G.M Shahidul Alam
Strange happenings in the United States recently might well have left many in that country (and other nations) wondering what next from the President of that country, Donald J. Trump. If nothing else, he has, on more than one occasion, shown a propensity for increasing restlessness off and on. The summoning of thousands of senior generals and admirals of the U.S. military from all over the world (forget the expense, the Department of Defense has enough moolah to be able to afford the comings and goings associated with the conference). It was an impressive show of military power (one can figure out the weaponry and their proficiency). Well, Russia, China, and a few others are there that have to be kept an eye on.
Back to Trump. He called the meeting and delivered a long-winded speech aimed primarily at the generals and admirals. Whether he or his Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, was on a mission to overhaul their country’s military culture (including mentioning in a booming voice the “fat” generals and troops), one can speculate on. Any conflict on the horizon? Or limbering up of the brass? Well, belligerent words do keep coming out of Trump and other senior officials, and the wrong move from someone could well get the drumrolls into a fever pitch.
The intriguing part of the speech (the generals and admirals there must have heard similar lambasting from senior officers and trainers at some point in their careers) was the President singling out CNN as a lying medium out to get him. He actually mentioned the word “liar” (or its synonyms) on multiple occasions as he was delivering this long-winded harangue that did not seem to unduly discomfort the CNN contingent covering the event. So, it was a good opportunity for the President to at least air his tirade at the respected global news channel for reporting on other issues that did not flatter Trump.
It was really a pointed sideshow to the main event of projecting his vision for a very powerful United States, projecting a mighty military machine dominating the rest of the world- taking on Russia and China, and seemingly underpinning the critics’ blow, as a move to recruit generals and admirals to his political cause.
The Founding Fathers must be rolling in their graves to be presented with such a plan that, except for lame excuses in its support, should be turning aghast those Englishmen and their brethren from other parts of Great Britain who had sailed for the new land precisely to generally escape monarchical rule and live in a new land to live free.
Trump may well be contemplating (and has already set some examples of the mindset) that American cities should be military training grounds. That is the way it is today, as Trump might well have introduced some form of hybrid warfare that entails resorting to different methods from regular warfare, with the introduction of various paramilitaries that could be reconciled with fright. Ah, the land of the free and the home of the brave! And the United States of America that has even been grudgingly admired by foes for practising democracy and its operations for a long time!
But, could it be reconciled with fright?
Donald J. Trump is predictable in his unpredictability. Haranguing a respected global media channel at a military is both strange and worrying. The use of armed strength on one’s own people, reared in a tradition of freedom of speech that is praised by many across the globe, would be a disaster in the eyes of the world, but more crucially, to the people of the United States. It could be a dubious example to set for other democracies to digest. And that would be a travesty for a lot of people across the globe.
The writer is an MALD (Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy) and PhD (Universtiy of Boston)
