- Sep 5, 2022
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- #21
In my view, Donald Trump's presidency was marked by several policies and actions too numerous to name all of them here that broke away from what I consider traditional norms, raising concerns about their impact on U.S. and global stability, democratic principles, and environmental health. Here are my thoughts on some of these areas:
Environmental Deregulation: Personally, I find Trump's rollback of environmental protections, including his decision to pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement, troubling. His administration's push for fossil fuel industries and loosening of emissions standards, in my opinion, posed a risk to global climate change efforts and could undermine the sustainability of the environment and public health worldwide.
Foreign Policy Decisions: Trump's foreign policy moves, such as withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal and his unconventional diplomacy with North Korea, struck me as risky. The withdrawal from the JCPOA seemed to escalate tensions in the Middle East, and I feel it might have opened the door for Iran to advance its nuclear program. Engaging directly with Kim Jong-un, without preconditions, seemed to legitimize a regime without securing tangible progress towards denuclearization.
Handling of the COVID-19 Pandemic: I'm deeply concerned about how Trump managed the COVID-19 crisis. His tendency to downplay the virus's severity, promote unverified treatments, and resist endorsing basic health measures, in my view, led to a disjointed response that likely impeded the U.S.'s ability to manage the pandemic effectively, particularly in its critical early stages.
Promotion of Misinformation: Trump's dissemination of misinformation, especially around the 2020 election results and COVID-19, seems to me to have eroded trust in key institutions, science, and the democratic process. His refusal to concede after the 2020 election and the spreading of unfounded claims of election fraud culminated in the January 6 attack on the Capitol, which I see as a stark warning of the dangers posed by undermining democratic norms.
National Security and Defense Policies: Trump's national security and defense strategies, including abrupt troop withdrawals from strategic areas like Syria and Afghanistan, appeared to me at the time as potentially destabilizing actions that could endanger not just U.S. interests but also those of our allies.
Trade Wars: Trump's approach to trade, particularly his initiation of trade wars with China through tariffs, represents, in my opinion, an unconventional economic policy that could have detrimental long-term effects on the global and U.S. economy. These actions could lead to increased prices for consumers and negatively impact American farmers and manufacturers due to retaliatory tariffs.
Overall, these policies and actions seem to me to be significant departures from conventional approaches in their respective domains, and I'm concerned that they carried risks to U.S. and global stability, public health, and the integrity of democratic processes. But that is just my opinion.
