Say what you will about Donald Trump—and for sure there’s plenty to be said—he has a reputation for being his own man with a penchant for doing things in an unorthodox fashion. Nevertheless, he’s open to persuasion provided he trusts the person who’s giving advice. For instance, he’s changed his tune on waterboarding, which he now accepts is illegal, and he’s cautiously accepted that Russia was “probably” behind the DNC hacking. He’s also gone quiet on his plan to bar Muslims from entering the US which would jar with the Constitution.
That said, despite overwhelming bipartisan criticism from Congress and the stances of his own cabinet nominees, he remains intent on exploring improved relations with Moscow. He’s told the Washington Post that he’s open to lifting anti-Russian sanctions down the road. “If Putin likes Donald Trump, guess what, folks, that’s called an asset, not a liability,” he said during his much-awaited press conference. He’s right!
US-Russian relations haven’t been this sour since the height of the Cold War; dangerously so. Ramping up the ante with a new round of sanctions favoured by congressional hawks will not serve as a deterrent to any ambitions the Russian president may harbour.
On the contrary if Russians feel they are under siege, they will willingly tighten their belts and Vladimir Putin’s popularity at home will soar to even greater heights.
Moreover, in light of Trump’s hints that America’s long-held One-China policy could go by the board—exacerbated by threats made by his nominee for secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, to the effect Beijing should be barred access to its man-made islands in the South China Sea—Russia and China would likely be drawn together to present a united, impenetrable adversarial front. China’s state media has lashed back, warning that any such attempt to bully Beijing would ignite a military conflagration.
Curiously the bellicose Senator John McCain and his sycophantic congressional yes-men seem to be angling for just that, hoping to reestablish America’s leadership of the global order which they maintain Obama’s lily-livered approach frittered away.
A sensible plan
Trump’s plan to bring his Russian counterpart onside as a partner in finding solutions to global problems makes perfect sense. For one thing, that’s what Putin wants, which is why he has made only tepid responses to unremitting and oftentimes hysterical Russo-phobic attacks by lawmakers and US media pundits, as well as the US military build-up in Poland close to Russia’s borders. Putin is clearly marking time until the Trump team moves into the White House. Secondly, working together instead of pulling apart, the two global powers could achieve what Obama failed to do—bring peace to the beleaguered Syrian people and strike a decisive death blow to Daesh and others of the same fanatical ilk. Moreover, a genuine US-Russian relationship recalibration has the potential of leaving both China and Iran out on a limb once an atmosphere of mutual trust can be built.
This former member of the KGB is no fool. When he chose to annex Crimea he had nothing to lose. He knew Obama would avoid any major confrontation, but whether Trump would have responded in a similarly measured fashion, given his unpredictable inherently revengeful nature, is an open question. If he’s dealt with respectfully and offered sufficient carrots, Putin will be disinclined to rock the boat with more territorial grabs.
Until now, the US president-elect has triumphed in the face of ridicule, slurs on his character and murkier aspects of his colourful past that have come back to haunt him. Never has an American commander-in-chief been as vilified before taking office, although, to be fair, he’s done more than his fair share of vilification, targeting a broad spectrum of others.
Lawyers are studying ways he could be impeached. Civil rights icon Representative John Lewis has referred to Trump as an illegitimate president while others have declined to attend the inauguration. Hollywood almost to a man (and woman) wants him brought down. A-list celebs boast that they turned down an invitation to perform at the inaugural event as though it’s a badge of honour. Most US networks are fixated on dredging-up negative stories on their new president.
The intelligence community is smarting at being taken to task over the leak of a report compiled by a former MI6 officer who remains in the spy game for filthy lucre and was paid to dig up the dirt on Trump.
Inconsistencies, proven falsehoods
The 35-page document is riddled with inconsistencies, proven falsehoods, childish spellings, and incorrect names and titles. Apparently this intelligence mercenary, now in hiding, was so stricken by his ‘conscience’ that he forwarded the report to Trump’s greatest nemesis.
Yes, you’ve guessed it, McCain. And to cap it all, the Justice Department’s watchdog is set to investigate the conduct of the FBI and its own department in relation to allegations of misconduct vis-a-vis the Clinton email inquiry in the run-up to the election.
All norms have been turned on their head. This story has all the ingredients of a best-selling political thriller, but the end is still to be written, to paraphrase George Galloway’s rather lurid take.
With so many enemies in high places, Trump should hire guards to monitor the guards and avoid going anywhere near “grassy knolls.”
Linda S. Heard is an award-winning British specialist writer on Middle East affairs. She welcomes feedback and can be contacted by email at heardonthegrapevines@yahoo.co.uk.
Say what you will about Trump – He imploded our political duopoly and kept the Clinton mob out of the White House.