Donald Trump Stumbles Into a Foreign-Policy Triumph

The Atlantic ^ | JANUARY 17, 2020 | TOM MCTAGUE

[lp boonie]

Just keep underestimating him. It’s how he wins all the time.

[edwinland]

Actually, you mean Nixon and Ford’s.

[Dr. Sivana]

I know. It's truly uncanny how lucky he is.

A good friend of mine has eight children. They were subject to corporal punishment when necessary, but mostly behaved well, and grew up well.

During family get-togethers, one cousin berated him and his wife for their traditional parenting style. On other occasions, they noted on how well-behaved his children were compared to their own. "You got lucky." the cousin told my friend.

[edwinland]

I used to feel the same way but:

1. They are allowing more space for alternative views

2. they are a more honest insight into the thinking of the elite

[edwinland]

hilarious. and typical

[Riflema]

Well, after all, wasn't Ronaldus Magnus just an 'amiable dunce'.

Must be nice to be a fully accredited member of the elite.

[Grampa Dave]

“Trumportunities.”

It is the idea that, whether by accident or design, Trump creates chances to solve long-running international problems that a conventional leader would not.

His bellicose isolationist agenda, for instance, might already be forcing Europe to confront its geopolitical weakness;

China, its need for a lasting economic settlement with the U.S.;

Countries throughout the Middle East, the limits of their power.

The president’s erratic behavior might be doing something else as well, something even more fundamental. Through a combination of instinct, temperament, and capriciousness, Trump may be reminding the world of the reality of international relations:

Raw military and economic power still matter more than anything else—so long as those who hold them are prepared to use them.

A term has been coined to describe this notion:

Ryan Evans of War on the Rocks calls them “Trumportunities.”

http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3808977/posts

[RedMonqey]

"Yes, President Trump stumbles into triumph after triumph every day."

Trump reminds me of a rough Ronald Reagan.

Considered an unelectable buffoon by the media and political class, he and Trump shows who the real idiots are by doing what the people want but their "educated betters" refuse or simple cannot man age.

By "Cutting the "Gordian Knot" Reagan and Trump baffled the experts so they cannot give them the credit they both deserved in their own time but were (will be) denied.

[jimbug]

Apparently our Pres gets more done by accident than previous administrations have done on purpose.

[Erik Latranyi]

The media said the same about Reagan.....forecasts of an economic depression, nuclear war and a world torn apart...then the successes started and they credited Reagan with “luck”.

The fall of the Soviet Union was just good timing...Reagan had nothing to do with it.

The economy boomed but stories daily about homelessness were printed.....the jobs were “gamburger flippers”, not union mineworkers (who Democrats hate now).

This is a rerun of the 1980s with a much more hostile, dishonest and violent media.

[Cowgirl]

He was talking about foreign policy 30 years ago.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

... and anyway, don't expect the "experts" to admit that Trump has a higher I.Q. than they do.

Perhaps he doesn't; but he's more than bright enough. Knowledge isn't the be-all and end-all of intellectual ability. Trump, like Reagan, is wise. People who have nothing but intelligence tend to be narrow-minded and arrogant.

[Alas Babylon!]

Win after win, because he’s dumb?

Hardly.

With stupidity like this, we should be so lucky.

[dirtymac]

I would rather be lucky than smart anyway.

[milagro]

Trump in NYC operated in some very dangerous and shark-infested waters, and came out of them being an incredibly successful entrepreneur!
Actually, I think he relishes treading into the equally dangerous waters of the SWAMP, and being successful in working to Make America Great Again!

[pa_dweller]

President Trump stumbles into triumph after triumph every day.

---

The corollalry:   Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

Arthur C. Clarke,

[dirtymac]

that should be Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford

[Verginius Rufus]

Stumbling into a triumph happens all the time.

Hannibal stumbled into a victory at Cannae.
Caesar stumbled into a victory at Pharsalus.
Andrew Jackson stumbled into a victory at New Orleans.
Meade stumbled into a victory at Gettysburg.

/s

[kiryandil]

newsstooge TomMcTague...

[M. Thatcher]

This article is absolutely worth a read.

Agree.