ChJoe wrote:
If we end up in a war, I blame Obama. He's the one who has stirred up all the racism world wide, empowering radical Islam, negotiating with Islamic terrorists, releasing terrorists, etc, etc.
I mean, seriously, Trump had all kinds of opportunities to go to war and yet he didn't.
Obama "stirred up racism"? "empowered radical Islam"? I don't see it.
As for "negotiating with Islamic terrorists", wouldn't that description fit Reagan better?
(It's a curious thing, but in this country (the U.S.A.) one doesn't often hear about "negotiating with Jewish terrorists" or other countries "negotiating with American terrorists".)
I think you are right about Trump not going "to war" in the conventional sense of "going to war". And that is one good thing about the Trump presidency. I'm glad the U.S. didn't go to war in that sense. But I think any other recent president (except George W. Bush) or any other recent presidential candidate would have done as well in that.
However, he (Trump) empowered a lot of hatred and bigotry, and he "aided and abetted" the Covid-19 virus, and he did all he could to destroy democracy. It's not clear to me how this stacks up against a conventional "going to war" -- which is worse or better.
But at least my children aren't getting shot at yet, nor having to kill for somebody else's excuse for a war. And for this I'm happy. None of my immediate family has any long-term effects from Covid yet either; I hope their good health continues.
Trump was involved (being the primary instigator) with the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection (which isn't entirely over yet) but so far that doesn't look like a conventional war (though pretty close to it, on Jan. 6 -- maybe the difference has been a matter of luck).
We still don't know whether there will be a war ("civil-" or otherwise) coming later as a result of the Trump presidency; for example, North Korea or Russia or even China might start one as a development stemming, in part, from the Trump presidency. The effects of presidential terms are not self-contained in neat four-year packages. The most likely war stemming from the Trump presidency would probably be a civil war within the U.S. I bet Russia would be proud if that occurs. And some other countries might be happy about it too.
Another _good_ thing about the Trump presidency is that he didn't actually personally shoot anybody gratuitously while in office. (Nor, in Trump's case, while not in office.) But I think all the other presidents could claim the same distinction. I wonder how the next Republican presidency will turn out?