The breakdown of norms at home undermines democracy, in foreign
affairs it undermines security. Americans must hold the president to
account
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Donald Trump: this is not normal.
Photograph: Carolyn Kaster/AP
This is not normal.
In the age of President Donald Trump,
it is necessary to repeat this mantra constantly. The ways in which
Trump breaks norms and shocks the conscience overwhelm America’s
capacity to process each event with the appropriate level of outrage and
accountability. America’s attention too often moves from one story to
the next like sports highlights. Slowly, surely, America’s norms are
stripped away.
The legal system is beginning to hold Trump and his associates
accountable, evidenced by the guilty pleas, convictions and indictments
emanating from the special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation
into Russian election interference in 2016. Other Trump actions and
policies have sparked countless lawsuits, from those challenging emoluments to the travel and asylum bans. However imperfect the system, breaking the law can have consequences.
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The penalty for breaking norms, however, isn’t so simple. Presidents
are not supposed to continue their private business while in office,
attack the media as the “enemy of the people” or talk about throwing political opponents in jail. None of this is normal. But it’s not necessarily illegal.
When it comes to national security, it is much easier to discard
norms. There are laws governing the conduct of US national security
policy, but norms are an essential part of the glue that keeps America
safe. Trump has taken aim at those norms.
US foreign policy has long recognized that alliances with democracies
advance US interests, and that grudging partnerships with autocracies
are to be managed. But Trump treats autocrats like friends, and friends
like enemies. He defends Russia’s President Vladimir Putin against the
US intelligence community; defends the Saudi Arabian autocrat Mohammed
bin Salman, who is accused of ordering the murder of a journalist; and
defends the systematic human rights abuses of the North Korean dictator,
Kim Jong-un, even saying
he wishes the American people would treat Trump with the same deference
the North Korean people are forced to show Kim. Meanwhile, Trump picks
fights with the leaders of Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom.
This
is not normal. America should debate how best to uphold its values in
its foreign policy, not whether those values have a role to play.
Despite periods of xenophobia, America at its best is a country
welcoming of foreigners – the Statue of Liberty greets immigrants with
the words: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning
to breathe free.” But Trump is closing America to those yearning to
breathe free. Trump has drastically reduced the number of refugees
allowed to enter the US, imposed an arbitrary travel ban, is attempting
to curb legal immigration, and sent the US military to the border with
Mexico to respond to a group of desperate people fleeing violence and
poverty.
This is not normal. America can debate the contours of the best
immigration policy, but it should not undermine America’s spirit as a
land of opportunity.
While climate change has become a partisan issue – with conservatives
often denying its existence or extent – US policy should be driven by
facts, and facts make clear that manmade climate change is imperiling
life on earth. The entire world agrees – except for Trump. Climate
change is one of the only existential threats the world faces, and Trump
is actively working to make it worse.
This is not normal. America should debate the best way to tackle climate change, not its existence.
America has never had to question whether its president prioritized
the country’s interests above all else. But with Trump, it increasingly
looks like the president is compromised by Russia. While laws may have
been broken (Mueller is on the case), the very idea of a compromised
president is shocking. We already know that: Trump asked Russia to find
Hillary Clinton’s emails in 2016; Trump attempted to do business with
Vladimir Putin during the campaign; Trump regularly takes Putin’s side
over US intelligence agencies; a number of Trump’s senior aides are
guilty of crimes related to dealings with Russia; and Trump regularly
attacks US law enforcement for investigating Trump’s connections to
Russia. Trump is acting like he is compromised.
This is not normal. America should debate the best way to protect
itself from Russia – it should not have to debate whether the president
is in Russia’s pocket.
And no national security decisions should be made on the fly by
tweet. Decisions about how to safeguard America require extensive
deliberation within the US government and public. But Trump often makes
major national security decisions – such as removing US troops from
Syria or meeting with Kim – on a whim, surprising US officials and
endangering US interests.
This
is not normal. America needs substantive debate about policies and
should not have to wonder whether decisions are made on a whim by
Trump’s “very, very large brain”.
American history is filled with dark periods, from the wars against
Native Americans to slavery, the internment of Japanese Americans to the
oppression of women and minorities. But America has also been a beacon
to the world, as evidenced by the large numbers of people who have
sacrificed much to come to these shores. America has continually worked
to improve itself, over time building norms and laws that help protect
this country.
The breakdown of norms at home undermines democracy. The breakdown of
norms in foreign affairs undermines American security. That is why
Americans must continue to remind themselves that what they are seeing
right now is not normal and hold Trump to account with vigorous
congressional oversight and vocal public pushback.
The breakdown of norms at home undermines democracy. The breakdown of
norms in foreign affairs undermines American security. That is why
Americans must continue to remind themselves that what they are seeing
right now is not normal and hold Trump to account with vigorous
congressional oversight and vocal public pushback.
*************** you can go directly to the Guardian to read this yourself. I read 3
newspapers, watch BBC and SKY, plus BBC Radio4 every day. Tweets should
not rule us, and Facebook is not our master either. THINK FOR YOURSELF
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