“The strong do what they can. The weak accept what they must.” — Thucydides  

Pompous, narcissistic, bellicose...great statesman??

On the surface President Trump’s statements about the Panama Canal and Greenland will be pitched as someone who should not be President of the United States.  For me, his rhetoric is the reason he is the incoming president, and thank God.  Understand, the president’s statements are not meant solely for Panama or Greenland.  They are for the consumption of the whole world.  Trust me, the world is paying close attention, for they echo the themes that led to American exceptionalism.

Monroe Doctrine—something that used to be the policy of our nation.  The doctrine established a sphere of influence around the United States, and warned other nations to keep clear, don’t meddle in our affairs.  Jingoism was the derogatory term used, but it served its purpose of keeping foreign intrigue to a minimum and protecting us from aggression. That is exactly what Trump has just relayed to our enemies and the rest of the world.  What Trump said about the Panama Canal, Greenland, and many other statements concerning energy independence, tariffs and other policies, are resonating in Beijing, Moscow, Tehran, London, Paris, Riyadh, and every other capital throughout the world.  Resonating in a way that the outgoing administration could only dream of.

Pax Americana.  I have never seen our sovereign nation try so hard to fail as I have in the last four years.  As a result, the world has become a much more dangerous place.  Arguably we are closer to nuclear war today then we have been since the Cuban missile crisis in the early 1960s.  Our policy seemingly is one that intentionally drains our resources, while simultaneously sapping our willpower, all without any return.  Many may laugh or deride the term Pax Americana, but it has been that concept (an unmatched military, coupled with an unmatched economy and a strong middle class) that has kept the world free of major global conflict since the second world war.

Competitiveness.  Great nations do not compete on the battlefield, but in the place of business.  Great statesmen know this; they also know that after securing their nation’s borders, the first job of government is to set the stage for their nation’s economy to compete, one that is advantageous to their own national interest and not equitable outcomes.  A policy of national self-interest keeps us off the battlefield, and builds the wealth and prosperity of its citizens.  This is important, for as a constitutional republic, the power of America lies not with government but with its citizens.  We lost this concept, and in the process our collective competitive spirit, some time ago.  We began to believe the hype that we should trust in government and its unending bureaucracy.  Seductive and addictive, it saps individual willpower.  So many of us today prefer to be passive observers in life, and depend on a benevolent government to provide, rather than build and put faith in our own talents and skills. This leads to the last, and perhaps the most important point.

“The Man in the Arena”.  It takes a great statesman to give life to Theodore Roosevelt’s concept of the “Man in the Arena”.  The man in the arena is a person who is actively engaged in their own affairs and the interests of their family.  Someone with the courage of conviction, with hopes, dreams and aspirations; someone with the tenacity to overcome all obstacles, and does not run away from competition.  It takes a great American statesman to recognize this concept and unleash it.  Donald Trump has an instinct for this, and we are well on course to recapture that which makes America exceptional and unique in the history of the world.  

God Bless America.

Image: Public domain.