The Piecemaker

There has been plenty of shock, and plenty of hand-wringing, over the results of the recent election. But probably the best of the analyses of what has happened in the United States — and what it could mean for national security, global warming, the nuclear arms race, and other issues of concern to Bulletin readers — come from a magazine published 3,500 miles from our shores: The Economist.

There are so many in-depth, deep think pieces in this latest issue that it is hard to choose just one article. But some of the most memorable lines come from an article titled “The piecemaker” and subtitled “For seven  decades, American has been the guarantor of global order. It may now become a force for instability.”

Among its best observations:

“A good president, like a real-estate mogul, must be 'prepared to walk' away from a bad deal; and it helps if he is unpredictable. Richard Nixon may have resorted to the madman theory of diplomacy to frighten enemies during the cold war. But Mr Trump’s politics of deliberate uncertainty is terrifying America’s friends and partners: no trade treaty, international institution or alliance is sacrosanct.

“America’s allies, though mostly horrified, are scrambling to congratulate him in the hope of limiting the damage he might cause. Other demagogues who denounce elites and the liberal, multilateral, rules-based order are elated. Florian Philippot, an adviser to Marine Le Pen, leader of the xenophobic National Front (FN) in France, exulted on Twitter: ‘Their world is falling apart. Ours is being built.’ ”