The Dangerous National Security Implications of Trumps Obamacare Fiasco
Whatever his staff might say, however much the White House finger may be pointed at Speaker Paul Ryan, it is President Donald Trump who is the biggest loser in the Republican failure to bring Obamacare repeal to a vote in the House of Representatives. Trump promised Americas voters that he would rid them of Obamacare. He asserted that only he, as an outsider, had the ability to negotiate a replacement for the health care program. He has failed, at least for now, and his credibility has taken a major jolt.
Beyond the Obamacare defeat, for that is what it is, the president has yet to make good on his new immigration proposals. A single judge in Washington state stopped his first executive order, and two judges, in Hawaii and Maryland stopped his second. The decision not to have a vote on a replacement for Obamacare renders problematic Trumps ability to bring about tax reform or modernize Americas aging infrastructure, two more of his critical priorities.
The collapse of the Republican effort to reform Obamacare has international ramifications, as well. Though he kept his promise to withdraw from the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), Trump has yet to offer a substitute of any kind. He has thereby opened the door for China to create an alternative trading bloc that excludes the United States. He has yet to declare China a currency manipulator. He has yet to renegotiate NAFTA, or the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. He is unlikely to be moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. And he has yet to explain how he will fund a wall with Mexico, for which that country certainly will not contribute as much as a peso.
Clearly, Trump has a credibility problem that goes far beyond his tweets, which foreign leaders have begun to recognize that they can simply ignore. Whereas until now it appeared that Americas NATO partners were being frightened into spending 2 percent of GDP on defense needs, they may no longer have to do so. The Chinese may feel more confident about maintaining, or even building upon, their aggressive posture in the South China Sea. The Israelis may now look for clever ways to circumvent the presidents admonition not to build more settlements, knowing that their support in Congress where Trumps influence clearly has taken a blow will remain as solid as ever. The Russians may surmise that they have little incentive to reach an understanding over Ukraine, Syria, or anywhere else. The Iranians may act on their threat to abandon the so-called Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) if, as expected Congress passes new sanctions against the Tehran regime. And, most dangerously, the mad Kim Jong Un may conclude that Secretary of State Rex Tillersons threats of military action are baseless, and that he has nothing to fear from an administration that cannot even mobilize its own party in Congress to pass the presidents high-priority legislation.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/dangerous-national-security-implications-trump-151653188.html
Moral Compass
(1,525 posts)I've been a high level salesman and sold into the largest global accounts headquartered in the US. I was very, very successful.
The biggest weapon in my bag was my word--in other words my credibility.
When I went into sales I very quickly found out that there were only two types of sales people. The big talking braggarts (not always male) that would say or do anything to get the sale and the craftsman that quietly went about their work and brought in the big numbers.
I watched one of the best I've ever seen, JB, do his thing and it looked easy. He'd bring in a $50 million dollar contract and wouldn't even break a sweat. If he said something would happen it happened. The senior executives that wrote the big checks trusted him utterly.
That's who I wanted to be.
I recognize Trump as the bullshitter braggart.
Up until now he's been able to publicize successes and escape his failures. He just disappears them. He's been able to just leave his many, many failures behind.
Well, the world is watching. In under 3 months Trump has lost all credibility. Once you lose it you can only earn it back with hard work and focus.
I don't think the old man has it in him anymore. I think he's an empty suit. So do a lot of our adversaries.
This is bad position for the US to be in. One our adversaries is going to try him and us very soon. His weakness makes us weak and invites challenge.
Things are unfortunately going to get worse.
dalton99a
(81,570 posts)Fast Walker 52
(7,723 posts)it's a national tragedy of a scope we still do not know the outlines of yet