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Ronald Reagan, referring to John The 17th century Puritan Winthrop once compared America to “The shining city on the hill,” my colleague David Frum writes, captures this vision and power in a new article: “Impose additional moral responsibilities on city residents” in the next Trump era David reasoned that Reagan’s vision of America would disappear: “Mountaintops will become high places from which to control those who arrogantly dominate the slopes and valleys below.”
I called David to talk about the Trump administration’s zero-sum outlook during Donald Trump’s first term and what to expect from the president-elect’s approach to international relations. January
powerful teacher
Isabel Fattal: You write that Trump’s version of “America First” isn’t truly isolationist. But it’s about hunting prey instead. How?
David Frum: “America First” dates back to the 1940s as a slogan about protecting America from World War II. “America First” is a phrase often associated with the idea of secession. But Trump is no loner. He is very keen to engage with foreign countries. He has business abroad. He collected all kinds of foreign interests for himself and his family and businesses. What interests him is the increasingly predatory approach to foreign countries. where various countries Pay money to the US to protect the military and where trade is organized in such a way that the United States Win and other countries lose.
Isabel: How will Trump use his relationships with foreign countries to pay off the debt he owes in civil penalties for defamation and fraud?
David: Trump has legal penalties estimated at half a billion dollars. And he was issued some bonds to comply with those penalties. But if he loses the case on appeal, he will have to pay. It’s not that Trump ultimately doesn’t have the resources. But many of his resources were locked up in a building his family owned for a long time. And will have to pay high capital gains taxes. One thing Trump might do is look to foreign resources to help him fix that problem. And many people around the world with many resources are eager to help him.
Isabel: You noted for your part that the Biden administration is maintaining most of the protectionist measures inherited from Trump. Where has America gone in the past eight years on global trade?
David: If Donald Trump is the most protectionist president since the Depression, Joe Biden is the second most protectionist president since the Depression. The Biden administration wants to pursue very aggressive industrial policy. The so-called Inflation Reduction Act contains several trade protection measures. They kept most of Trump’s tariffs and added some of their own. They did not negotiate to expand trade. not like Former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush The United States has not reached a major trade expansion deal since Obama signed free trade agreements with Colombia and Panama.
Isabel: Let’s talk a little bit about how Americans feel. You write in your essay that Americans who experienced the Truman era understood that “America alone means a weaker America.” This ingrained understanding of the importance of expanding global trade is “confusing,” as you write. How to “go to regret and doubt”
David: The Great Depression was an extremely repulsive experience. And everyone who has gone through this has learned a powerful lesson. Including trade protectionism that makes the slump worse. And a bad depression easily turns into a deadly world war. People recovering from that world want to do things in a different way.
Isabel: If you have no direct experience Do you think Americans will come back to see the value of the idea? “City on a Hill” again? Why?
David: There are many ways to learn anything, but direct personal experience is a very powerful teacher. Those experiences of the 1930s and 1940s have faded with time. Meanwhile Americans also have new experiences with the NAFTA and China panic. It’s very easy for people to blame foreigners for hardships at home. And it forgets the deep history that explains why we must thrive together in prosperity. The prosperity of some does not come at the expense of others.
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Today’s news
- Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealth Group’s insurance unit, was fatal shot in a premeditated attack in Manhattan this morning. According to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, the suspect fled the scene and is not in custody.
- Michel Barnier, Prime Minister of France, was banish After members of the French parliament passed a no-confidence motion His successor will be chosen by President Emmanuel Macron.
- Most Supreme Court justices appear uncertain about overturning Tennessee’s law. Refuse gender-affirming care. to minors who are transgender persons
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McNeil
By Ayad Akhtar
In November 2022, OpenAI launched ChatGPT to the world. not long after A software developer asked for instructions on how to remove a peanut butter sandwich from a VCR and wrote these instructions in the style of the King James Bible. ChatGPT complied: “And the Lord God said, ‘Verily, I say to you, do not attempt to put a peanut butter sandwich in it. peanut butter into your video player Because this is not the right place for these things.’”
Many of us read these results with surprise and amazement. Then we continue our business. Ayad Akhtar, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and playwright. Starting to think about a new drama
—Jeremy Strong
Read the full script
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