Great writers from Dostoevsky to HG Wells have described the challenge of writing great characters in a couple of ways. They must not be static or unchanging characters but people you believe will or are capable of changing and individuals pulled between poles or forces 1/n
I mention this because in a way Trump is an amazing character is the simplistic binary of love or hate on Trump is an injustice to the problem, the mechanics, and what we as observers are capable of. The reality is BOTH that he has said a lot of positive things about 2/n
Brutal autocrats from Saudia Arabia, Russia, and China just to name a few. The reality also however such that his policies largely carry out historical US policies or grudging cooperation with Saudi Arabia, increased pressure on Russia, and absolute reversal on cooperation 3/n
with China being probably the most pro-Taiwan president the US has ever had. Of course we all understandably question his heart behind these moves or whether he would reverse these policies for the right deal. No one can really say what his heart is because it appears so 4/n
Different from the course of policies he has pursued. Further complicating our view of the world is that previous presidents like Obama and Bush said much more congruous and smoothing statements but on policy did little on these issues even though we like to believe their 5/n
Hearts were more aligned with the ideals Trump supports with actual policies even as his mouth frequently says otherwise. As observers of politics we prefer consistency, whether between word and deed or consistency over time of policy direction. In Trump many of these 6/n
Are breaks from historical policies (China/Taiwan) or his oral praise of Xi while his policies twist the knife at every opportunity. We are remiss if we see him, his policies, or his administration as unidimensional. This is not a plea for his redemption or but rather as 7/n
Consumers or influencers of events, we are capable of significantly greater depth of understanding of the events unfolding around. Whether it is Obama, Trump, or others, it benefits to understand these complexities and layers. Trump intrigues us because he is quite a character.
