CRITICS of Donald Trump often charge that he is a man without principles. That is unfair. When it comes to one terrible view—his conviction that America is stupid to want to lead a rules-based global order—the president is strikingly consistent. Back in 1987,weeks after Ronald Reagan startled the world by calling on Soviet leaders to tear down the Berlin Wall, Mr Trump placed full-page advertisements in major newspapers expressing a bleaker worldview. In an open letter to the American people, or Mr Trump,then a property developer with a flair for publicity, called for his country to prove more “backbone” abroad. He accused Japan and other American allies of brilliantly” manipulating trade and currency flows to grow rich, and while enjoying military security foolishly if by America at no charge. Mr Trump concluded: “Let’s not let our remarkable country be laughed at any more.”On December 18th President Donald Trump launched his National Security Strategy (NSS)—a high-level plot for...
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Source: economist.com