Donald Trump's chaotic, careening and conflicting foreign policy "agenda" just might be the "Blind Squirrel" strategy. Did he find his nut in Korea?
http://www.borntorunthenumbers.com/2018/05/btrtn-donald-trump-blind-squirrel.html

"Judicious assessment of the geopolitical implications of an interlocking and complex world is not, ahem, a strong suit of Trumpworld. Trump manages it largely without the input of experts, unless you count the assorted billionaires and crazies that Trump calls at night, the Fox & Friends crew in the morning and Sean Hannity (on speed dial) as “experts.” The world is chaotic enough even to the most sober analysts, but if it is one thing the world has counted on from the United States in the last century, it is stability. Sadly, those days are gone. Korea may earn Trump his Nobel Prize – anything can happen. As the old saying goes, even a blind squirrel gets that nut occasionally, and Trump may have stumbled onto his in Korea..."

Donald Trump's chaotic, careening and conflicting foreign policy "agenda" just might be the "Blind Squirrel" strategy. Did he find his nut in Korea?
http://www.borntorunthenumbers.com/2018/05/btrtn-donald-trump-blind-squirrel.html

Trump navigates treacherous global crises and his own legal travails -- alone.
http://www.borntorunthenumbers.com/2018/04/btrtn-cohen-and-syria-comey-and-korea.html

"The second major story is the upcoming summit with Kim Jong-Un, specifically the apparent concession he announced yesterday that North Korea was no longer going to test its nuclear weapons. This, coupled with a drop in North Korea’s demands that the U.S. withdraw troops from the DMZ, are being hailed as a major thawing in relations and a win for Donald Trump. Really? To my ears, Kim Jong-Un simply announced that North Korea has achieved full status as a nuclear power. There was no talk of de-nuclearization or abandoning any of his current weapons. The North Korean dictator has played his hand exceptionally well thus far, and I am not buying a “U.S. success” until we see how this unexpected strategic play unfolds. If you want a history lesson, ask Jimmy Carter, Madelaine Allbright and Bill Clinton how their 1994 “breakthrough” in North Korea worked out.

So – we have a very green President with no expertise and zero capability for thoughtful reflection, backed by….who? No Secretary of State (and Pompeo’s Senate approval in some doubt), a brand new National Security Advisor who has quickly fired many incumbent staff but has yet to replace them, a U.N. Ambassador who was summarily “Tillerson’ed,” and a new senior economic adviser who has already failed his first attempt to spin news for Trump – four very powerful foreign affairs voices all, in their own ways, stumbling onto centerstage in attempting to guide the President forward..."

Trump navigates treacherous global crises and his own legal travails -- alone.
http://www.borntorunthenumbers.com/2018/04/btrtn-cohen-and-syria-comey-and-korea.html

Trump's tiresome "policy" pattern was in full force last week:
http://www.borntorunthenumbers.com/2018/04/btrtn-swamp-king-blusters-and-dithers.html

"The Trump presidency may be precedent shattering, but it is no longer unpredictable. We are now getting used to the rhythm, and the question just may be – why are we not starting to get bored? If not for the unbelievable stakes involved with the potential outcomes of Trump’s whims and sins, we might simply hold our noses and ignore it all. But when nuclear war, seismic economic shocks and a potential impeachment are all in play, it’s hard to ignore the blowhard in the eye of these storms. Governing the most powerful nation in the world is, unfortunately, deadly serious business.

On the blustering policy front, the Trump method of operation was on full display this week, following a well-worn path.

SCREAM FIRST. Last week Trump launched a trade war with China by announcing the imposition of tariffs on $60 billion of Chinese imports. These “announcements” are, at best, actually opening bids in a negotiation, at worst (and more likely) visceral off-the-cuff eruptions, when Trump needs new distractions and falls back on campaign trail promises to keep. This week, China responded in kind..."

Trump's tiresome "policy" pattern was in full force last week:
http://www.borntorunthenumbers.com/2018/04/btrtn-swamp-king-blusters-and-dithers.html

His domestic agenda dead and gone, Trump turns his attention overseas, ripping off the guard rails and hiring a new cast:
http://www.borntorunthenumbers.com/2018/04/btrtn-trump-hires-new-cast-for-as-world.html

"It is impossible to foresee the outcomes of Trump’s new world order; at times the very definition of 'America First' is murky. But it seems clear that his forays on the world scene in 2017 – which included bellicosity vis-a-vis North Korea, withdrawal from the Paris Accords, ending the TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership trade pact) before it began, and the hands-off-Russia policy – were just a warm-up act for 2018. He has six months to make his case to the American people to keep the GOP in Congress, to change the narrative, and he has decided to make his major plays in North Korea, China, Russia, Syria, Iran and perhaps elsewhere..."

His domestic agenda dead and gone, Trump turns his attention overseas, ripping off the guard rails and hiring a new cast:
http://www.borntorunthenumbers.com/2018/04/btrtn-trump-hires-new-cast-for-as-world.html