Nixon at least had a strategic aim. Trump will handle it badly-Period. He has the impulse control of a toddler, is not a deep thinker, relies on his Dunning-Kruger approach to all issues.
When you write: “Nixon attempted a triangular diplomacy with Beijing and Moscow, playing each communist power against the other.” Would that in game theory be referred to as a “truel”?
Interesting historical parallel. For one, it's difficult to argue in favor of broken relations between rival nuclear powers. Serves nobody, not us, them, or anyone else. That said, like many historical analogies, it may not hold up under close scrutiny. For one, Nixon had the kind of unimpeachable cold warrior/foreign policy credentials that made it difficult for anyone to accuse him of slavish caving or sinister historical sympathy or acting at odds with US national interests in that respect. Trump's motives are much more ambiguous and suspect. He might easily be seen as caving to some unseen (but suspected) blackmail-type pressures or pursuing long-felt sympathies with perfect indifference to US national interests. The opposite of unimpeachable. And if we're lucky, the third time impeached will indeed be the charm.
Lovely balanced take and interesting outlook for the future. Only time will tell!
Nixon at least had a strategic aim. Trump will handle it badly-Period. He has the impulse control of a toddler, is not a deep thinker, relies on his Dunning-Kruger approach to all issues.
When you write: “Nixon attempted a triangular diplomacy with Beijing and Moscow, playing each communist power against the other.” Would that in game theory be referred to as a “truel”?
Strictly speaking, a "simultaneous truel," I think. The players shoot all at once rather than two at a time.
Interesting historical parallel. For one, it's difficult to argue in favor of broken relations between rival nuclear powers. Serves nobody, not us, them, or anyone else. That said, like many historical analogies, it may not hold up under close scrutiny. For one, Nixon had the kind of unimpeachable cold warrior/foreign policy credentials that made it difficult for anyone to accuse him of slavish caving or sinister historical sympathy or acting at odds with US national interests in that respect. Trump's motives are much more ambiguous and suspect. He might easily be seen as caving to some unseen (but suspected) blackmail-type pressures or pursuing long-felt sympathies with perfect indifference to US national interests. The opposite of unimpeachable. And if we're lucky, the third time impeached will indeed be the charm.