cruel border separations. This is why Democrats need to lay off the Second Amendment. Are you sure that Trump will leave voluntarily? What if the Republican congress considers an passes some sort of emergency resolution giving him extended power? Doesn't matter if it is illegal--they own the courts. Think hard about your Second Amendment rights, Democrats, they may come in handy for you.
1
Like many commenters here, I do not share Mr. Posner's cheerful view of the post-Trump future (which cannot come soon enough). He and the complicit, cowardly and evil Republican Party are destroying this country and making it a place that will bear little resemblance to the country I knew and loved. I am not convinced that we will ever recover from this failed experiment.
4
So many dictators; so much to admire; so little time. before ours achieves his aims.
2
Let's also not forget that Canada was instrumental in smuggling out several American hostages from Iran in 1980.
The dictators in this lineup -- Duterte, Kim, Erdogen, el Sisi -- have one thing in common: they are shrouded in myth. And those myths are of their own making in countries with oppressive police authority, state-controlled media, arbitrary imprisonments, and state-sponsored assassinations. And we in America are creating our own Trump myth.
In our attempts to contextualize, to rationalize Trump's hostility, perfidy, lying, his recklessness, we create the romantic myth of Trump running government like a family business. And how did he run that family business? Bankruptcies (4), millions of dollars of corporate bonds that became worthless, common stock that became worthless, a failed airline, unpaid contractors and suppliers...the list goes on.
Trump is not a humble Gepetto toiling in his family-owned carpenter shop, he is Pinocchio -- a huckster, a confidence trickster, a self-promoting robber baron. Am I allowed to say that? And can we in America deconstruct the Trump myth?
2
North Korea will never denuclearize. Trump is calling off war games that are vital to U.S. interests in the region. Trump is a fool and his policy with the Korean peninsula will be disastrous.
North Korea has gassed entire families while scientists observe and take notes. Concentration camp guards step on the throats of babies born to prisoners in order to kill them. Trump responds that Kim "loves his people." Trump is insane.
If I were talking to a voter, I would relay these stories to him/her. If Trump reveres the leader of North Korea with the way he treats his people, what do you think Trump has in store for us, sooner or later? Hint: is it any surprise that Trump couldn't care less about the welfare of families at our borders (who are simply requesting asylum)? And should we vote for Republicans who enable Trump?
Could Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders stand up and utter the moniker "gas-chamber Trump?" I doubt it. It's too horrible for them. But until Democrats really take off the gloves, they will keep losing. They are probably waiting until November, because they are sure they will win now. But the same strategy was tried by HRC, and she lost. None of us can afford to keep sitting around waiting and hoping for the best.
Democrats cannot enact their agenda unless they start winning. At this point, I would forget about policies that confuse people and that they don't care about. "Gas-chamber Trump." I would use it, before we're all in prison.
2
Half the middle east was in turmoil and you were praising Obama
Ergodan had been suppressing his people since 2013, but you see this as a problem now.
Bashar used chemical weapons on his own people, but you hailed it as policy of patience, leading from behind.
Now all of this is Trump's fault.
As well tell us who we should vote for.
1
I wonder if critics of the present administration recognize the risk they’re running when they speak out so bluntly. The shadow of 1933 Germany is over Washington & power in America is in the hands of a monomaniac who is just beginning to understand the possibilities of its usage. The camps for immigrant children can easily accommodate other more troublesome “persons of interest.”
1
As a german, i am deeply worried about the development in the US. My impression is that many americans see Trump just as a clown. They let him attack the press, judges, western values, etc, and the country stays calm. I wonder if americans take democracy a bit too much for granted. As something that always was and always will be there.
Germans know first hand that that's not the case. Sometimes can be only a matter of weeks until a free country is turned into a dictatorship.
121
And they will. That is why this is a fight to win. Death is preferable than service to a deranged tyrant. How do you think this country came into existence?
4
Mark B.:
Please note that most Americans see Trump as much more dangerous than a clown. He's an ignorant, vile, racist, narcissistic person. We want him out of what used to be the most important position in the world.
As I have said before;
Canadians,
I apologise (your spelling) for the dangerous embarrassment that currently occupies the White House. He does not (and never has) spoken for me nor for anyone I know. I voted against him; my senators and congresswoman do not approve of his policies so as long as I follow the rule of law, all I can do is make sure that those who live in states and districts represented by Republicans so something about this.
When we finally gent rid of him, his Vice President, and his staff, we will have many amends and much rebuilding to do.
1
From The Guardian:
“In the remote northeastern corner of North Korea, close to the border of Russia and China, is Haengyong. Hidden away in the mountains, this remote town is home to Camp 22 – North Korea's largest concentration camp, where thousands of men, women and children accused of political crimes are held.
Now, it is claimed, it is also where thousands die each year and where prison guards stamp on the necks of babies born to prisoners to kill them.
Over the past year harrowing first-hand testimonies from North Korean defectors have detailed execution and torture, and now chilling evidence has emerged that the walls of Camp 22 hide an even more evil secret: gas chambers where horrific chemical experiments are conducted on human beings.
Witnesses have described watching entire families being put in glass chambers and gassed. They are left to an agonising death while scientists take notes. The allegations offer the most shocking glimpse so far of Kim Jong-il's North Korean regime.”
Things haven’t changed in North Korea.
From Donald Trump:
Kim Jong-un “loves his people.”
Trump would have us believe his false-equivalence narrative that we should not hold dictatorships accountable for human-rights violations because the United States has done some terrible things in its past. The crucial point that eludes him is that we must always strive to do better.
Trump will not bother to read a story like the one above. But we can, and we should spread the word.
3
Would not have hurt to include Israel in the list of countries increasing repression with the explicit approval of Trump. How many peace-leaning advocates are rotting in prison or shunned from office while Bibi collects more bribes and steals government funds to increase his nest egg?
2
Trump yearns for the thought of himself becoming a dictator. It's apparent from his words and deeds, from the admiration he holds for those who command absolute power.
The only pleasure I get from this is knowing the fate that awaits Trump and his deplorably poorly educated disciples. They won't see it when it comes. In fact, most Trumpets, clueless as all get-out, will not see their demise on the horizon until it is too late. Like their denial of climate change, they will continue to lie to themselves, ad nauseam. But in the end, all their denials will not stop the inevitable onslaught coming their way. I look forward to their rude awakening, and their demise when it comes, with glee.
DD
Manhattan
The disconnect of "we're America, bitch" is staggering as well as disgusting. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/06/trump-officials-defend-telling-c...
It's time to use the "E" word: evil.
Trump's motto: Better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven.
Elsewhere in this paper we have the machinations of the Federalist Society which is replacing our courts with kleptocrat and racist supporters. All in the name of religion - but I'd suggest all these "Christians" have a good hard look at the gospels and stop pretending Jesus supports wealth, power, repression, exclusion, hurting women and the weak, violence, and the criminalization of poverty.
We need friends, not enemies, if our future is not going to end our survival on an increasingly inhospitable planet that serves toxic waste as long as it leads to short-term profit, and devil take the hindmost.
5
Trump's policy towards North Korea, if it can be called a policy, is another example of the triumph of hope over experience.
This won't end well
2
Missing from your lineup of dictators are Putin and Xi. Why is that?
It occurs to me that "dictator" is in the eye of the beholder. Without jailing journalists, Trump has usurped power in all three branches of government. And since this benefits his business friends, he has no opposition.
All heads of government are in a struggle to remain on top in their country while dealing profitably with the rest of the world. It's not softball. Many people have been disappeared, either by assassination or wars for regime change.
And democracy (one person, one vote) is under attack. Elections are held, and depending on the outcome more powerful interests decide whether they should stand. Think Egypt and Venezuela. Or with the latest technology voters are fooled into voting against themselves--we don't know who's a person and who's a bot. And thanks to our Supreme Court corporations are persons. This is not textbook democracy.
So sure, Trump gives other dictators their due in a brutal system.
2
We will know that criminalizing of dissent is coming here when Bill Maher and Stephen Colbert see their shows canceled. They are the canaries in the coal mine. When that happens, it's time to scout a safe location north of the border.
1
Actually...I am not so sure we will survive Trump. The current policies will send the US and the world back into a bubble bursting economic downfall with little ability to recover. It may lead to a depression that would make the 30s look like a walk in the sunshine.
With the anger level in the US at was seems to be an all time high, survival may get a very bad definition.
Trump feels closer to dictators because he is unable to feel close to those with knowledge, compassion, and dignity. Trump's profound sense of inadequacy defines his language, behavior, and inability to tolerate those who critique his ideas and policies. So what to do? Reach out and patronize those who command the power and respect he desires more than anything, regardless of the cost. Emulate them as much as he can.
3
I remember when Archbishop Romero was assassinated while performing Mass, the world was outraged. Although it took the UN some number of years to investigate and have the truth come out, right away there was universal condemnation.
Trump doesn't seem to have a problem with Catholic clergymen--who came out against Duterte--being assassinated in the Philippines. In this day and age, this barely registers above the noise but clearly Trump prefers dictators to people who speak the truth.
1
"But it tells you all you need to know about how differently Trump looks at the world from any of his predecessors — Republican or Democrat."
Thomas, Trump looks at the world differently from every other human. Don't limit the statement to the political world. There is not one thing he has said or done that isn't consistent with the damaged little boy he is and has always been. No one else -- including his children -- are of value to him except in terms of what they do FOR him, both in terms of stroking his miniscule ego and protecting him from the emotional adult's ability to examine his own behavior against a moral standard, to suspend fulfillment of his own needs in service to others. His daughter Ivanka is little more than the little boy's mother, who sometimes has an influence, but only as long as he's not distracted by something glittery like the dictators he is so impressed by. He reminds me of the blob under the bench of Harry Potter's brief visit with Dumbledore in the final movie, because I think that's all he is. The blustery, bloated Wizard of Oz behind the curtain. There is no substance here. There can be no substance here. We should not be surprised at anything he does. There is no one there.
2
I have no doubt that a lot of the time in his heart Trump is joking and sincerely thinks he is right in wanting to return to the "good old days" when white and wealthy privilege was not threatened. Perfectly happy to tolerate a few minorities who know their place and a Harlem Globe Trotters / Washington Generals democracy where the winning is fixed.
A Potemkin democracy is the goal and hisrelentless 'Fake News" assault on the truth and scaremongering about foreigners is the means. It is becoming the template for dictators everywhere.
1
While I agree that Trump is terrible, there's just something a little off putting about running a string of minority leader pictures, who are in other countries, and shaming them on the basis of Trump's praise for them.
This country, particularly neo-conservative leaning writers like Freidman, have a history of doing this. They demonized and "othered" Mao, Castro, Che, and Chavez. They only ever covered the bad news in Cambodia and the USSR, and what they did to Mugabe and other African anti-colonialists, along with many who have stood up for Muslim rights, was nothing short of racist.
I feel like Friedman is walking pretty close to this same line right now. We need to be careful with this, especially a hetero-white male like Mr. Friedman. Because even if these individual leaders are seen as doing something unseemly, it can often be misconstrued as a slight on the people they lead, and from there it's all too easy to slide down the slippery slope of thinking we're better than they are, that we're wiser and more virtuous. But if anything, they are the ones who are better, and we are the war criminals with the dictator for a president.
1
I applaud your comments but the reality is that this problem with have with Trump runs much deeper than Trump himself. You have written on how we arrived here but I'd like to add more context. The Congress was set up to be the dominant power in governing this country. For the most part, they have failed in this task. Why?
It's because we, the People, send hard line people to govern. How did they get there? They got to run for the position through the primary process. We have always entrusted the People to pick and choose wisely. But, voting has become a ritual, mostly observed during presidential election cycles. Is there some reason we cannot have voting over two days - those two days called the "weekend". We have allowed gerrymandering to carve out ridiculous districts keeping those lucky enough to be in power during the 10 year census cycle to forge an impossible hurdle to change. So, what do we get? Only the extremes of the parties, both D and R. We are then forced to choose between two extremes. And that's what we got with Clinton and Trump and his sycophants in Congress. We must "update" our democracy to come to terms with the modern world.
1
Might I sit up and listen to what Trump has to say? I might, if he ever said anything worth hearing.
4
When it comes to dictatorship, we're already halfway there. Trump has a state-controlled media outlet, Fox News, which spews out propaganda much like Putin's Pravda. Trump's spokeswoman lies daily from the podium of the White House briefing room. Congress, led by terrified Republican toadies, has abdicated its constitutional responsibility of oversight on the executive to become a tame Duma. Without bipartisan help, Democratic lawmakers are powerless to stop Trump's blatant corruption, violations of the emoluments clause and repeated attacks on the free press, the judiciary, the FBI and all who would oppose him. Like the dictators he so admires, Trump has made our nation an international pariah, turning what was once a beacon of human rights into a violator of human rights, caging children and tearing wailing toddlers from the arms of their mothers.
2
Pres. Trump has a long way to go to match the carnage we have caused in the Middle East since Pres. H.R. Bush. I remember when former Secretary Albright was asked about
the deaths of 500,000 Iraqi children.Her comment "That it
was worth it" drew International condemnation.Our selective
memory seems to be working full time now.
2
This November's election may be our last.
If the Blue Wave does make its appearance, does anyone doubt that Trump will declare the vote a fraud? Does anyone doubt that he will ignore and attack Congress at every turn?
4
These people only know how to tear things down. They're playing a transactional, zero-sum game motivated by narcissism and spite and buoyed by the most reactionary voices in the media and the most complacent and spineless in Congress. Between voter suppression, gerrymandering, and assists from fake news machines (literally), this game is also rigged. I don't see a way out of it, unless by some miracle there is a blue wave... which has always been over-hyped. I hope I'm wrong, but I see no blue wave or electoral remediation.
"Criminalizing dissent and debate" is not just a foreign malady. The American version takes the form of losing your job for speaking the truth: see the firing of cartoonist Rob Rogers at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. That is a message not all journalists will be able to ignore. As it is, we all too readily accept--and use--the euphemisms crafted by the Trump Administration: see the media's parroting of the phrase "zero tolerance" for a malicious policy that should be described as "zero morality".
3
I agree, “In America, we’re going to survive Trump,” but along the way he will have been callously responsible for kids dying.
His "trumped up" policy that unnecessarily divides families trying to find safety in the America we once knew will have tragic consequences. Kids will die.
I don't know how he sleeps at night.
1
"In America, we are going to survive Trump". I hope so but that outcome is far from certain. Trump clearly would go full Strongman/Tyrant/Dictator if his reign was threatened and he believed he could get away with it. More disconcerting, he has a lot of support for that potential move among his supporters, as democracy is no longer viewed as the preferred governing philosophy among large chunks of American citizens. I am not sure, given the past 50 years of undermining our governing institutions, that we continue to have the collective will to preserve our society in anything resembling it's historical form.
It says as much about America as it does Trump. Over 60 million voted for him, and how many more millions that didn’t vote support him.
Unfortunately, he reflects the morals and values of a large percentage of the population of a country in decay.
10
I am now honestly concerned that in 2020 should Trump lose to his rival for the White House race he will not only reject the results but will "lock up" his opponent to the cheers of his supporters in the Republican Party. Then what will be left of America's democracy?
3
You believe that we will "survive Trump." I wish I shared your view, but I don't. Trump and the Republicans are so damaging not only our institutions, but our moral standing, that we may never recover. Like the cancer they are, Trump and the Republicans need to be incised quickly if we are to survive.
2
We have to have faith that elections still matter in our country. We can be certain elections don't matter much in Russia, Venezuela, Turkey, Philippines, China and North Korea.
Don't want to see us on that list, but today's GOP probably wouldn't mind.
1
While Trump enjoys rubbing shoulders with dictators as a duck takes to water, his UN ambassador, Nikki Haley announced yesterday, that the US will be withdrawing from the UN Human Rights Council, calling it a “cesspool of political bias” that targets Israel in particular while ignoring atrocities in other countries.
Anti-Israeli sentiments are the motivation behind the US withdrawal, not so much that the world’s most murderous regimes escape scrutiny. It explains why Trump is so hostile towards Iran and Syria because the Butcher of Damascus and the theocracy in Tehran are Israel’s arch enemies in the region.
Nikki Haley said she had traveled to the Council’s headquarters in Geneva a year ago to call for reforms, but to no avail. That she is upset about human rights abusers being elected to the Council and serving on, can’t contradict more Trump’s affinity for brutes and autocrats. She accuses the body of politicising and scapegoating of countries with positive human rights records while seeking to distract from the abusers in their ranks. Last December she reiterated Trump’s threat to cut aid to UN member states that rejected his decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
4
Meanwhile, Robert Mueller, a life-long Republican, for now over a year has led his expert team in unraveling the Trump swamp. Given the length of time this has required, and given the many indictments to-date, only a fool would still believe this will not result in damningly overwhelming evidence of deep corruption and, quite possibly, treason. The question is - what then? I fear the answer. For God's sake, let this end soon.
7
I think that the Trump administration's transactional approach to policy is directly a result of Trump's transactional approach to life. I don't think it's a considered position, I think it is just an outcome of cognitive and social deficiencies from which the man himself suffers. It's even less than a considered position.
6
and...as we withdraw from the Human Rights Council, America under Trump has become a brutish bully rather than the world leader it once was.
13
While reading this piece, I noticed my eyes starting to glaze over with all the categorizing of everybody as this or that kind of person based on which country they came from. People are born. Some are born here, some are born there. Some people are lucky to have been born here or there, but that's about all we can say about them. Life is played out differently depending on where they live, but humans are humans. If we could think of ourselves more in those terms rather than in nationalistic terms ( Americans, Egyptians, Koreans, Chinese etc. etc. we might do better as a species...all living on the same planet.
4
"Trump's America" is not my America, and if we truly, as a country, believe in the ideals established at our founding and reinforced for 241 years we have to trust that the strength of those compassionate roots will survive and even thrive after Trump's napalm attack. It takes courage to stand up for what's right, work together to repair the damage done and demonstrate to the world that despite trying circumstances, America, will call out injustice and reject those responsible for fostering it. In the school yard, the business world, local, state and national ballot boxes.
15
Yes, we will survive Trump. We survived all the others.
But, please, Democrats: nominate someone in 2020 who is electable and not just because it is his or her perceived "turn." This man or woman should at least have a sense of humor and seem human at times.
8
Dear John,
We may not survive Trump. No other president of the United States has set out politiciens to destroy the country AND the planet.
And if you are suggesting that HRC doesn’t have a sense of humor, think again what it takes to survive 25 years of Republican propaganda. Impossible without a grand sense of humor and a toughness few could muster.
The wheel of history is turning and I fear we are embarking, once more, on a dark and dangerous passage for those of us who love democracy and liberal values. It may true that we will survive Trump, but the damage he has done already and the possibility of more to come will, inevitably, affect our standing in the world community and the effectiveness of our future foreign policy...assuming we have any...or a State Department, for that matter. The rise of dictatorships throughout the world today is all the more reason to have a strong U.S. administration, committed to the values on which our nation was founded. More than ever we need to be the "beacon of democracy" and of humanistic values. Instead, when the history is written of these turbulent times, it will be noted that the United States was found wanting and had abrogated its responsibilities to the world in a fit of pique...and was led by a would-be dictator itself.
22
I'm afraid the damage is already done. German Chancellor Merkel has said as early as a year ago that Europe can no longer trust in the USA, and that Europe must go it alone. Trump's latest G7 debacle and the attacks on Canada and Germany have driven the final nail into the coffin of the trans-atlantic alliance.
Anti-Americanism is on a steep rise, not least fuelled by that ridiculous clown Trump sent over here as an Ambassador.
Even traditionally America-friendly media are now calling, not only for severing ties with the US gouvernment, some are actually demanding that the German Government implements measures of active resistance to Trump.
3
As long as Trump sits in the oval office, it appears that we are heading toward 'America Over All Else', which is not a good thing. In one measure, to be a great and influential actor on the world stage, any country must not only have the economic, cultural, scientific, political, and military resources, but it must also have the vision, compassion and humility required to work with and at times lead like-minded nations to ensure the common good prospers. The world stage should not be a 'zero sum game'. We fought World War II to defeat that notion and have worked hard since then to create an expanding zone of security and prosperity where all participants can win. Hopefully, in a bit more than 2 years or 4, we can get back to pursuing that vision.
14
I would like to ask the question about why the Republicans held up judicial appointments in the Obama administration and the Supreme Court seat. How could they possibly know or think that their candidate would win the presidency when Hillary Clinton led in the polls or even before there were nominated candidates for president on either side. I think an investigation needs to be done on Republicans in Congress. Were they also colluding with a foreign government which is why they felt comfortable holding up judicial nominations? If Hillary Clinton had won how could they have justified continuing to hold up nominations? Did they have some prior knowledge about knowing the election outcome that is not legitimate? I’m looking at you Mitch McConnell. Perhaps the NYTs should investigate.
46
Leave that to Trump. Otherwise it is funny to see how liberals blame him for conspiracy theories only to fell to the same trap.
For those clinging to the notion that “it can’t happen here,” in one critically important arena, the federal judiciary, Trump is channeling his authoritarian buddies. Gorsuch’s stolen SCOTUS seat is just a glimpse of Trump’s efforts to overhaul U.S. district and appellate courts with right-wing zealots, fabulist jurists and, in dozens of instances, totally unqualified ALEC-selected apparatchiks whose sole purpose is to reverse generations of precedent that have served to protect the citizenry from despotic rule.
In this arena, the Trump regime is doing serious, perhaps even fatal, damage to our independent judiciary.
24
Trump was elected. Focusing on his personal psychology misses the real state of America.
7
You mean that there were enough people crazy enough to vote for him?
2
trump was NOT elected, not by a small margin. our electoral college form of elections was outdated 100 years ago i hope the number "3 million" swirls in trump's head every hour of every day. with hillary, we had civility; with trump, we have sleaze.
But not by the majority of the voters. Keep that in mind.
Less than even odds we "survive Trump." His supporters (incl. McConnell, Ryan and rest of GOP) are hoping he grabs the crown for life. They won't say so now ... but when he makes his ultimate power grab, they'll back it. They have the guns, the police departments, the military. Congress ceded it's authority to the Executive as long ago as Vietnam. Our 'institutions' no longer have the will - or the integrity - to reign in the beast.
8
Trump's vision is of a world ruled by powerful men. Not by consortia of nations working toward a common good, not by elected governments willing to compromise for mutual benefit, and most certainly not by female heads of state. Trump is interested in democracy only insofar as it is a tool to be manipulated to gain power. Should Democratic candidates prevail in the midterm elections, Trump will try to tear down the entire system of elections in the US, claiming massive voter fraud and rigging. This will be followed by calls to postpone the 2020 election "until we know what's going on." Trump's beloved poorly educated voters will willingly buy into this fraud.
4
What a world we have entered w/Trump in the White House, now a very dark and tarnished house along with the country by the actions of the man inside. It is not a surprise, but the rapidity with which Trump has entered the darkness with the latest policy on immigration and entreaties and visits to all those despots he can find to visit. Retreating from alliances w/allies, he now seeks those with whom, apparently, he agrees. He had his henchmen and his followers. We are in very troubled waters and must really be alert and awake to protect our ideals and our country. Or else.
12
When one closely look at at US institutions, whether legislative or judiciary, when one does the same with the average citizen education, one can legitimally questions what the US will turn into after the Donald's era.
4
Everything Trump does is a reaction to his knowledge of his own personal collusion with Russians, and the impending discovery by the Mueller investigation. Everything he does is predicated either to distract or inoculate his base.
8
Guess we all have our dictators we make excuses for because they follow policies we approve of.Example,Mr.Friedman excuses the crown prince of Saudi Arabia,whom not only a dictator by divine right and his military are now killing thousands innocent civilians in Yemen with american weapons.Donald is promoting disputes with Canada,China,Europe and other countries because his desire to create an illusion of supporting american workers not because he is against free trade,remember Donald is a promoter of himself.
12
What about China and Russia? In many ways, Trump likes Xi and Putin fine. Xi has just made himself emperor for life while Putin has been czar forever. Yes. There are fictions with Russia and China because they are strong enough not to kowtow to Trump. However, it is clear that Trump prefer their company over democratic leaders who may "lecture" him. What Trump seems to forget is that autocrats hate to share. When democratic alliances fray enough and when nationalism everywhere burns hot enough, I cannot discount the odds of another global war that human race cannot survive.
2
Spot-on. For me, the paradox in President Trump's behaviour is that it makes perfect sense from an adult developmental perspective, which reveals the inconvenient truth that he is a primitive and unevolved man.
This adult developmental perspective adds a vertical dimension to the discussion, altitude, which is seldom if ever broached in the media.
But this vertical dimension (and I'm only ever talking about levels of development IN people, never levels OF people) is not absent from academic research and debate.
One of my favourite authors here is Harvard's Robert Kegan, who as you may recall has contributed a robust, proven and science-based broad model of adult development that has found wide application in organisational life.
Robert Kegan talks about 5 broad stages or orders of mind that adults can develop through:
1. Impulsive mind (early childhood)
2. Imperial mind (adolescence, around 6% of adult population, including Donald Trump)
3. Socialized mind (around 58% of adult population)
4. Self-authoring mind (35%)
5. Self-transforming mind (1%)
[Please note that I never confuse or conflate a model, no matter how useful, robust or proven it may be, with the person. A human being is always more, and more complex, than any useful model we may apply to gain a working understanding of him.]
Observing over time how President Trump behaves, speaks and 'thinks' then reveals the rather embarrassing truth that the occupant of the Oval Office is basically an adolescent.
19
The self-transforming mind has reached awareness that the human soul itself is software, and thus programable at will.
1
That's the very concept and essence of faith...
More precisely, what we basically have is an incumbent whose developmental altitude has remained stuck at that of the self-centred, pre-rational, pre-moral, pre-legal, pre-truth, pre-compassion, pre-social, pre-diplomatic, just about pre-everything adolescent who speaks through the mouth of a belligerent older man who is therefore incapable of seeing anything other than a world that must revolve around him.
No wonder chaos, discord and disruption results wherever Trump walks, speaks and tweets. From an adult developmental perspective, he is simply incapable of the kind of teamwork, diplomacy or sophistication that a complex globalised world demands. He's in over his head, way over his head, and therefore unfit to lead his country, let alone the free world.
Has anyone noticed that Trump is currying the favor of dictators whose countries offer fertile money-making opportunities for the Trump Organization? It is not coincidental that Putin, Xi and Kim can feather the financial nests of Trump and his family for many years to come.
30
The US has been a force of devastation throughout much of the world. There is very little to recommend it. And Thomas has been an arrogant supporter of its brutality for decades now. The Trump administration is significantly more monstrous than the one's before. Which in no way diminishes the crimes they committed.
2
My dear Mr Thomas Friedman,
I have to let you know that I have been following your columns for years on New York Times and I like the way you voice your sharp opinions in a mild language.
However I hate to tell in this article, you listed four dictators from Turkey, North Korea, Philippines and Egypt but somehow missed the other two from major power: Putin of Russia and Xi Jingping from China.
I realized and to some degree agree many people treat Putin and Xi a bit different from the other four dictators for various reasons. However, those differences, whatever might be, certainly would not qualify Putin and Xi to be anything less than those four dictators. What Putin and Xi have done to their countrymen respectively may appear more polished or sophisticated, are the same in nature what the other four did to their nations, if not more deceivingly dangerous.
17
Trump didn't have to go over-the-top to praise Kim. That was a choice he made and it reveals a lot about him and what moves him. While I'm willing to wait to see what comes next in the negotiations with North Korea, I found Trump's praise disgusting.
I don't know what comes next for the US. Will we see through the web of lies and distortions Trump and his minions have built? Will we vote in November to restrain him? I have hope, but also deep concern that we will fail in this challenge.
13
Vote, vote, vote like your life depends on it in November!
1
Trump is fomenting chaos because he knows what Mueller knows. We can only hope Mueller can publish before more damage is done.
19
We may survive Trump, but it's going to take years before we can rebuild all that he is destroying.
36
I believe the fact that trump and company just withdrew the US from the human rights council says it all. He puts humans he doesn't like, such as Latino immigrants, in non human categories.
11
Friedman doesn’t mention Israel’s killing of protestors in Gaza by Israel, because he himself brushed that off and most Democrats ignored it, nor does he mention US support for Saudi bombing of civilians in Yemen, which has never seemed to interest him. The latter has caused the greatest humanitarian crisis in the world today and it gets only a token mention every now and then, but no sustained outrage, probably because both Obama and Trump had similar policies. As bad as Trump is, he is not as far out of the mainstream as we like to pretend.
5
And our support of Israel right or wrong to satisfy the Apocalyptic beliefs of Evangelicals under this President has caused us to withdraw from any semblance of defending Human Rights, in fact withdrawing from the UN council as we are becoming a country that has its own human rights problems ongoing.
4
"Everything is a transaction: What have you done for ME today?"
For Trump everything is about ME, MYSELF, and I. He is worse than what afflicts a 2-year old - terrible twos as commonly referred to- who begins to see the world only from his/her vantage point for the first time. But eventually every two year old gets over that and develops empathy. Not Trump. For him everything is about ME, MYSELF, and I.
14
WHY are we in Afghanistan and does the US with the largest military budget on the planet NEED Canada to defend it from a small and weak country like Afghanistan?
Do WE need to be defended from Afghanistan or does Afghanistan need to be defended from us?
Caesar had, they say, a servant run beside him in triumphant processionals whose job was to whisper, Caesar, thou art mortal. It was to keep him from the swaggering hubris that would swell his pride until his contempt for truth and other human beings blinded and destroyed him. The Greeks had taught that and the Romans knew it, too--until such monsters as Nero and Caligula, swollen with flattery and cruelty, ignorant tyrants, had to learn it to their and everyone's loss. Monsters in history, which come forth in times such as these, in places like our own.
1
Trump told the world during the campaign who admired and who he thought was weak. He praised Putin for his strenght and he denigrated Obama for his weakness.So this daily pundit driven enlightment that Trumo admires Strongmen is preaching to the choir.Anyone thinking Trump's recent praise of Kim was just buttering him up to get Kim to ditch his Nukes need to think again.When during the campaign Trump told us who he was we blew it off as just campaogn Rhetoric.No one really thought he would win so everybody just sat back and enjoyed the sideshow.When he won everyone sat on their hands wondering when he would become presidental.Trump put the fear of GOD in the GOP and his cabinet. He beats up on his Attorney General and Secretry of Homeland Security and instead of them having some semblance of pride and quit they work harder to please Trump.Have we forgotten Trump called Trudeau weak. Trump was perefectly honest about himself before we pulled the levers in 2016. Trump treated Kim like the son he wished he had.
5
"And their citizens now think that we’re O.K. with that. " There in lies the rub, most of us aren't. In fact I would say the vast majority of us aren't ok with this. But perception trumps reality in the game of mass media. Chaos is the word of the day. The world is in a state of chaos and probably won't improve much tomorrow.
6
It is clear that Trump holds these dictators you have named, as well as Putin, Kim and Xi in the highest of regards. Their subjects must bow down to them, follow them, do what they say or they are, in Trump's TV words - "Fired!" But for them and increasingly for Trump, that means dissenters are put in jail, tortured or having their families suffer. This is Trump's ideal of "leadership" and what he has learned from those men he consistently praises.
5
America has been in moral, financial and physical decline for decades, thanks to corrupt (Reagan/Bush/McConnell) and cowardly (Clinton/Obama/Schumer) leaders. That created the opening for a con man like Trump to accelerate that process.
2
Mr. Friedman, it is difficult right now to worry about Egypt and Turkey because I am so worried about America. We are governed by a president who is enabled by a spineless political party who is supposed to be a check and balance on his power. Our leader has ordered the separation of children from their parents for the crime of trying to find a safe place to live. The people of Egypt and Turkey should be worried for America.
6
One former and one current Trump advisor have both stated the Trump administration’s goal is the destruction of the administrative state. And, let’s be clear, the destruction of the administrative state may sound terrifying, but it does actually sound better than creation of a neo-fascist, white nationalist state, which is a more descriptive label from the evidence of the administration’s authoritarian actions and behavior.
Not only does Trump admire dictators and authoritarians around the world, he is doing a bang-up job of destroying the dignity, the foundational values, the decency of this country. One would expect the USA to stand for the economic prosperity and peace resulting in countries embracing the rule of law, equality, fairness, freedom, and liberty. Not this time. Trump has thrown in with pure evil and he is pulling Congress (through political bribery and the fealty from a circle of obstruction created to protect him) and the rest of us along with him. Let’s remind Congress they do not serve nor do they work for the president. They serve and work for us. Trump’s attack is two-prong - destruction from within and internationally.
Actually supporting Trump’s efforts now to return to oppression, injustice, inequality, inhumanity, and a negation of freedoms is fundamentally un-American.
7
I also am afraid that Trump won't leave office when his term is up, declaring it a sham election. Will we have a military or any government left who will take him out bodily. I would be out on the streets if need be. The question is, will our military open fire on U.S. citizens? Right now, I don't think so but who knows what the situation will be in 2 years.
12
The world is becoming too much like a Star Wars movie and the Empire is striking back and we are all waiting for the return of the jedi
3
The irony in Trump labeling anyone a back-stabber is rich, considering he seemingly approaches every moment in life as another ‘Prisoner's Dilemma’ opportunity, vowing to be the betrayer. Always.
Is this a conscious decision, akin to the George Costanza ‘do the opposite of every instinct’ rule? Or perhaps it is just his nature to do so? I suspect it’s closer to the latter, yet maybe he also actively reinforces his instinctive back-stabbing – even natural liars and cheats aren’t bad all the time, but he seems to pinch himself into line at the slightest inkling of not taking the lowest road possible. He wants to be known as exceptional, and this is one arena in which he seems to have few peers.
The few in the running, however, are all among his cohort of ‘friends.’ There is no honor among these thieves, and I’m certain they all know exactly what his game is; I’m equally certain he doesn’t think so, because he just sees himself as that much craftier than the rest.
What continues to befuddle me, is not so much this despicable attitude and behavior, common to such thugs, but why so many seem drawn to these most egregious examples? Is it self-preservation, perhaps even unconscious, presuming it is better to lick the boot than be under it? Or perhaps jealousy, wishing they could be so successfully awful? I want to believe his followers are not as bad as he is, but it gets more difficult with each passing day.
8
I am not at all convinced that America will survive Trump.
9
There are a lot of folks who support him and his style of leadership.
I know, right? Lowest black unemployment rate ever. Actually trying to enforce our immigration laws. The horror!
A lot of people have supported dictators, Paul, and had nothing but rubble to show for it in the end.
1
I don't know that we'll survive and out-last Trump. It is clear HE intends to criminalize dissent as soon as he can. He's already achieved it in the Republican Party, making it clear that ANYONE who defies him better plan on leaving office. Can you say "Mark Sanford"?
He's overturned a Federal Court's finding of criminal contempt, which I believe is outside the power of the Pardon because it interferes with the Judicial Branch's independence and ability to enforce its decisions. (Where the Constitution has contradictions, the underlying principles must be used to sort it out).
Trump runs his businesses as a capricious and abusive tyrant, which is why so many have failed, and, clearly, he wants to rule the entire Federal government, including the Legislature and the Courts the same way. He threatened to oust Paul Ryan, and, has anyone noticed? He's actually done it, albeit quietly--Ryan's leaving at then end of the year.
And this cruel, illegal and unnecessary action at the border, using babies and toddlers as hostages and pawns is EXACTLY what dictators do. With his Klan-adjacent Attorney General, his useless COS, his creepy neo-fascist "Senior Adviser" and his lying thralls at DHS and I.C.E., what more proof do you need Trump fully intends to upend our Constitution and make himself The Leader?
8
they are literally “criminalizing dissent and debate.”
———-
Turkey, Philippines, Egypt all three have been critical to US global influence in cold war era. The recent addition is North Korea. Let us not forget that in not too distant past, even South Korea was under military dispensation, as was Pakistan and a host of South American and other friends.
Point is, this is not a new phenomenon, interests and profits have often tripped values and morality. Else, Cold war could not have been won.
Trump presidency is surely the lowest point in modern US history, and hopefully we shall overcome this fake news phenomenon sooner than later; and get to be normal and credible again. However, in coping with immediate external threats we need to make do with the cards dealt by our democracy.
Shallow analysis is also a kind of fake news.
Sending troops to fight after 911 was as much in Canada's interests as it was in our own interest and Canada doesn't need our condescending pat on the back for that. As a sovereign nation Canada has an interest in tamping down evil before it gets to Canada's borders. Right now that evil is Trump. Erogan started with the Kurds - then cracked down on the media, took over the judiciary (see Trump's record setting pace of appointing judges), had the police mass arrest protesters. Anyone who thinks this country is not heading in the same direction is not paying any attention at all. Trump is going after immigrants, undermining freedom of the press, planting his nominees in record numbers in the judiciary (thanks to the Repubs holding up Obama's nominees for 8 years), and has respect only for his own freedom of speech. He's announced he has ultimate authority over any investigations into his administration, and even the ability to pardon himself. We are not only living in scary times, we are living under a fascist.
18
Our wanna be dictator has taken a giant step in his found power in regulations. His imprisonment of asylum seekers and the impounding of their children has a chilling feeling of what he may be capable of doing.
Resist! Resist as too few did in those countries with dictators.
18
One of your most accurate observations- Trump does not care about history. It applies to the future as well as the present. Unlike virtually every other President, Trump is not concerned with how his term, hopefully not terms, will be described by historians in future decades. He acts only for the moment, and only for how the action impacts him. We must never again elect a President with such complete disregard for his legacy. Such indifference diminishes the President, but destroys the nation.
17
Michael Posner at NYU is too optimistic about the survival of democracy in the US.
To him I would say It Can Happen Here.
18
To him I say, it is already happening here. If we are fortunate, even if Trump is only a one-, or God forbid, a two-term president, it will be years and years before this country can repair the terrible damage he has done to the US and the world in only 500 days. If we are fortunate.
9
This is the darkest period in world history since the 1930s and 1940s. In that era, American leadership brought the world to a safer place. With our current leadership, we won't.
27
Serendipitously the US quits the Human Rights convention at the same moment it's committing a breach of human rights by separating children from their parents.
Appalled that there might be a political price to pay for this repugnant behavior even the Republican party is starting to panic.
23
One feature of the other side of stories like this, the thing conservatives cite as " a big problem" is the willingness of Germany to accept all the immigrants and what it is doing to their country. But no one looks at what the consequences of doing that or the consequences of embracing and/or ignoring the activities Tom describes in dictatorships around the world.. Leaving people to suffer in places like Syria, Honduras, El Salvador, and Yemen seems like an OK thing to do. After all, we did not directly cause their plight. But supporting those that do and forcefully turning away these pleading for help even if a few bad apples make their way way in with the much larger number of good will also come with a price down the road. But when the price comes due, those having to pay that price won't connect the dots. There will always be a silver bullet, in their minds, to solve the problem. Then we face consequences many will try to blame on someone else. Kind of like blaming the fire department for not putting out the wildfire because that is their job after all. Tossing the lit match into the brush that started it has nothing to do with the conflagration that ultimately results. Because those that enable the behavior don't even see any spark or flame at the end of the match when it all got started.
1
Mr. Friedman,
The world is already a much more dangerous place. When Trump is finally out of office, the damage to repair will require the urgency that West Germany faced when they reunited with East Germany--and then had to shut down 20 or so graphite reactors (Chernobyl-style) within 6 months. The rest of the world has learned it cannot count on us to be there for support.
Trump is right in pointing out that we paid more than our share of international peace efforts, but what he doesn't understand is that was by design--it was parallel to our interests, and we could afford to do it. The result was 70 years of stability at a time when both much higher populations and access of high technology--a great deal of it quite dangerous in the wrong hands--has exponentially increased the potential for man made disaster.
The irony is that given all the communications technology available to ordinary people, so many US citizens actively choose to remain ignorant and only seek out "journalists" who tell them exactly what they want to hear--and what they want to hear is nothing else in the world matters but their feelings.
23
So true. Case in point: I reconnected with a very wealthy and highly conservative friend yesterday who told me how much he admires Trump for “standing up against Vladimir Putin, unlike Obama.” I about dropped my lunch fork in disbelief. This is a well-read, highly educated guy who said this! I for one am not at all optimistic about America’s future and the retention of its institutions when so many Americans are hopelessly brainwashed.
1
Geez Louise! If the Republicans win majorities in both Senate and the House of Representatives then you can forget about American democracy as they have.
42
I am not sure I would agree with Mr. Posner (as cited in the article- I do hope he is right). He said, “we have strong institutions and plenty of people committed to maintaining our democratic processes..." We have the entire GOP (so called conservatives) willingly handing their role to Trump. Courts have been populated with pro-GOP/Trump judges, DOJ is led by a southerner who wants to enforce laws selectively- separate by equal laws in Alabama, FBI being attacked daily, etc. In recesses of America' soul, Trump seems to have found a terribly dark side, and he is working hard to mine and exploit this dark side. At this point, make no mistake that America is a willing partner and supporter of Trump, he is the channel for fear and anger, "he alone can fix it." Demagoguery can easily overwhelmed democracy!
54
My fear is that when the time comes that Trump does away with elections because they are threats to democracy and American greatness, the outrage will only be expressed in Op Eds, editorials, and letters.
Do not for one second assume Trump will leave the Presidency via an election, an impeachment, a resignation. He is raking in money beyond his dreams to be bothered by a a “mere” democratic process.
1984 is 2018.
100
I second this fear. We must do something to stop this potential from occuring. Pray and vote and ...
2
Yes exactly,
If you are not already planning to take to the streets by the tens of millions, then you should be buying a picture of Trump to hang in your living room, so you can say "thank you Emperor Trump" to it every morning.
1
A likely scenario for the premature demise of Trump’s presidency would begin with his base suddenly turning on him. He has already been putting both evangelicals and libertarians under growing strain. A Pence presidency must be looking better to them all the time.
Trump’s base is essentially a “mob” in the old sense of the term. Mobs are by definition fickle. When Trump’s mob turns on him Trump’s backers in Congress follow suit. Under imminent threat of removal by impeachment, Trump then resigns. His successor pardons him for any crimes he may have committed, and he retreats (no doubt declaring victory and swelling with proud self-pity) all the way to the bank.
24
Nice dream. Let me get my book of Revelationd out and see if its prediction of good winning against evil will happen soon enough to save America. I pray for all of us that your dream comes true.
Suggestion: an article on Puerto Rico in this same vein. Its my understanding they can't vote in federal elections but are subject to the draft. Went to Vietnam by boat that included several drafted from Puerto Rico. How many of them on the wall? Yet we are treating this locale as if they are not part of us?
13
They pay no federal taxes, yet draw more benefits per capita than residents of any state.
There's a reason they don't want independence: it would cut off the federal gravy train.
I ought to know. I grew up there.
5
@Helvetico, you answer a question no one asked - the issue has nothing to do with independence, it is how we treat our citizens (as a native, you will know Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens - unfortunately, not all of Trump's supporters are aware of this, however).
You say it's all about the federal dollar gravy train, so let's look at comparable entities within the United States, that are likewise not scrambling for 'independence' as you seem to think should be the case. The top states in terms of federal dollars received per dollar of tax revenue received by the IRS, are almost all red states, nine of the top ten in fact, and southern states especially feed off the federal gravy train. By your logic, South Carolina (the biggest beneficiary) and North Dakota (second) would be declaring independence, if not for their lazy inhabitants who don't want to 'cut off the federal gravy train.' I have that right, don't I, that is your supposed 'logic' here? Oh, but Puerto Rico is an island, which makes it completely different, huh?
What a bunch of rubbish. Thanks for confirming that Republican arguments are invariably nonsense, hiding beneath a veneer of 'common sense' appeal to the uniformed.
Mr Posner says that America will survive Trump. Where does he find his admirable optimism? He says the institutions there are strong but the commander in chief is doing his best at blowing them up or crushing them down while dividing the country into two warring camps. My American friends aren’t as confident as Mr Posner about the future of their nation.
48
There is a question if running on a platform of containing Trump would be effective. A mash-up of his "jokes" may be a shock to his supporters. Fox edits out this kind of humor.
14
158 were killed and 635 wounded, yes, and many more Canadian soldiers suffering PTSD from that conflict, and too many who have put end to their suffering by taking their own lives. This is the sacrifice Canadian soldiers made in support of a once well-governed, well-respected, well-trusted ally. Trump and "Make America White Again" has ruined that high regard.
But Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan were there to serve higher principles than mere ally loyalty ~ the security of Afghan children, the rights Afghan women, access to education, to democratic process and governance. These are principles Canadians have always wanted to believe Americans were fighting for as well; don't fail us, and yourselves, now.
50
Since his first day in office Trump has run the country as if it were his family business. He has run this nation as if he was only responsible for about half of the people. Hundreds of editorials, like this one have recognized his disdain of those who disagree with him and his admiration of dictators. It must be hard to come up with something new to say about a man who each day lies, insults, behaves childishly, and demonstrates a lack of understanding concerning our nation’s history, democracy, or economy. All of this is horrifying but not nearly as disturbing as all those who cheer on his authoritarian tendencies. However long his presidency, they will be here after he has gone.
65
Trump doesn't govern for people at all. He is out to eliminate all taxation on corporations.
1
After rereading Mr. Friedman's column, I took the time to peruse so many fine comments. For the most part, we readers are on the same wave length...disheartened and pretty darn disgusted with this power-hungry, profoundly narcissistic man called Trump. (I refuse to demean the word "President" by placing it next to his name.) But we need to do more than just vent our anxious states, albeit rightfully so. We have got to get moving, do something to rein this man in. We only have five months before the November elections. We have to roll up our sleeves and get to work, folks. We can at least retake the House. Let's do just that!
49
None of us matter to any politician we can't vote for or against.
Mr. Friedman writes of Egyptian police carrying out arrests of activists and mild dissenters. Non-radicalized law abiding citizens, asking questions of the Egyptian government. I also read where the FBI is now investigating the Mayor of San Jose Puerto Rico, Carmen Yulín Cruz. The same mayor who criticized Trump over poor hurricane response from his administration. He calls her nasty on CNN and orders an investigation. Yet another page borrowed from despots and strongmen.
32
Bankrupting people with legal fees is the US way to intimidate.
1
“In America, we’re going to survive Trump,” says Michael Posner, director of the Center for Business and Human Rights at N.Y.U. Stern. “We have strong institutions and plenty of people committed to maintaining our democratic processes."
Really? Once Trump has finished stuffing the Federal judiciary with his toadies, who is going to defend our values? A Republican Congress dependent on gerrymandering and voter suppression?
141
Excellent reply to a not-too-well-thought-out pulished remark, dangerous because quite possibly wrong. Many ordinary Americans are not sanguine about post-trump (if there is a post-trump) recovery.
As climate change accelerates, so does the unraveling of our democracy.
Seems to me that this is part of what is meant by America first in this administration. What happens in other countries matters only to the extent of America's bottom line as he sees it. This is not surprising nor is his admiration of dictators who impose their will by whatever means needed. As he stated during the 2016 election rallies "I like the old days when protesters who spoke out were carried out on a stretcher" Same when speaking to police and Trump called on them to "rough people up more during arrests."
What is surprising to me is that he won the election. It would surprise me somewhat less if he won a second term. I have a greater appreciation of how many Americans either share his views, don't care, or just enjoy watching him play by his own rules and often succeed in getting way with it.
19
Remember DjT was elected by a quirk of the Electoral College, not the popular vote. This fact continues to be a comfort to me. 80,000 people in three states is not representative of our nation as a whole. What we must do is fix the mess of the electoral college and then get the vote out. We will rise up and take back our country through the Constitutional power of the Vote!
1
Trump is a narcissist; that’s one of the most difficult mental illnesses to treat. And the Republicans need to contain him and the damage he’s wreaking. Much is at risk.
40
Tom, the Main Street Media is responsible for ensuring that Trump got elected as he has been very good for the bottom line of every cable news channel as well as every newspaper in the country.
It did not start with his election campaign buit started with his derogatory and conspiracy theory re Candidate Obama being a foreign born (his instigated birther movement) and that President Obama was a secret Muslim and the list goes on. By providing Trump the free publicity to the tune of a few Billions of dollars you created a monster, a Frankenstein that is going to ruin our country, a tolerant, Human Rights Defender, and one with high morals.
2018 is an election year, if we are serious about changing or controlling this Frankenstein we must vote sensible people in office to control the house and the Senate so that we can stop this run on the morals of this country by the Republican leadership in connivance with Trump.
26
Yes, at least the main news feeds need to start calling the president out on his lies. Stop being wishy-washy and state when a lie is a lie.
2
Mr. Friedman, your closing sentence, "If that stands, the world will eventually become a more dangerous place for all of us," is too mild. As long as Trump is president, his policies stand, and our Republic is in mortal danger. When will an opposition leader with backbone arise to call for mass protests until this bigoted, traitorous, self-centered one-man wrecking ball is removed from office? I am willing to march. Tell me when and where, please.
46
"... they are literally “criminalizing dissent and debate.” And their citizens now think that we’re O.K. with that."
"We" (you) apparently *are* OK with it. If trump could get away with midnight round-ups of journalists, activists and liberals he would not hesitate, and 60+ million Americans would cheer him on and flock to re-elect him.
The depth and breadth of Americans' hatred seems to grow by the day. The problem is, those midnight raids are entirely conceivable what with the leaders you have chosen and the very frightening culture that has taken root in your police forces. You're practicing on immigrants now. The big game is yet to come.
I strongly doubt that "America will survive trump." The damage that has been done is considerable already, and he isn't finished.
112
He'll be finished by and by. Would that it would happen sooner!
Yes and with a massive surveillance state under Trump's control they know who is criticizing them.
Remember when I was warning of the NSA copying "EVERYTHING' "and the response of most of you was, "I have nothing to hide?"
We know what Trump is. But what does that make the millions of Americans who voted for him and who still support him and his authoritarian tendencies? I know we are supposed to engage with them and not antagonize them, but they are making it very difficult since they fail to grasp the harm that he is doing to the country and the larger world.
27
It is this simple: “I am sorry Justin, I was having a bad moment. We hold Canada to our heart. She is our kinder, gentler sister. When she speaks we will listen just as she does for us. All things can be managed within a caring family. I will try harder.” Long live Canada: long live liberty.
22
I yearn for the day when Trump can be referred to in the past tense. Can't happen soon enough for me.
33
He'll never shut up no matter where he is.
Trump and Bannon undermine the EU. That Union is not perfect, any more than our own is, but it's what remains of the western shield against Putin. Trump and Bannon support right wing authoritatians in Europe. Any guesses how much Putin loves that?
18
We are not in the category of the mentioned dictators...yet. But the path is being paved. Editorial cartoonist Rob Rogers is a victim of this new construction. Hopefully, this type of road is not in concrete, but it looks like uncivil engineering is in the process.
30
This is what it has come to for America. We are staring into the abyss and the abyss is us. Each day that we allow this man and his administration to demean our founding principles is another day it gets a little more "normal". If there is any hope for our country...WE THE PEOPLE MUST RESIST
34
The way Trump has handled Kim and N. Korea is masterful. It is exactly the kind of approach W Bush should have taken with Saddam Hussein. If Bush just had a beer with Saddam and applied some psychological strategy, imagination, creativity and flexibility, we wouldn't have lost trillions of dollars, thousands of lives, messed up the whole Middle East, tanked our economy and sent American history into an Abyss. When people like Friedman who supported the W Bush strategy complain about Trump "doing it wrong," I shake my head in disbelief.
5
rpe123, how is it masterful? What has Trump achieved with Kim? It is not like we got anything from the meeting with him. And we agreed to stop military exercises with our ally, South Korea. Why didn't you cite Obama and the nuclear deal with Iran which completely achieved it's stated goals of putting a lid on it's nuclear deal? That is success! And Obama never embarrassed our country by lavishing praise on the it`s leaders.
2
The way Kim has handled Trump is masterful. Just the way Xi likes it.
3
Obama's deal with Iran has put a short, temporary lid on Iran's nuclear plans. In the meantime, Iran has been using the money Obama has provided to fund terrorism and continue its goal to wipe out Israel. That is why it is a terrible deal. Obama's deal with Iran has not changed them one bit.
Trump's strategy of using extreme sanctions against N Korea has helped bring Kim to the bargaining table. Trump offers a very big carrot while carrying a very big stick. The big carrot is economic prosperity. Kim has his eyes on that carrot after having been starved for so long. The job is far from finished, but it is on the right track. Ultimately, chances are that Kim will join the rest of the civilized world and slowly adapt his country to our value system. In any case, we haven't spent trillions or lost any lives. What is there to lose?
We take the protections that our bill of rights grants us for granted. We too have had moments where suppression has reared its head but our founders gave us the tools to fight back. Yes we've had issues with human rights abuses towards women and minorities and we've danced with facism but our judicial system is set up for those abuses to be challenged and stopped without retaliation. Our society has always respected the role our judiciary plays in maintaining our freedom.
Other countries haven't been so lucky. Most don't have the luxury of a bill of rights or equal branches of government. Their rulers have been free to oppress any dissent to maintain power.
After WWII we've championed human rights. Yes we've allowed some latitude if it suits our economic agenda but we've called out the truly bad actors. Trump is telling the world that we are becoming more like the bad actors and less like our romanticized vision of ourselves.
Democracy isn't perfect. It's messy and loud. Anyone who thinks that our democracy can't fall isn't paying attention. All it takes is a perfect storm where those who should don't stand up against a wannabe dictator and instead embrace him for their own gain.
I'm saddened by what's happening in Egypt and the Philippines. I hate that my country has grown so callous. I'm grateful for the free press that can still report on such violations of human rights. I'm hopeful it doesn't happen here.
11
Hope is not a strategy. Better -- watch the judicial nominations Trump makes, and let your Senators know you expect them to be concerned as well that our courts are prepared to continue their tradition. Support media that serve their role of serving democracy.... You know,
that sort of thing!
8
Let's not pretend that we don't see what Trump is doing, because it is quite clear. He is purposely destroying alliances and agreements that have been the bedrock of the west since WWII. I won't say why he is doing it, but really it is quite clear who the beneficiaries are. Trump is the manifestation of republican governance where everything is for sale. It is sad how easily we let these people sell off our country for their own ends.
76
I agree that by following the money we get to the truth re motivations for his policies. Trump does it more openly than the last 3 Republican presidents.
10
Scary stuff, indeed.
Before the election, I thought Trump was an important symbol of issues in our country that needed to be addressed, but I thought it impossible that he could be elected.
I was wrong.
After the election, I thought our government and institutions were strong enough, that Trump would be surrounded by people who would teach him how to govern and that everything would be ok, even if the ride were bumpy.
I was wrong.
Now, I believe our Constitution, our judicial system, Congress (if pushed far enough) will step up if necessary to set limits on how far Trump is allowed to go.
I hope I am not wrong.
94
You're batting 1000
With the exception of Kim Jung-un all of the leaders in the photo at the top of your column were elected. Their power stems from the people. Are you having second thoughts about popular democracies or just autocratic leaders? At least in the United States it was not the people who elected our would be autocrat, but the Constitution's Electoral College.
Of course in the United States money plays such an important role in elections. Erdogan, who you call a "real bum" and Sisi, who you feel "should hang his head in shame" and Duterte along with Putin, who escaped your wrath, even Kim are quite popular in their respective countries. So is Trump with his base at least.
There is something rather tenuous about the people's commitment to liberal democracy in many countries these days. You could add Hungary and Poland to your list. Thank goodness for Canada, France, the UK, Ireland, Germany, Holland, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden and the handful of other liberal democracies that are hanging on to the essential values of freedom and justice, some by the skin of their teeth.
In 2009, even in the face of a world wide financial crisis, there was a sense of hope for progress. Now there is a dark ominous cloud on the horizon. What have voters been drinking? What have they been taught about history? Will they wake up before it is too late?
16
Yes, Trump defies anything close to deserving respect, or acting anywhere close to someone deserving to be considered the leader of our nation. Seems Americans should consider his behavior as not unusual, but by now just the norm. No longer do I consider anything he does as abnormal. I have lost interest in him and his position because Congress is no different, and they have clearly told the world they intend to remain weak politicians interested only in their bank accounts, their political power, and their partisan politics. Money has clearly destroyed democracy. Politicians are easily bought. Just look at Trump's face and do you not see the arrogance of our government. The rest of the world clearly does.
12
Trump is transactional. I know how I will conduct my transaction in November. I only hope it is counted correctly.
52
Trump's a fragile sociopath - and the people who unflinchingly support him are so fragile in their own self-esteem that they'll jail children in order to elevate their own status. If America is going down the tubes, it's because the American people are going down the tubes.
94
This is the crucial truth.
Prime Minister Trudeau pushed back exclusively against President Trump's illegal steel and aluminum tariffs. The dairy subject was something Trump brought up separately to confuse the issue.
44
There are not enough sycophants in this world to feed his soul. His comment about “my people” says it all. He wants to run this country like he ran his businesses - right into the ground.
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And he found the lowest common denominator
to run down...a government who’s people long ago stopped caring about.
2
I love your article and agree with your assessment. How do you know that Justin Trudeau "mildly pushed back"?
2
I live for the day Trump is no longer in the White House, the day that we won't need to hold our collective breaths, one disaster after another, no letting up. It will take decades to clean up the mess of this presidency.
45
Hold your horses! How many right wing justices has Trump appointed? Where will Chuck Koch be on the day Trump departs. Do search on line for information on the opposition Koch puts up to light rail and other public transport systems.
You have given clear voice to the way I feel.
Even the resistance group I belong to is dispirited.
We are all in our late sixties and have known America in better moments.
The loss of our standing in the world hurts beyond words. The abuse of Hispanic children is inexplicable. Whatever my generation failed to do, whatever I failed to do, that has allowed a rat into our precious pantry is something for which I appologize.
1
The African American theologian Howard Thurman wrote that evil, which has a appetite for destruction, many times succeeds until it finally destroys itself. Our President's narcissism and lust for power will finally prove to be his undoing. (It perhaps already has as we await Mueller's report.) We have to keep working to check Trump's excesses and hope that the world that is burning now can again be set right -- or at least righter than it is now. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
13
Since Trump does not give his Office the respect it deserves, neither does he give any allied leader the respect that they deserve -- even if they might be in disagreement -- I am at a complete loss as to why anyone on this earth gives Trump any respect whatsoever. We need an Al Swearengen to explain the facts of life to Trump, or at least give Trump an equally bad day as he strives to give to others. Swearengen has a suitable, oft-used British description which sums up Trump perfectly, to the final T.
14
Trump's deep-seated, controlling pathological insecurities will always cause him to emulate and favor being in the company of the world's most ruthless, brazen, autocratic thugs. That he now occupies the Office of the President, but conducts himself as if he is the head of some tawdry crime family, is profoundly unsettling and historically tragic.
The American public is being held hostage to the erratic, dangerous whims of an emotionally crippled and thoughtless narcissist. He is incapable of change. At this point, he must be contained by broad-based Democratic victories in the midterm elections, thwarting as many of those future authoritarian impulses as possible. Such an outcome would rank as one of the country's finest hours, in its committed resistance to a incipient despot.
27
What Donald Trump's embrace of the "hard guys" around the world reminds me of the hoods' congress in the first "The Godfather" film. They were all their to carve out their territories and to exact tribute from perceived weak or crippled regimes.
There's something that's otherworldly in the American president's disrespecting Germany's Angela Merkel; France's Emmanuel Macron; Canada's Justin Trudeau. He has annoyed Australia's Malcolm Turnbull and Britain's Theresa May, not to mention Mexico's Enrique Peña Nieto. Of these countries, only Mexico failed to dispatch military aid to America in fighting Operation Enduring Freedom. Only Turkey, among Trump's BFF's allowed America to use its airspace for refueling. Even Russia and Poland provided soldiers; Egypt provided a field hospital. No Philippines; no North Korea.
The current line-up of authoritarian states that seem so attractive to the American president speaks to some deep-seated need for affirmation. Perhaps the leaders of our allied countries saw through the thin disguise. Trump telegraphed his intentions for 15 months before being elected. None of them could have been taken by surprise. Stalwart Japan and its prime minister, Shinzo Abe, have skidded on a road slick with slipper patches.
Trump's Nation "has no sense of responsibility to anything beyond itself,” writes Robert Kagan, whom you quote, Mr. Friedman. This is the rot that eats at the core of our national values.
The acid is turning us away from goodness.
30
I will not argue with any of Trump's aspirations and ambitions as written about in this column. He emulates dictators. He confuses thuggery and suppression as strength. He must have total control over us and this nation of ours. There is no other way as far as he is concerned..he is omnipotent and omniscient, so he thinks. But, Mr. Friedman, we have a huge problem here. Right now, no one is willing to stop him. He is out of control, and we are allowing it. The more we protest, the firmer his stance becomes...to whit, his utter cruelty and ruthlessness toward those young immigrant children living in tents, vacant buildings, large cages. Pure and simple he is the epitome of evil. And no one, absolutely no one, is standing up to him. We have a legislative branch that is capable of reining Trump in. We have a way out, but then again we don't, not without a Congress willing to live up to their responsibilities. We are a country of cowards who are saying to this horrible specimen of a so-called man, "You win. Take us. We're yours. Amorality reigns."
31
An insightful and thought-provoking piece, as usual. Apparently, however, nothing will provoke the thoughts or the consciences of the president and his GOP enablers.
On the very day that the US has withdrawn from the United Nations Rights Committee (a move which I applaud, on the grounds that many members are transgressing rather than supporting human rights), the United States is abusing the human rights of minors crossing its border.
Is it any wonder that many of those transgressing countries are scornful of this apparent hypocrisy. In all of the ways that Mr Friedman has outlined, Trump is leading the United States down the very path that his administration says it is against.
At best, the UNRC announcement was exceptionally bad timing. Apart from promulgating appallingly bad policies, they seemingly can't (as we put it in Australia) manage a booze-up in a brewery.
11
The country is sick and tired of regime change wars and that is why Trump is in the white house.
Democracy is not for every country and a benevolent dictator is often better than corrupt democratically elected leaders. Not every person whose basic needs are to be fulfilled can truly appreciate democracy.
It is very simple why democracies are full of corrupt politicians. In a democracy, to be a representative of your region you have to contest elections and to run for elections you need money lots of it and to raise money by hook or by crook you are signing of i owe yous to your donors and when you get elected those i owe yous come due. This pay for play is what keeps democracies floating.
A breath of fresh air is Trump has not started new wars and he has diminished nuclear threat. What has changed in the 500+ days of Trump. The world is beginning to be a better place with significantly less bombardment of civilian homelands and therefore less misery and migration. America is not policing the world as it has done during the Bush years in Iraq and Afghanistan and in Libya, Yemen and Syria during the Obama watch.
Trump has reduced loss of all innocent lives especially Muslims, who saw the biggest losses during the Bush and Obama years.
Democracy should reform and try to elect selfless incorruptible representatives responsive to the people or else it is no better than dictatorship and who are we then to force a regime change at an enormous cost.
2
There is nothing benevolent about the dictators Trump is protecting.
14
Woodyrd from colarado. Be happy they are not your dictators but dictators of their respective countries and have kept law and order and essential needs of their people albeit with an iron hand. Do we as in US want to pay the same price we paid for costly regime change wars to get rid of dictators Saddam, Gaddafi and attempt to get rid of Assad? You are missing the point. These dictators in in one tough neighborhood where democracy has zero chance of thriving and anarchy will be more of a likelyhood. Think out of the box and not like the Bushes who brought upon our country the Iraq war.
GK: I agree with you in that I don't approve of regime-change wars or of our habit of dropping bombs to make a point. I also agree that our present democracy is severely hampered by the need for candidates to raise vast sums of money. I'd also add that the electorate is mostly disengaged, checked out of the political process most likely because we are aware on some level that we are not being represented.
All that being said, I strongly disagree with your suggestion that the current administration is addressing these issues effectively (to put it mildly). To fix our democracy, we must publicly fund elections, vastly strengthen corruption laws and enforcement, implement national programs to build engagement and get people out of their social media bubbles - remind them that they are countrymen, not enemies.
I also want to let you know that I think it's very sad that you state that some can't "appreciate" democracy. All around the world people are asking for equal rights and the rule of law, even in very poor nations, and you're saying no?
There seems to be no boundaries for Trump, I wouldn’t be too surprised if Trump tries to make himself a dictator like Kim and Putin and the others. The saddest thing is that a significant percentage of our population would probably support him. The brutal dictators in this article are seemingly the only people Trump doesn’t rail at.
15
If you want to know what Trump really thinks listen to his 'jokes' and take them seriously. He 'jokes' that he had Kim Jong Un's power as a dictator to make his people, all of us, come to attention at his every decree and this is true for every journalist or politician that does not toe his line. If he had his way his political opposition, Hillary Clinton, would be rotting in jail just because she was a she and a democrat. Emails be damned. Any excuse would do. Attacking friends who fight to remain democracies is also what dictators do.
Giving Trump the presidency, his greatest fantasy, makes the punch line of Trump's 'jokes' possible and that is terrifying.
25
All dictators - and aspiring dictators like Donald Trump - are malignant narcissists...bad seeds hellbent on seeing themselves in a sky-sized giant mirror hiding a scene of national manmade horror, destruction, poverty and dystopia behind it.
Malignant narcissists see themselves as "very special" people, deserving of praise and they have difficulty empathizing with the feelings and needs of others.
The few times that Daycare Donnie has truly perked up and 'empathized' was when he met other dictators, Putin, Kim Jong un, Xi Jinping, etc. and proceeded to drool all over the floor with love and affection.
Trump said the North Korean dictator "loves his country very much" and "he’s got a very good personality, he’s funny, and he’s a very smart negotiator. We had a terrific day and we learned a lot about each other and our countries."
At the signing ceremony, Trump said that it was an "honor" to meet the murderous Kim, and asserted that the two countries had developed a "very special bond"...of dictator worship, apparently.
"His country does love him" said Trump."His people, you see the fervor. They have a great fervor.”
Fervor...fear...famine...what's the difference, Donny ?
"Well, he is very talented" Trump said. "Anybody that takes over a situation like he did at 26 years of age and is able to run it and run it tough".
Yes, Donald, it's always impressive to see the family dictatorship business handed down to the next family dictator.
November 6 2018
Flush the toilet.
553
Could the 25th Amendment be a much quicker and cleaner solution? A big November victory would be great, but even that may not mean impeaching or adequately restraining Trump, processes that would take months.
7
There is predominantly one group of people who can make a difference on November 6, 2018.
That group is comprised of Republican moderates, Republicans who don't want to see this radical embrace of dictators, and who still want to see America in a world leadership role as a democratic force and a voice for decency.
The bases of both parties might very well be "a wash" in terms of voting totals. But the suburban moms who might have pulled the lever for Trump, the independent who thought "let a businessman throw a grenade into the Washington establishment and we'll see if that works" must be outraged or seriously disturbed by the current WH occupant, or else 2018 and 2020 can be lost.
The Democratic base along cannot do it. Those in congress must either be standing up, or voters have to start getting seriously ticked, or there is no hope.
5
I can't wait to see his gold-leaf statue set up in the town square
3
Using that definition of dangerous dictator, Netanayhu belongs in the photo. Another of Trump's buddies.
So do the new leaders of Colombia and Honduras, both installed with a lot of help from the US.
In fact, many on the list were installed with a lot of help from the Obama Admin, and from Sec of State Hillary, like Sisi of Egypt. Obama sent Special Forces to help Duterte kill enemies in the Philippines.
The neocons of the Washington Blob (including Friedman) have done a lot of damage of exactly this kind for a long time. If Trump is going along, he is going along with them, not off on his own.
We should not have done it. We should not do it now. But to see Friedman complain about it is really shockingly hypocritical. It is as if he were to say we should not have invaded Iraq. Oh, Erdogan said that, and Friedman bashed him for it.
14
Trump appears to be consolidating power. If he can protect the gerrymanders in the midterm elections and win re-election, he'll have enough time to transform the judiciary into a compliant body willing to rule according to political expediency rather than a just interpretation of the law. The trade war and border closure doctrines are tools for winning those two elections. To resist this trend requires prioritizing the ability to neutralize our gut reactions. Can we as a nation act in favor of civility while being barraged with invitations and demands to abandon our self-control? That is the level on which this contest will be decided.
38
Trump may currently occupy the White House but please don't refer to this country as Trump's America. Trump is like a kid who steals your car for a joyride and when he's done leaves the car on the side of the road and moves on. Like the car thief, Trump has no interest in what happens after his joyride in the White House is over. He'll just move on and probably have a big laugh about all the crazy stuff he did with our country. Hopefully, when we retrieve our country from Trump after he's done playing with it, the damage he caused will not be too difficult or costly to repair.
18
You seem to forget the 40 million bigots, racists and deplorables behind Trump. They will not be going away anytime soon, they are the true enemies of any semblance of a just, compassionate America.
22
NCN: I didn't say that Trump stole the country on his own. He had plenty of help. But 40 million bigots racists etc. don't control this country unless we let them.
Mr. Friedman, before we talk about fraudulent elections in other countries we need to ask why has the process of counting votes in this country been set up for concealment. It has been outsourced to a handful of private, rightwing companies that count the votes in secret with proprietary software. There's a vast amount of exit poll data which indicates that some election results are "statistically impossible," and pattern evidence such as exit poll discrepancies appearing in competitive elections but not in noncompetitive races.
Election integrity expert Jonathan Simon says that our vote-counting system is no different than the “man behind the curtain.” If we gave our ballots to a man wearing a magician's costume and a pin for his preferred candidate, he then goes behind the curtain to tally the votes, he comes out and says I’ve counted the ballots, shredded them and announces the winner would you trust the result?
Harper’s Magazine: How to Rig an Election https://tinyurl.com/y9xx63f6
"It is Germany, however, that has now become the standard-bearer for clean elections. In 2009, that nation’s constitutional court upheld the basic principle of the public nature of democratic elections. By ruling that the vote count must be something the public can authenticate—and without any specialized expertise—the decision directly challenged the use of computers in elections.”
Other democracies count their votes by hand. It’s the gold standard.
173
Why has this issue been buried in our public discourse?
2
RLS
You have no idea what you are talking. Volunteer as a poll worker in your community and watch the process for your self instead of taking the word of a self proclaimed "election integrity expert" I have volunteered as a poll worker in my community. The process of counting votes is time consuming because of the built in checks and balances. Who would you think qualifies as the "public" to audit a states' election process. When would an audit be justified when one of your guys does not win?
You forgot Vladimir Putin in your long list of dictators Donald trump loves. Why Trump is reaching out and praising dictators may be a strategy, that is what his advisors claim. They say Trump believes he can use his personal charm and negotiating skills to forge ties to despots ostracized by previous presidents, and thus bring them to his way of thinking. I am not sure it is working, it is a bad strategy and may prove to be dangerous in the long run.
20
At Tehran (or was it Yalta?) FDR assured Churchill that he could charm Stalin into cooperating with the West in the post-WWII order.
We know how well THAT worked out, for the next half-century...
11
FDR died before WWII ended. The new president, Harry Truman, wasn't able to use the charm offensive on Stalin.
FDR did nothing of the sort. He, and Churchill more strongly,knew who Stalin was. The Soviet Union annexed the territory it took from Hitler in a medieval conflict. It felt entitled to it and the US was not going to start WWIII in 1945-46 to kick the Russians out
Love the rogues gallery. What is most obvious in all the photos ??? The overwhelming, preening arrogance. Lesson number one in " Dictatorship for Dummies ". Just saying.
24
Trump needs to be impeached immediately. He's a monster set loose on the world. I have never in my very long life seen a president who is so unhinged, so dangerous, not only for us, but the world. All of this in a matter of mere months. What will it be like if he finishes his term? Congress, please, do your duty. Start impeachment procedures now.
238
The sad thing is no move will come from the GOP, he is their president after all and no movement from the Democrats because Trump is hurting the GOP with his stupid ideas and the way he is administrating the USA...
1
One is forced to conclude from Tom’s column that he believes strongly that Trump’s job is to confront dictators bellicosely, regardless of the need for America to work with their societies to obtain what WE need from THEM, and to contribute to general global geopolitical stability. However, a global Realpolitik is developing that concludes that we can’t change the world by such bellicosity but merely, where at all, by our example. I’ve been a subscriber to that Realpolitik for a long time, and plainly so has Trump.
However, in my cynicism about political motivations, I can’t help but suspect that if this tolerance of what after all are the decisions taken by other societies was displayed by Barack Obama or by just about any president OTHER than Trump, Tom would find sense in the tolerance in aid of practical movement forward.
Trump clearly has concluded that it’s become too expensive to America’s posterity to perpetuate this system whereby we ARE the SOLE “upholder of last resort of global rules and human rights”, when our allies depend on that premise to invest so little themselves in the nuts-and-bolts of defending the liberal order, depending on us to pay for it while they build and maintain robust social safety networks that benefit only their own people with the redirected funding. Clearly, THAT’S Trump’s primary target. The wedge …
5
… into this issue is trade and the subsidies we have granted our allies for over 70 years (see today’s op-ed by Jochen Bittner, “What Trump Gets Right About Europe”, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/19/opinion/trump-tariffs-trade-germany-e..., but the issue itself is much broader. This conversation will require years to conclude, but it MUST result in a fairer, re-configured alliance where our allies participate to a far greater, less-subsidized degree, both in paying to defend our shared values and in defining the means by which we JOINTLY defend those values.
The conversation will be heated, because with trade economic interests are involved, and even more so the RE-re-directing of funding to Euro-defense, which risks social disruption as their social safety nets must be re-thought to generate the funding necessary to more robustly help defend the free world. It’s complex and heated, and it won’t be done in six months. But it had to start to ever succeed as it must; and Trump, unlike any OTHER president, has jump-started that conversation.
In Egypt, as in other societies where suppression is hardly unknown (for a looong time), the extent of popular suppression compelled social upheavals – and neither Mubarak nor Morsi were laggards in suppressing dissidents. If it becomes bad enough, el-Sisi will reap the whirlwind as well. Trump has concluded that we can’t be much more than spectators, and that nations must determine their own fates. I agree with him.
1
More backward rhetoric straight from the Fox morass. This is not an economic issue. This is a human rights issue. Heed the obvious warnings, my friend. Your president Trump is a dangerous, unhinged, uninformed bully who lusts after fascists and dictators and fancies himself to be one. Why do so many [white] American males, both young and old, have a pathological desire to be dominated by their elected leader? This bizarre fascination with so-called "strongmen", (now) in the USA and (formally) abroad, is both sad and sickening and would be a grand source of humor were it fiction.
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I am amazed, Richard, that you can impute such sophisticated motivations and tactics to someone who I doubt knows of the concept of Realpolitik--or who could even spell it.
"Trump clearly has concluded" is a phrase that's guffaw inducing on a number of levels.
I have a couple of psychology degrees, and all I can say is your analysis may apply to some politician somewhere, but when you apply it to Trump, you're likely projecting.
66
He wants to BE a Dictator, for life. The best one word description for TRUMP : Monster. Seriously.
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"...Trump is that he seems to prefer dictators to our democratic allies everywhere...."
If you negotiate with dictators, they an get things done quickly. Not the same with your average EU member.
1
And when you sleep with dogs, you wake up with fleas.
21
There is a good reason Trump likes "the uneducated." And, why he prefers to surround himself in his businesses with people who are "not as smart as he is."
Everyone else can see right through him. The emperor not only has no clothes, he has no respect for human rights.
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"How many Canadians were killed or wounded since April 2002 fighting alongside Americans in Afghanistan? The answer: 158 were killed and 635 wounded."
Trump doesn't care. Not one bit. Doesn't care about the 455 dead from the U.K or the 86 from France. Does Trump care about ANY of the 3549 coalition killed including the 2411 Americans?
Seems unlikely After all, a man who would say "I like people who weren’t captured” about an American war hero, attack a Gold Star family, and lie to get a medical deferment to avoid the draft, can't think much of people who die fighting for their country, American or ally.
It is always important to remember that Trump is not just a bad president, he is a bad person. awful to the core. Is there any surprise that such a person praises murderers like Putin, Duterte, and Kim Jong-un? Is there any surprise that he insults allies who, just by their example, expose him as ignorant, weak, and malignant?
Dictators rejoice. Not because there is an "isolationist" or "pragmatist" in the White House. But because character matters. Because they recognize a fellow traveler when they see one.
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An addition to the list of the dead Trump doesn't care about; Several thousand American citizens in Puerto Rico.
2
"By the way, Canada? They like to talk," Trump said. "They're our great neighbor, they fought World War II with us, we appreciate it. They fought World War I with us, we appreciate it."
Trump's line seems to say, "but what have they done for us lately?" This article resoundingly answers that in the first paragraph.
3
I fail to see why we gloss over the greatest dictatorship of them all, which is China. (and with a fifth of the world population) China just ratified into law, that Xi Jinping can continue his totalitarian ways for life.
We must also keep this in context, that this President (and family) are making all sorts of personal deals for millions (that we know of, which there might be so many more we don't - NO tax returns) while official policy of the United States is being conducted.
We also don't know how all of this is tying into the North Korean talks, and why all of a sudden this President would escalate their leader for essentially nothing in return.
Then there is of course Russia, with their KGB head and all of the oligarchs that have attacked the United States (and continue to do so ?) while this President does nothing.
It is much more than just a wave. It is a big sloppy kiss !
30
More and more it appears that the president’s 2016 campaign chant to his supporters, “lock her up”, was no mere campaign hype to belittle his opponent. He is mesmerized by the world’s dictators and their authoritarian rule over their citizens. These tyrants have used fear and bloodshed to silence any semblance of dissent. Missing from this line-up is Bashar al-Assad but no matter. Al-Assad doesn’t brook any dissent in Syria.
In America, at least for now, all the president can do is decry the “fake news” that he claims is out to destroy his presidency. The Fourth Estate in the US is under attack by this man, as are the democratic foundations of the republic. He belittles and demeans police and intelligence agencies as enemies of his administration and of the American people. He interprets the rule of law as a personal organ that he expects will work for him alone. He scorns the Constitution because it happens to be a document of checks and balances on absolute power, which is what he craves.
The president’s boast of getting away with shooting someone in public is not idle braggadocio. He is clearly showing disrespect for law and order and considers himself above the law and being held accountable for any offense. He is daring the police, the law and the penal system to prosecute him or to bring him to justice. His disdain for the FBI is clearly rooted in his warped mindset.
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@silver
You lay out the argument with great detail that is irrefutable, however, keep in mind that a lot of what the President does/tweets is to keep us from not thinking about Mueller,
That is when the rubber is going to hit the road.
28
apologies to a “disagreeable man"
Vladimir Putin, Trump does not see as an enemy,
He wants him as a partner, views it as a remedy,
T’will end intrusive hacking, with loans from Russian banks,
Enabling Trump to undertake a slew of hanky panks.
He’s very fond of little Kim, dictators he adores,
A role he’d love to carry out right on his native shores,
His ego has metastasized, his base swallows it whole,
But many others are convinced the Donald has no soul
And he can’t think why.
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Sure, Trump admires dictators. They're everything he wants to be: in total control, fearsome, the center of attention, accountable to no one.
And so it's no surprise that he likes to be in their company. Dictators project the image Trump wants. Plus, they speak the same language and, to boot, have no standards in mind for Trump to speak.
Well, we can't change the world's strongmen.
What's scary is how much of the American public have come to normalize Trump's conduct and authoritarian leanings. And don't take for granted that he'll be kept in check, either. If he will take the liberty of shattering children, and then lying about it, at what would Trump stop?
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@NM
I have to push back a little on ''the American public'' have normalized the President. (keeping in mind he got 3 million less votes, and the votes he did get, many were for a selfish tax cut)
Having said that, some republicans (some) are starting to come around (thinking it will help them in getting reelected in November) and push back. Some are even starting up legislation. Of course, I am cynical about them, but it might just be the daylight needed to really push back on everything.
Of course, the firewall is us. We can vote for change.
8
NM,
I don't think it's so much that he admires dictators as he sees himself as one. He's spent his entire life as the boss of a private company where he's had to answer to no one. He's been able to lie, cheat, fire, and sue his way through life. For the first time we have a thug as president.
27
Hi FunkyIrishman,
I hope that the resistance makes its full force felt, and soon!
I totally appreciate that it was a minority that elected Trump and a minority who approves of him. But finding him get any support, despite all he’s shown himself to be, kills me.
Let’s hope that perpetrating evil upon innocent kids is a bridge too far for Republicans.
Thanks, as always, for writing.
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Let's peer into Trump's mind. This is a place devoid of logical deduction and factual information. It is the realm of Trump. This is a place that exists to feed the ego of Trump.
Trump doesn't just idolize these brutal dictators, he worships them. They are everything Trump's deep dark psyche has always wanted to be. They are the ultimate extension of what Trump's narcissism pushes him toward.
Trump fancies himself as some kind of king. He views members of his administration not as public servants, but his servants. They are members of his royal court.
His second, Mike Pence fits in perfectly. Instead of wanting power, Pence wants subservience to his king. Watching a grown man, who occupies such a high office, absolutely debase himself in public is humiliating to watch. He is the perfect foil for Trumps dictatorial needs.
Trump has turned on our closest friends and allies, not for any strategic purpose, but because they don't feed his need to associate with truly powerful men. (Women need not apply in Trump's ego realm). He doesn't need our allies. He needs the dictators.
The result will be the empowerment of dictators worldwide to the detriment of the liberal world order. Democracy is so inefficient. Authoritarianism rocks! The administrative state is dead. Long live the King!
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@Bruce
Please stop scaring me.
13
@Bruce -- I don't think it's a stretch to compare the president to the late Idi Amin, the Ugandan butcher who destroyed his country and its economy and was considered a thughish buffoon by world leaders. I wonder how his white nationalist and Confederate supporters would feel about the striking parallels between their hero and his black clone from the past.
2
"They are everything Trump's deep dark psyche has always wanted to be."
I'd only comment that this objective is not "deep' in his psyche. It is the totality of his psyche and has been very much on the surface - for his entire useless life.
Those who think a dictatorship could never happen here are breathtakingly naïve. Trump has nearly consolidated absolute power. And enough American citizens will ensure that he keeps this power. A large, rabid minority is all he needs. The parallels between white Americans now and Germans of the early 1930's is eerie. The resentment, the feeling that their problems were the fault of people "not like them". Trump knew demonizing brown-skinned peoples was a winning strategy. He tells his base that the KKK and neo-Nazis are some very fine people. This language isn't "accidental". He must continue to feed the beast. His white base always needs to hear that they're the "true" Americans.
So consider this scenario. Trump has already set up internment camps for Hispanic infants and children who have been stripped from their parents. Then, November 2018 gives Democrats slim control of the House, but since Republicans will have control of the Senate, Trump will still be untouchable. His followers will grow more extreme, as they've shown in the past eighteen months. He will cancel all elections, claiming they are "rigged" against him. He has the Supreme Court votes to do so. We saw five Justices toady to his Muslim ban. He'll continue his vicious lies about minorities (including citizens), and continue to set up camps for them. By then, the rest of us will be too afraid to speak out. Since Trump has made our nation a pariah, we'll be very much alone. And I hope to God I am wrong.
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@Donegal
Decaf is the answer. There is no way that the Supreme Court authorizes a cancellation of elections, nor would any general take a command in relation to any coup.
Aye, I believe that Liberals take control of the house and the Senate, but not with a super majority to convict/impeach. The President at that point will essentially be neutered and many (including republicans jockeying for position post this President) will simply wait out the 2 years. ( That is of course barring what Mueller comes up with)
We shall see. I am more than positive (as you know)
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Me too
7
I believe it is time for a General Strike demanding that these camps be closed down and the children returned to their parents forthwith. Morality obligates us to act.
2
As I sit in bed writing this note, I can’t help but think “who am I, just one man?” Given the daily barrage of unbelievable and unimaginable news, where do we start?
Maybe today is the day. Maybe today is when all Americans of conscience decide to do something.
Maybe we need a national day of work stoppage. Maybe we need to protest congress. Maybe the journalists who attend the White House briefings with Sarah sanders need to call her out on her lies. Maybe they should just stop showing up.
If anyone reading this has an idea where to start, for all of us, please let me know.
It needs to stop. Now.
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Many, many voices will be heard - hopefully sooner rather than later. Don't just talk to us, most of us agree with you. Contact your representatives via phone, email, paper letters ON EVERY ISSUE. Be a drippy faucet. It all starts at the community level, so even doing the smallest thing to help a local organizing group always helps. EVERYONE must do what they can.
5
I agree with your ideas. Imagine if Sarah was called out...imagine if journalists didn’t even bother to go to those briefings to hear the lies. Imagine if for one day, the networks did not cover anything but positives. Heroes, Good Samaritans, young people doing extraordinary things in their community. We need a day of goodness to remind us all, through comparison, of how absolutely wrong this president is about so many things.
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Veritas, I've come up with a simple scale of political engagement to answer that question. Everyone can choose how they want to participate.
1. Don't care, don't even vote.
2. Silent voter, but don't get more involved.
3. Vocalist - Vote and be public with your point of view. NY Times commenters qualify.
4. Supporter - Vote, speak, and donate.
5. Activist - get involved directly in a campaign or issue.
6. Serve - run for office.
I'm currently an Activist, having founded a movement to amend the Constitution and helping a candidate for Congress.
Change happens when lots of people climb this ladder.
2
It's long been a point of pride for Canadians that we and The United States share the longest undefended border in the world. For most of this distance of three thousand plus miles there aren't even any natural obstacles to crossing such as the Rio Grande provides between the US and Mexico. But lately, crossing legally at border points, Canadians returning from the US are being subjected for the first time ever to exit inspections, interrogations, and, in some cases detainment for further investigation. This is more than an affront - it is a provocation demanding of an equivalent response - something that will only further worsen relations between our countries. In the meantime more Canadians are making the decision every day not to visit their friends and vacation in the US for the foreseeable future. That's some president you elected to represent your best interests. Really unbelievable, as he might say.
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There are a lot of us boycotting american goods as well as travelling there. So many other welcoming and inspiring places to visit.
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Leigh, I agree with your sentiment totally, but just a note. Some of the rudest and most officious border agents I have seen are on the Canadian side of its border with the US. Not all, but it took me by surprise how "American" some of them seemed.
1
Leigh, this native born U.S. citizen supports you, your friends and neighbors there in Canada, 110%.
2
I was nodding in agreement while reading the bulk of this op-ed until I got to the next to last paragraph - '...In America, we're going to survive Trump ...'.
No, sorry to say, we are not, at least as a septuagenarian, not in my remaining days on Mother Earth. The damage this man has done and is doing in months, and with almost two years remaining in his term, will take decades to unravel, if ever.
My main underlying reasoning - Trump has opened many supposedly healing scars of this nation, the worst of which is racism. If one can believe the polls, with an overall approval rating of upwards of 40%, and a party rating somewhat higher, to me this means somewhere north of 50,000,000 citizens hold animosity to folks who do not look like themselves. And therein lies the still uncured disease.
We could/should have learned an historical teaching moment a long time ago. When Lincoln was running for Illinois state Senator, his house divided against itself cannot stand speech is the basis for my pessimism. Yes, we survived that trauma, sort of. But that was a time when globalization was not even a glint in America's eye.
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I agree wholeheartedly Gardener. I can't help but feel sorrow and fear for those from whom, even if they survive Trump's term(s), are living through a period when all that they spent a lifetime working for and believed in is being ripped away. Their health and well being attacked through programs and removal of rights (such as for class action suits against those who abuse them).
My mother, now 82, has been a small business owner and a life long Republican who does not recognize the party of the people who stand for it. She cannot relate to the party would see her die in the gutter and only ask that she do so quietly and not to leave a mess.
She expected to pass on with the idea that America will continue to endure, prosper, and improve. She fears for her children and their children and so on. This has been very depressing and the idea that she won't live long enough to see us recover is very distressful.
Don't be to discouraged, I thought Obama was destroying the country and doing irreparable harm. It has only has taken a year for Trump to destroy Obama's legacy. FYI it has nothing to do with race or racism, it has everything to do with Making America Great Again.
And as an octogenarian who finds in DT the quintessential Republican president, I totally agree that survival of the country and the planet are in jeopardy.
If Democrats fail to take both houses of Congress in 2018, it may well be that our goose, the one that laid the golden egg, is cooked. And the planet may follow. Why, oh why, couldn’t we grow up? Why do we have to reinvent the wheel just to prove we can? (Riding on new trains in Poland, so much like TGV in France, could not help wondering,why we couldn’t have borrowed the technology and have such fine public transit. But the simplest safest railroad technology is, of course, unacceptable because it wasn’t invented in America.)
Donald J. Trump is the most dangerous man in the world. His support for authoritarian leaders and every right-wing party in Europe is part of the vision for a new “New World Order” consisting of a loose alliance of authoritarian, oligarch controlled nations whose internal support comes from the aggreived, frightened, racist, and authority-worshipping parts of their various populations.
His daily spew of lies about , say, “high crime rates in Germany”, coupled with his daily attacks on journalists as purveyors of “fake news”has neutralized any chance to erode his hard-core supporters that will, no doubt soon start floating conspiracy theories about “faked” recording of crying Salvadoran and Guatemalan kids.
Look to Russia and China as countries Trump would love to emulate: self-dealing, oligarchy controlled authoritarian states that brook no dissent whatsoever. Unless and until Republican Senators and Congesspeople assert some pushback against this existential threat—we are right on schedule to be just like Russia.
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This is insane. American presidents have supported dictators for our nation’s history. Obama cozied up to Iran. He sided with Palestine (with its “democratic leader” who hasn’t held elections in over a decade) over the democratic Iran. He was Saudi Arabia’s staunch supporter. He has no problem with Mubarak until he was overthrown. Stop with the massive hypocrisy.
9
There is a slight difference though in talking to dictators and praising them.
Everyone loves a hypocrite, Thomas. They license us to feel superior, or at least to engage in a little light whataboutism. Of course what Friedman was actually talking about was the president's unrestrained and undiluted praise of the authoritarian dictators he wishes so fervently to emulate. It is one thing to do business with dictators but quite another to love them as much as Trump does. The president has nothing but harsh words for our longtime democratic allies, even as he enthusiastically cultivates dictators. Now that's new. But we can expect no less from the wannabe dictator in the Oval Office.
The difference is that trump does not just want to prop up dictators (as bad as that is) - he wants to BE a dictator. That is really the only way he will be "comfortable" as the "leader" of our country. And he will do everything he can to bring that about. Just watch. His constant lying is just the beginning.
1
Of course Trump has no comprehension of the dire consequences of his fawning over tyrants while alienating those who have stood with us against tyranny. We are becoming a rogue nation under Trump while those who can stop him either praise him or remain silent.
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The problem isn't only about Donald Trump, it's also about the people who put him in the position he's now in, and see no problem with keeping him there.
Having lived inside Communist East Germany and surrounded by a Wall, I know what a dictatorship looks like.
We're getting closer to becoming one every day.
Mr. Trump's recent fawning over Kim Jong-un and his comment about how he also wants everyone to sit up and listen when he speaks, was just one more clear indication of the direction he fully intends to go.
And no. He wasn't joking.
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N. Smith: In a nut shell, well said! I have always felt it is not just about this Dictator-In-Waiting, but also about half the country which put him where he is and continue its rabid, hateful, support of this most hateful man.
1
Half in fun, full in earnest.
Why does Mr. Trump identifiy with Dictators, Kings and President's for Llife? Why does he seek their praise, and adopt their methods? The answer is very simple and two fold: A) He knows they do not need to adhere to Democratic principles or have to seek support from a Congress or Senate for his policies. B) He desperately wants to be just like them, with the power to do whatever he likes, regardless of the Public's opinions. Unfortunately, he has found a willing cabal, in the Republican Party, the Evangelical community, and the Wealthy that are ready, willing and able to support him in his own pursuit of happiness. "America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." Abraham Lincoln.
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The sad truth (?) is that with one tweet his willing cabal can become his biggest enemy.
After the US levied duties on
softwood
airplanes
steel
aluminium
and continues to threaten to pull out of NAFTA, please forgive Justin Trudeau for restating comments already stated, that is :Canada feels it is being bullied into a bad trade deal by the Trump administration.
Dairy is not part of NAFTA! Nevertheless the US has a dairy trade surplus with Canada.
The US subsidizes dairy farmers that have become large industrial entities.
Canada has a quota system to encourage small Family run dairy farms.
The Canada/US dairy systems can be harmonized if both Countries deal this in good faith.
Canada is looking for a win-win trade agreement. It is not looking to become a mercantile colony of the US. We were already in that position with Great Britain, before Confederation.
Trump does not define the US. He temporarily administrates the executive branch. His 5th grader tactics will fail.
Trump, come to the negotiating table and negotiate like an adult! If you can't yourself, send someone else who can!
There!....a little Canadian pushback. Hopefully it was not too harsh!?
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Softwood and airplanes are big ticket items that were hotly contested with Canada for a long time, decades, with considerable ill feeling. Softwood has seen all sort of import fights. The whole subject of Bombardier (the Canadian aircraft manufacturer) has been a running sore with each new aircraft marketed by them or in competition with them. Obama fought with Canadians about these, Dubya did, Clinton did, and on back.
I have great sympathy for Canada in one aspect of this. They have a very different system to support agriculture. It cuts out the Big Agro exploitation of farmers with a government run market, run much like government crop insurance here. This was a win for what Midwestern farmers sought via the Grange Movement a century ago.
We should do what Canada does. Farmers would be better off. Consumers would be better off. Monopoly exploitation profits would be denied to the Big Agro financial interests that now exploit farmers to depress crop prices, but then push up consumer prices.
With that big money out of the supply chain, perhaps we could also address food quality in ways our "leaders" are paid not to address them now.
We don't need Canadian pushback so much as we need to adopt the Canadian methods, which they have proven so well.
3
End all tariffs as Trump called for. As for not being a mercantile colony we do not seek that.
We do seek and will start utilizing our inherent power advantages in relationships with countries when we believe we can and should get more out of the relationship.
The truth is Canada needs America. America does not need Canada.
How's that for a truthful response? Hopefully it was not too harsh!?
Have you tried American milk? Or should I say Have you tried Canadian milk? Like night and day.
Donald Trump is an obvious admirer of fascism. The press has justifiably criticized his authoritarian rule and his admiration of dictators like Kim and Putin. However, the biggest thief of democracy today is the dull and complacent U.S. citizen. We do not read enough history, economics, political science, philosophy, constitutional law and sociology to appreciate how far from our democratic roots our once great nation has fallen. A better educated American citizenry would never tolerate the corporate capture of our branches of government. A better educated citizenry would never tolerate forty years of trickle-down economic policies that simply have not led to broad prosperity for people in the middle and lower classes. A better educated citizenry would never tolerate the gross wealth and income disparity we have today. A better educated citizenry would never tolerate our slide into plutocracy. A better educated citizenry would never tolerate an economy in which the majority of jobs fail to pay workers a living wage. A better educated citizenry would never tolerate the human-caused destruction of our environment. A better educated citizenry would never tolerate the rash of random gun violence we cannot seem to stop. Would a better educated citizenry have elected Donald Trump President Of the United States?
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We are enthralled by the bread and circus distractions we so readily absorb and worship. This type of situation has occurred before with devastating results and you are right the core neither has a clue or just don’t care as long as the circuses are their for their distraction and enjoyment.
2
Well said. The late George Carlin once said the corrupted and the powerful indulged on our ignorance, willful or not, in order to get what they wanted. By giving us all the toys or entertainment, they bank on the fact that we would forget how poorly we have been treated daily.
2
Trump and his ilk (i.e, the modern GOP) seem to fully realize how to play this 'game' - keep them under-educated and keep them hungry. Feed them lies to blame their hunger (literal and figurative) on the opposition, and especially 'the other' which said opposition surely supports to further their suffering. Claim to be their only benefactor while simultaneously tightening the screws - if they are too weak to resist, and/or too ignorant to realize who they should be fighting, then they are easily managed. To be milked like cows, worked like beasts of burden, and sent into battle like pawns (but portrayed as glorious gladiators).
What's not to understand here? It works, because our system of checks and balances, specifically designed to constrain this unfortunate tendency of human nature (at least among some of our more selfish and mean-spirited peers), has been allowed to fail. The presumption being that enlightened self-interest would maintain the system, which cannot withstand coordinated and unprincipled attack - that was not deemed a viable scenario. So sorry, for all of us, that this proved false.
American democracy has failed, with all branches of government under the spell of twisted egomania (it's unfortunately not just Trump either). The best scenario now would be implosion, rather than violent explosion. This would mean dismantling of at least one of the branches, and attempting to fix the loopholes - but it beats the alternative, which would be horrendous.
Lets get this right though. Great journalists are like insects. Insidious, irritating, probing, and they can sting. Boy can they sting.
Trump is a tyrant. Tyrant defined as "a sovereign or other ruler who uses power oppressively or unjustly" . He is cruel, immoral, a compulsive liar, and, truly, a grifter and a con. As such he is akin more to a mafia chieftain than to a politician.
But lets not elevate the professions. No one really "makes" history. Intellectuals know this. Tom Friedman knows this. We are all tiny specks in the Universe, and History is far bigger than any of us, Including this sick dictator wanna be, Trump, or Erdogan or Kim or....
We have never needed the insects more. Its a bull in a china shop that needs felling. The great journalists, the leaders of the fourth estate so reviled by the dictators , has never been more important. Let them irritate and irritate some more.
69
Very well said, Mr. Kesler. Yes, let us not forget that we are a country not only of laws but deep seeded values like justice, empathy and love. These "insects" are needed and they can be unrelenting when they are riled. I think they and we are all justly riled. Buzz this wanna be dictator until he runs for the water hole to avoid the "stings" and arrows.
1
David Kessler
The really great journalists are difficult to find.
I am thinking of Edward R. Murrow, who among other things, covered the Blitz over London during WWII. And I believe he was responsible for finally getting rid of Senator McCarthy who was on an endless witch hunt for Communists.
Walter Cronkite who reported from Vietnam. When he came back to the U.S., he had a lot of influence on America for the ending of that war.