On today’s “To the Contrary” Podcast, I’m joined by Daniel Drezner, academic dean and distinguished professor at Tufts University’s Fletcher School — and author of Drezner’s World — to discuss the evolution of Trump from “toddler-in-chief” to something far more troubling. We explore how Trump’s “Pence-proofed” administration is reshaping American democracy; his escalating attacks on the media; and the international fallout from his foreign policy blunders — from strained alliances in Asia to emboldened adversaries in Europe.
Subscribers can listen to an ad-free version right here… or you can watch on YouTube / Listen (and subscribe) on Apple/ Spotify / iHeart / RSS Feed.
Note to readers:
In case there was any doubt at all, we cannot count on the corporate media to hold the line. That’s where independent media comes in. I’m often asked what we can do to stay sane and fight back. And my answer is to support the voices that are defending sanity, democracy, free speech, and the rule of law.
Selected Readings
Drezner: The Foreign Policy Hits Just Keep On Coming
The thing about the Trump administration, however, is that the India foul-up is not a one-off. Instead, it appears to be the exemplar of a growing trend: an administration that neither cares nor comprehends the negative policy externalities of what it is doing. Indeed, in recent weeks the administration has managed to wrongfoot multiple key allies, forcing it to do something it does not like to do — admit problems and attempt to clean them up. But these foul-ups are leaving a mark.
Drezner: The Weakness and Incompetence of American Authoritarianism
It is extremely important for the Trump White House to present his brand of authoritarianism as inexorable and inevitable, precisely for the collective action reasons that Farrell (and I) have articulated this past year. The more that Trump can spin his actions — and the second and third-order effects of those actions — as successful and popular, the more he can deflate his political opposition….
There is an unusual tacit alliance here between Trump and some of his opponents in this arena. Just as Trump likes to brandish threats as a means of getting what he wants, some of his most ardent opponents also want to highlight the scary nature of Trump’s illiberal power grabs. When Zack Beauchamp warns in Vox that, “Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension — the direct result of an FCC threat to pull the licenses of networks that aired him — has shown us how authoritarianism can come to America. I mean this literally,” he’s trying to highlight the dangers and stakes at play in the hopes of mobilizing small-d democrats. There are times, however, when I worry that such warnings about creeping fascism in America can cause citizens to lose hope in the American experiment.2
What is therefore worth stressing is the myriad ways in which the Trump administration has been unable to autocrat its way out of a paper bag. To be sure, Trump has cowed some institutions into submission, and he has a few competent subordinates eager to carry out his
pet peevesedicts. But he has also appointed some of the dumbest, most craven motherfuckers on the planet, and these underlings have no idea how to autocrat.The events of the past week alone reveal how this administration is unable to walk and crack down on opponents at the same time. And the reason this should be highlighted is to point out to those ordinary citizens opposing Trump that such resistance is meaningful — indeed, the odds are quite good that this administration will, quite likely, self-destruct. Past success does not translate into future success — particularly as Trump continues to sabotage his own state.
Sunday morning dogs
In keeping with our foreign policy theme, here is our French dog Zok enjoying a favorite Gallic pastime. (Photos by
)
