I don’t know if anyone has figured out yet how to deal with Trump and the new era he has forced upon us. It’s questionable whether the normal state of opposition to regimes that we don’t approve of is sufficient in the case of Trump. Many journalists seem to have adopted a total opposition that confronts Trump’s lies with their own exaggeration, however sometimes this is necessary in the case of a leader whose worst sins are not lies but deeds. He is a danger – no longer just a danger but effectively detrimental – to American and world democracy. He is beginning to unravel and undermine efforts towards handling climate change, upon which our future depends. He is damaging relationships between the U.S. and the world. He has brought in a team of tycoons with narrow interests that are unfavorable to Trump’s own constituency. He is indicating an appetite for increased military spending. He is limiting advances in women’s rights. And there are many other dangers and uncertainties ahead.
It is not as if a regime like Trump’s will not enjoy some successes. Even the Nazi party was hugely successful in raising the German economy from the ashes, and, for a shortlived period, instilling patriotism and pride in the populace. Thatcher and Reagan were also leaders that favored some aspects of society and the economy while harming others. The advent of Trump is a prominent sign also that the United States needs a shake up, though not necessarily the one that Trump will bring. It probably needs to trim away some of its middle-aged fat and be more agile as an economy. But this does not necessarily mean austerity, and what exactly constitutes fat is a a question that America needs to answer. In general what I see is that the country over-consumes and wastes valuable resources at a rate that highly exceeds that of other countries. It produces super-rich while leaving vast sectors of the population in poverty. It rests on laurels of which it is no longer deserving. Countries like China are beginning to outstrip the US even in science and research. It is on its way to becoming a failed nation, but, with its military might and superpower status, may take the rest of the world with it.