Teddy Roosevelt famously said of presidential leadership, “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” Unfortunately, in the case of President Donald Trump, when he speaks softly, we lose, but when he speaks loudly and puts that big stick — big sticks, actually — to good use, we win
Some examples: Trump is generally outspoken and unafraid to let someone know what he thinks in no uncertain terms, but not when it comes to Vladimir Putin or Xi Jinping. When he’s speaking or meeting with either of those two world leaders, Trump suddenly finds it expedient to let them do the talking and wielding the big sticks.
For instance, Trump is now adopting and promoting Putin’s terms for peace in Ukraine. With Xi, he’s more than happy to raise tariffs — until the two talk. Then Xi is in the driver’s seat in his bigstickmobile.
Now, when terrorists or lesser-nation dictators are involved, Trump not only speaks loudly but also uses the big sticks he has available. Witness the recent bombings of ISIS in Syria and Nigeria, and the ongoing campaign against Venezuela and its dictator, Nicolás Maduro.
We — and the world — need more of the speak-loudly-and-employ-the-big-stick Trump. When he’s in that mode, President Trump is at his best, and good results usually follow. He should try this approach with Russia — give Ukraine Tomahawk missiles and sanction the crap out of the former Soviet Union. Then see how quickly Putin comes to the bargaining table.
I bring this up because, after today’s meeting with Bibi Netanyahu, Trump is speaking loudly about countering any military build-up by Iran, to the point of even threatening another midnight bombing of its nuclear-enrichment sites if Iran goes down that path again.
Now, if all this sounds like I’m a warmonger, so be it. But actually, I’m a results-monger, which requires not only speaking loudly when it’s needed, but also sometimes bringing your big stick(s) to the bargaining table.
