TRUMP ENDS AMERICAN VALUES

Donald J. Trump’s unexpected Presidential victory has turned the world inside out both within and without America. The impact on the international scene will change the post World War 11 landscape in a manner unimaginable six months ago. The pax American image will be smashed as will be its positive, albeit on occasion naive, influence on the world. Trump’s America is set to become just another self serving nation that sees only to its own needs and will no longer be able to claim to be righting wrongs or opposing tyrranical rule.

Also Trump’s has not thought through the problems that his newest best friend, Russia’s Putin, might land him in on the international scene. For starters Jay H. Ell will look at the impact that the alliance might have on Middle East politics. 

TRUMP COULD NEVER HAPPEN - HISTORY TAUGHT US THAT! 

No one ever thought this could happen. After all the American electorate had fought off challenges of charismatic totalitarian candidates with far more impressive credentials than the exhibitionist Trump. There was the national hero, Charles Lindbergh, who also captured the nation’s sympathy with the kidnapping and death of his child, who rallied the masses in favor of Germany but at the end of the day could not have defeated FDR. Barry Goldwater, who was the founder of Republican Conservatism was thrashed in 1964 as was the mesmerizing Governor George Wallace four years later. The latter drew crowds not unlike those of Trump or Lindbergh. Then of course there were the internal threats from the likes of Joe McCarthy who terrorized the nation with his guilt by association hearings supposedly to ferret out the Communists. All of those failed in their challenges of smashing the fragile fabric of American democracy and the values that dictated American foreign policy. However, to the amazement of all the least likely candidate, underestimated as a buffoon, has succeeded in toppling America’s centuries long ideals. 

TRUMP WILL NULLIFY AMERICA’S POST WAR ACHIEVEMENTS

America, after all, on the international scene, for the past century has been mostly on the side of the angels. They were the deciding factor in two world wars rescuing Europe and the world. Then for over a half a century they steadfastly fought and won the cold war against the imperialistic totalitarian forces of Russia. During this period and thereafter they lead initiatives for peace and even, as in Bosnia, they intervened with airpower to stop the racial carnage. They have been the lead in negotiating treaties, for peace, trade, or climate change, for example. (Of course the foreign policy was far from perfect and there have been the bizarre adventurism as in Vietnam and more recently Iraq). To add to all of this is they have carried the financial can for the operations of the United Nations and on and on. 

The most impressive international defense achievement was NATO which combined European and American initiative to counter the influence of the former USSR when it was rampant and ready, literally, to conquer the world. NATO has stood the test of time and the organization grew exponentially with the break up of the Soviet Union. NATO stands like a colossus over Europe and has been a thorn and a brake on Putin’s desire to put the humpty dumpty USSR together again. The Russian leader’s imperialistic land grabs by force have resulted in Obama's USA led sanctions which have hobbled Russia. Now even NATO is threatened by Trump’s populist rantings.

The sum total of all of this is that America’s bona fides is at stake with the result that they might never be trusted again.

PUTIN AND TRUMP

It is undisputed that Putin intervened in the recent US elections by hacking Democratic Party operatives’ e mails. It is also undisputed, other than by Trump, that Putin’s operation helped the Republican nominee. Added to this mix is that Trump throughout the campaign touted Putin as a great leader and made it quite clear that he was going to make overtures towards him. He has carried through on that promise and has publicly announced that discussions have already taken place. Also it was acknowledged by son Eric that Trump Inc. has a “disproportionate” business involvement in Russia. The Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort had to resign under a cloud when his associations with Russian backed Ukrainians was uncovered. Trump's new National Security Advisor, General Flynn, is an outlier in the military and security establishments with Russian connections. Trump never for once wavered in his commitment to Putin and when challenged, sneered, “Wouldn’t it be nice if we got on with the Russians”. The Russian Federal Assembly agreed spontaneously cheering the announcement of Trump's victory.

 Businessman Trump who was prepared to sell NATO, which is Western Civilization's safety belt, down the river because they weren’t paying enough, has left everyone wondering what the financial advantage was to dealing with Russia. What was in it for America from any point of view?. The truth is that Russia is a second rate power with an economy the size of California. Its significance is only bolstered by a ton of nukes and a canny ruthless authoritarian leader who has the advantage of probably being in power forever. It now has every opportunity to move back into the big league courtesy of Trump who will be President of the most powerful nation in the world.

IMPACT ON ISRAEL AND MIDDLE EAST POLICY

Putin, who like Trump is an authoritarian narcissist, has no pretensions of being anything other an imperialistic opportunist, has ventured with a vengeance, into the arena of the Middle East. Here his cynical objectives are at odds with the present American administration. The Trump American agenda and Russian agenda are about to coincide and the prospect has sent shudders down the spine of those countries that are about to become the erstwhile allies of the US. However, if we analyze the situation it is obvious that Trump hasn’t thought it through:

• Both Putin and Trump are idem that Assad should be backed. Putin has gone one step further. He has a large military presence in and around Syria and he is reportedly bombing Syrian rebel positions. At the moment Obama’s America is supporting the rebel factions. What is Trump going to do? Is he going to pull support from the rebels and watch by as the Syrians and Russians continue their slaughter?.
• Both Putin and Trump are against ISIS. In fact ISIS is Trump’s number one issue but Putin has been AWOL in the battle against ISIS. America is currently heavily involved in ISIS’s ouster with a large force advising the Iraquis and Kurds. 
• Israel is supposedly Trump’s number one Middle East priority and Syria is Putin’s. This has major implications for the present Middle East shake up. For starters Israel and Syria are dire enemies.
• Shia Syria and Shia Iran are firmly in the same camp. Putin has said nothing about Iran. However it stands to reason that Putin has to go with his ally Syria on their relationship with Iran or at least not against them. This is not academic as the Shia/Sunni clash for domination of the Muslim world is already going full tilt. Trump, fascinatingly, has said very little about Iran per se. Rather he has focussed on claiming that he will dismantle the nuclear deal, which realistically he can do nothing about. His ally, the Russians, are partners to the deal, incidentally.
• Israel’s biggest threat in the Middle East is Iran who daily threaten to wipe it of the face of the earth. Will Trump back them as is his stated position and thereby oppose his Putin alliance?.
• As far as Israel is concerned Trump cannot be neutral in the Shia/Sunni war. The new Middle East alignment involves Israel’s allying with the Sunni Arab States against the Iranian lead Shia. In addition the Sunni are the traditional American allies. Already there is tension between the intrepid Donald and the Saudis who have flat out warned him against stopping imports of their oil into America. 
• To meet Israel’s needs he has to be unequivocally opposed to Shia Iran which of course everyone assumes he is. If he then maintains his oil stance that means he is against the Shia as well as the Sunni. Which fits into his domestic policies cause none of them could visit America anyway. 

This tautologous analysis can go on and on. However, for those who voted for Trump on the premise that he was better for Israel, all this can be naught for their comfort. Even if they accept that his Chief Strategist, Stephen Bannon, is pro Israel and can be separated from the rightist movements such as the KKK that back him, and that Trump, like George W. Bush, promises to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, how do they see him resolving the dilemma that his allying with Putin puts him into?

REPUBLICAN OPPOSITION TO TRUMP’S FOREIGN POLICY

Mitt Romney the previous Republican Presidential nominee has labelled Putin’s Russia the greatest threat to world peace. More significant is the Republican Head of the Senate Armed Services Committee, John McCain’s warning that a Trump reset of the administration thaw with Russia is unacceptable. McCain claimed that America cannot place any faith in a former KGB agent that has plunged his country into tyranny, murdered his political opponents, invaded his neighbors, threatened American allies and interfered in American elections.  

McCain, who has been belittled as a war hero by Trump as he was taken as a POW, summed up the plight Trump’s election has thrown America into;

“The Obama’s administration’s last attempt at resetting relations with Russia culminated in Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and military intervention in the Middle East. At the very least the price of another reset would be complicity in Putin’s and Assad’s butchery of the Syrian people”

“That is an unacceptable price for a great nation. When America has been at its greatest, is when we have stood on the side of those fighting tyranny, This is where we must stand again”.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has called for a Senate Congressional investigation into the Russian hacking in the Presidential election. He believes if it confirms what the 17 Security and Intelligence Agencies have maintained then Putin should be punished. 

AT THE END OF THE DAY

While Trump struggles to appoint the 4,100 Federal political posts he needs for his administration, the storm clouds are gathering. He is about to learn that riling up a crowd and shooting out tweets is one thing, governing is another. 

Obama speaking in Germany urged Trump to stand against Russia where it deviated from traditional American values and international norms - fat hope. 

Will it ever emerge why Trump has allied himself to Putin?