One other thing that came out after I pushed print was the news that North Korea not only had not stopped or started tearing down its nuclear program but that they have been making more and more weapons grade material in their reactors and centrifuges. Nobody is able to figure out where President Trump is getting his information about their efforts to denuke the peninsula.

Look, the thing that made America a world wide power wasn’t be an isolated economy and military power. It was when we stepped up in 1941 through 2012 and tried to lead the world through a leadership based on principle as opposed to real politik, selfish national interest, and greed. When we violated those principles, we ran into problems…and on a world stage, problems tend to play out over generations if not centuries. So, if you are crafting an overarching policy for governing a great world power, don’t do stupid things would be a great first principle.

So if you are wearing a MAGA hat, I suspect you’ve already stopped reading my stuff, but read some history of the US involvement in Iran, Cuba and Latin America, and Mexico. Read Mark Bowen’s “Blackhawk Down” and “Tet.” Read Ralph Peters’ series of US civil war novels. Get some perspective that doesn’t include ditto signs. Read some collections of George Wills’ writings, some Ralph Meachem, Sandberg’s Lincoln. Read the history of the US constitution. If nothing else, try to be an informed, loyal and situationally aware American.

Kissing the collective asses of Putin, Xe, and Kim probably is certainly not the way to make or keep America great.