BILLBOARD News Now
Trump’s Real Source of Power
(Editor’s note: Robert Reich, a former US secretary of labor, a professor of public policy emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley. And a Guardian US Columnist. Today his opinion piece “The Nato summit exposed the real source of Trump’s power”. Whether it’s Nato, Iran, the World Cup, the 2020 election, making billions off his presidency – or anything else – he’s is unconstrained by norms, rules, treaties and laws.)
At the Nato summit just ended, Trump lashed out at other Nato members, saying he was “very disappointed with Nato” and asking: “Why are we spending hundreds of billions of dollars, and they’re not there for us?” He reiterated his desire to take over Greenland, blasted European energy and immigration policies, insulted Spain, and worried allies by declaring that the fighting between Kyiv and Moscow “doesn’t affect us”.
Yet throughout the proceedings, Trump was treated by other Nato powers with as much courtesy and respect as any US president has ever received from Nato – perhaps more. “It was a great meeting, there was a lot of love in that room, a lot of unity,” Trump said when it was over.
What happened? It’s important to understand the source of Trump’s power.
His power doesn’t come from his being president of the most powerful nation in the world. In fact, his arbitrary tariffs, absurd war in Iran, and outright abduction of Nicolás Maduro have reduced the US’s standing in much of the world.
Nor does his power come from his Maga base, which is now having second thoughts about supporting someone who got the US involved in another Middle Eastern war, caused prices to rise, and whose administration still refuses to release the complete Epstein files.
Nor does his power flow from any kind of strategic brilliance or cunning.
Trump’s power comes from his willingness to violate all the norms, rules and laws about how US presidents are supposed to act – to do anything that helps him accumulate more wealth, power and glory, and wreak vengeance on anyone who has tried to get in the way.
The Nato presidents and prime ministers treated Trump with extraordinary deference because they’re afraid of what he might do if he doesn’t get what he wants.
Whether it’s Nato, Iran, the World Cup, the 2020 election, making billions off his presidency – or anything else – he’s unconstrained by norms, rules, treaties and laws.
When the global community of World Cup fans objected to his intervention last weekend on the side of the US, he responded: “If [Belgium] beat us, then they can be really proud. The other way, if they beat us, we’ll say it was – I’d say – it was rigged, just like the election was rigged in 2020.”
Note how he corrected himself – from we’ll say to I’d say. Ethics is all about “we” – our collective judgment about what’s right or wrong. Trump doesn’t give a fig for the world’s or the nation’s judgment about right or wrong. He doesn’t think about right or wrong.
We’ve been missing the boat by characterizing Trump as breaching ethical standards. Ethics assumes some sort of agreed-upon standards against which a breach can be defined and measured. But Trump doesn’t have any standards at all. His entire approach to life, to business, and now to the presidency, has nothing whatever to do with standards. It’s about winning at all costs. Whatever it takes.
Trump isn’t unethical. He’s non-ethical. He isn’t immoral. He’s amoral.
It’s hard for most of us to conceive of living in a Trumpian world without standards, norms, rules or laws – a world composed only of transactions and calculations in which the only test is what’s in it for me and at what cost.
And that difficulty most of us have of imagining such a world is itself the key to Trump’s power.
Whether you’re president of the United States or anyone else, it’s always possible to extract personal benefits by being the first to break a widely accepted norm.
Think of a small town where people don’t lock their doors or windows because of the unwritten rule that no one steals. Under these circumstances, the first thief to commit robberies operates at a huge advantage. He can effortlessly get into anyone’s house.
This first-mover advantage disappears as soon as people catch on and start locking their doors and windows. But the thief doesn’t bear the costs of the locks or the hassle of locking all the doors and windows. He exploits the community’s trust. Then, once he destroys that trust, he leaves it to them to protect themselves against such future violations.
That asymmetry – small cost for the violator of trust, large costs for everyone who has to thereafter protect themselves – is the very essence of Trump’s MO. He gains wealth, power and glory for himself by shattering norms, after which everyone else has to pick up the pieces.
As president, he has far bigger norms to shatter than does a small-town thief, and at far greater benefit to himself.
As president, his thuggery has paid off, at least for himself. But it has also damaged all sorts of institutions that the US and the world have relied on – from Nato to Fifa to the US Department of Justice – institutions based on the trust that no American president would ever do what he’s done.
He’ll be remembered as the most powerful president the US has ever had, but also the worst.
When he’s gone, all of us will be paying to clean up the mess. We’ll have to buy an infinite number of locks for an endless number of doors and windows, and spend huge amounts of our time installing them and then keeping them locked.
Use icons and envelope above to forward this post to your friends.
Follow us on Twitter (X), Bluesky, Instagram, Facebook or Threads.
Is It Good News?
[Editor’s Note: Guest commentary is welcome on PHILLIPSBILLBOARD. Bob Harris grew up in Charleston, WV and sent the piece below following our post about the EPA Administrator’s planned departure. Harris is based in Washington with extensive Capitol Hill experience....
EPA Chief Gone
News just broke that Lisa Jackson EPA Chief will leave the Obama administration. Is that good news for West Virginia? Who knows as I learned long ago be careful what you ask for! Here is the NY Times story.
Tipping Point
Last week WV Senator Joe Manchin made news across the country with his comments related to guns. His action and words have caused a stir. President Obama gave him a call and over 100 protesters on a Saturday before Christmas showed up at this office. The Outlook...
Wrap-Up
After you finish wrapping your Christmas gifts check out the giving and receiving to political candidate this year. Below you will find the information filed to cover October 22 until November 18. Click on a name to open. Governor Bill Maloney Earl Ray Tomblin...
Outrageous
(Editor’s Note: I served in the US Department of Agriculture as Director of the Office of Rural Development Policy. Likewise, worked for Members of Congress who served on House of Representatives Agriculture Committee and the Public Works Committee that handled...
Big Tent
Big Tent My friend the late Lee Atwater [ran Bush 41 campaign & served at Republican National Chairman] coined the phrase “big tent” to the best of my recollection. My friend Jim Lees [twice Democratic candidate for Governor] had an Op Ed in today’s Charleston...
Capito Hurt?
There has been a political development on the national stage that could impact Rep. Shelley Moore Capito’s announced plans to seek the U. S. Senate in 2014. Only time will tell. Today U. S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) well known for his recent efforts to recruit the...
Political Tidbits…12.4.12
BIG DAY...yesterday for Republicans as 11 new House of Delegates members was sworn in...not to be overlooked are the returning GOP House & Senate members or the growth of the GOP. Don't look for an extravaganza when Gov. Tomblin is sworn into office in...
Congressional Shopping
A new item has been added to the holiday shopping list in West Virginia’s second congressional district – a Member of Congress. What about a centrist who was defeated for GOP National Committeeman for knowing how to work with Democrats? I am a fiscal conservative and...
Advice
After the not-so-surprising announcement that Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito will become a candidate for the United States Senate the attention among these West Virginia hills is the “fiscal cliff." Its impact could result in significant change in our State that...
Conspiracy
(Disclosure: My wife is one of the WV State Board of Education who resigned earlier this week. The views below are mine alone. I would never attempt to speak for her.) This week a despicable and senseless action was taken at the WV State School Board meeting. A...
Aftermath Part II
The morning afterwards I wrote a piece about the Aftermath. I mentioned if there a lesson to be learned from the positive campaign [my wife Jenny’s thought] of Allen Loughry approach in winning a seat on the Supreme Court. There is a front page story about this very...
BILLBOARD Archives
Aftermath
Today is a new day in the political world. Yesterday brought cheers to some and extreme disappointment to many. What happen and why, what needs done? We all know what happen. On the surface without much sleep or study it appears the Obama team after 2008 made a...
Good Morning
Many of PHILLIPSBILLBOARD readers not living in the “political valley” may enjoy reading a wrap-up piece on this Election Day. It appeared in this morning’s Charleston Daily Mail written by Ry Rivard Mail Capitol Reporter. It you do Twitter he is worth following...
Political Tidbits…Day Before
Taking a last look at the 2012 campaign reveals little…you hardly know there is a statewide election…expect by seeing the lines at early voting places…Governor Tomblin had to deal with a lady named Sandy…candidate Maloney put his last dollars into a newspaper ad aimed...
Sandy
You can bet Sandy would not win any election but all interest is focused on her. However, Political Junkies like me and a lot of you are wondering what impact she will have and where does things stand as the snow begins to fall. The immediate impact is likely to be...
Mother’s Milk
There is an old expression “money is the mother’s milk of politics.” WV candidates are filing their last report before the November 6th election. PHILLIPSBILLBOARD provides readers an easy way to see where the money comes from and where it goes. Listed below are...
Political Tidbits…10.26.12
A few Tidbits for your weekend…not that you have not had enough politics…let’s hope it is over in 11 days…but with the presidential race so tight… This makes me wonder…are Republicans concerned this could end up in the House of Representatives…this might explain the...
Books
Books elect presidents not a slick pamphlet laid out like a magazine. The Obama campaign’s release of this last minute brochure makes him look a candidate running for almost any office on a shoe string budget. Obama’s brochure has 20 pages covering manufacturing,...
Fatigue
Voters start to the polls today. They have faced six elections starting in 2010. Voters are suffering election fatigue, the candidates are running tried campaigns and the money providers are drained. Campaigns need energy to be successful. The Governor’s race in WV...
Political Valley
As you can see there is a divide in the way the newspapers in “political valley” look at various races. The WV Press Association has pushed this week as Endorsement Week. As a result it is easier for voters to compare the opinions of newspaper editorial boards. ...
Update
Political news and endorsements have increased this week. I will share a few to assist readers who are not in the “political valley” keep up. Click on the headline to read full story. U. S. Senate W.Va. needs to change the Senate; Republican John Raese would The...
Bob’s View
[Editor’s Note: After the last presidential debate I got an email from Bob Harris a longtime friend. He provided me his views about the debate and Obama’s inability to use the tools of his position. Bob is an astute observer of Washington, the national political...
Political Tidbits…10.12.12
TAKE AWAYS from last night’s VP debate…Biden has been watching too many Gore re-runs from 2000 debate…and they should never have put Red Bull in his holding room…both bases won…Obama is going to Williamsburg for three days…debate prep or American history lesson?...