Thursday, January 22, 2026

The Unconstrained Presidency and the End of American Primacy

Since 1945, the United States and its allies crafted and maintained an order that while neither fully liberal nor fully international, established rules that kept the peace among the great powers ...

Posted by Corky at 04:30 PM | 18 COMMENTS | permalink

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Academic Dean @dandrezner.bsky.social co-authors a piece for @foreignaffairs.com titled "Trump's Year of Anarchy: The Unconstrained Presidency and the End of American Primacy." @profsaunders.bsky.social www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state ...

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-- The Fletcher School (@fletcherschool.bsky.social) Jan 20, 2026 at 4:50 PM

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"The foundations of American power are rooted in the rule of law at home and credible commitment abroad, the very things that Trump has attempted to dismantle.

Trump's gutting of foreign aid and the infrastructure of U.S. scientific and technological dominance, his dangerous confrontation with stalwart European allies, and, most damaging of all, his use of the military and federal security forces to consolidate his domestic authority will, in the long run, undermine American power.

Estranged allies are already reaching out to China and one another to hedge against an erratic United States.

Whether these actions succeed or not, they weaken the United States and make China relatively more attractive for smaller powers seeking security. In Trump's zero-sum global order, it is the United States that will eventually pay the price."

from the Foreign Affairs article at the link

#1 | Posted by Corky at 2026-01-20 01:36 PM

Mr Trump, if your objective was to make even American allies hate your country, mission accomplished!!

#2 | Posted by crisisstills1 at 2026-01-22 04:54 PM

Republicans, especially Boaz, made it very clear they were voting to abandon the US-led World Order and pull Jack Nicholson's character from A Few Good Men off that wall.

#3 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-01-22 05:10 PM

I'll be the first to admit that DJT's Handler in Moscow has gotten everything he could have ever hoped for... the weakening of NATO which was his dream from day one, the US reviled around the globe, the US people divided at home, and economic turmoil around the corner.

Thanks, Trumpers! Vlad loves the S out of you.

#4 | Posted by Corky at 2026-01-22 06:22 PM

Stop the bs.

America has been internationally lawless since day one.

#5 | Posted by fresno500 at 2026-01-22 06:57 PM

Fresno is not wrong.

#6 | Posted by Alexandrite at 2026-01-22 06:58 PM

www.youtube.com

short

#7 | Posted by Corky at 2026-01-22 06:59 PM

@#1 ... The foundations of American power are rooted in the rule of law at home and credible commitment abroad, the very things that Trump has attempted to dismantle. ...

Worth a repeat.

#8 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-01-22 08:32 PM

@#4 ... DJT's Handler in Moscow has gotten everything he could have ever hoped for... ...

imo, not everything.

But, most.

#9 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-01-22 08:33 PM

Trump, just refuses to Lie about American Lawlessness.

It's about the Only thing he's Truthful about.

Weird,isn't it.

Trump tells the Truth that other Presidents Lie about, but lies about almost everything else.

Call the Amazing Kreskin. We need a Seer.

#10 | Posted by Effeteposer at 2026-01-23 03:18 PM

Thanks to "The Amazing Randi," the immortal Johnny Carson exposed mega fraud Uri Geller on national television 50 years ago.

Johnny Carson was both an amateur drummer and magician (illusionist).

Mr Kreskin advised Johnny Carson and his crew to bring their own equipment and gadgets and to not let anyone from Uri's staff near it.

Look at the expression on Uri's face when he sees the gadgets on the table aren't his.

Witnessing Uri's national humiliation is the handsome Ricardo Montalban.

Link: www.youtube.com

#11 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-01-23 03:29 PM

#11 You must watch Lioz Shem Tov.

He is amazing!

;-)

#12 | Posted by A_Friend at 2026-01-23 03:37 PM

#12 Lioz brings his amazing talent to Australia

#13 | Posted by A_Friend at 2026-01-23 03:41 PM

Lioz Shem Tov would have got the all-important subtle "wink" from Johnny Carson.

The NBC camera crews started monitoring for his "wink," and we all learned to watch for that, telling us Johnny genuinely liked the person or the performance.

#14 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-01-23 04:02 PM

#14 You're bringing back fantastic Carson memories.

As a youngster, the highlight of the Christmas vacation - after Christmas morning, of course - was my parents allowing me to stay up until midnight, New Years Day, and watch The Tonight Show.

Good memories of a better time.

#15 | Posted by A_Friend at 2026-01-23 04:14 PM

A. Friend:

Between the memoirs and observations made of Johnny Carson and Ed Sullivan by family and crew members, is a Pandora's Box of secrets and regrets, some Shakespearean in magnitude. I must cook dinner now, so next time I'll highlight but a few.

#16 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-01-23 04:23 PM

#16 Thanks!

And bon appetit

#17 | Posted by A_Friend at 2026-01-23 04:26 PM

I know it's now said to be apocryphal... but I swear I remember Carson telling Jack Nicolaus, "I bet that makes your putter straight!".

#18 | Posted by Corky at 2026-01-23 04:28 PM

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