The United States of America (US) has played the role of the world’s peace officer and its leadership is still vital to world peace. Its foreign policy has been driven by mercy, compassion, and attentiveness to the needs of people trapped in oppression as well as building strong alliances across the globe to push the freedom and democracy agenda. However, these virtues and ideals have been ignored by the current President of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump. Under him, the United States of America has experienced a historic leadership vacuum.

Impotent Potus, defiant autocrats

President Trump has emerged as a Russian and Chinese pawn. Russia recently exercised military power not far from the coastline of the United States of America in brazen intimidation and has repeated this feat at least four times in the last couple of weeks. Apart from trying to chase the United States of America out of the South China Sea, a major international trade route, China has been sending aircraft carriers to the coast of Taiwan, and without mincing words is letting the Taiwanese know that they will be re-subjugated to the tyranny of Beijing. It has also engaged in border skirmishes with India.

Maduro’s case: no return to regime change tactics

The era of state-sponsored regime change is in the past. American leadership should not return to this practice and should not encourage Corporate America to do so. Corporate America, another brash feature of what is wrong with the United States of America, attempted an unsuccessful coup in Venezuela. Big Business tried plotting regime change in the South American nation on the cheap. It hired just two mercenaries to kidnap President Maduro. Instead, the coup failed miserably and both soldiers of fortune were arrested at their hotel before their poorly plotted coup could take place.

Known for the wrong reasons

Regime change in Venezuela is not recommended. There are other ways of tackling the despots in our backyard. Nature hates a vacuum. If we pull out from the world stage rogue states like China and Russia will extend their despotic influence. However, the United States of America is increasingly in disrepute for its obsessive “law and order” policies and its ever-growing military presence. This must change if the United States of America will play its leading role in world peace.  It must maintain military presence elsewhere but for the right reasons.

Russia and China aware America is currently without leadership

Trump has been more focused on his re-election than being the President of the United States of America. He has gone as far as asking the President of Communist China, Xi Jinping, for help to win the November 2020 elections. Xi knows Trump is not a threat and Russia’s autocrat, Vladimir Putin, knows this too. Trump is just a businessman looking for hustle or the next buck for his wallet. He is too busy tweeting to accurately read reports or be a statesman.

A national embarrassment

The President of the United State of America has become a national embarrassment, picking fights with normal people and practically promoting racism and the Grand Old Party has unfortunately encouraged this. The Executive Arm of Government of the United States of America must field policies that address the country’s most pressing national issues and strengthen alliances. This has largely not been the case under an ill-advised Trump. What has happened is the Presidential office manic-maneuvering to pay homage to corporate donors. The United States of America last experienced a similar situation during the robber baron surge of the late 1800s.

Reckless leadership

Trump has instead shown more interest in getting campaign contributions through the unethical and unpublished bailout money that he and former bankster, Steven Mnuchin, have been throwing at Big Business. Trickle-down has only caused hardship and chaos for most Americans since Reagan promoted the worst economic policies the American people or the world for that matter have ever known! Interestingly, the poor citizens of this country are being corralled into more trump rallies. Right in the middle of a world pandemic and the man could care less. There could be nothing more reckless than a leader who puts his purported supporters in harm’s way.

When loyalty is a twisted false bravado spectacle

Loyalty is a twisted false bravado spectacle when the coronavirus is just getting into high gear. Sure it’s great to drum up crazed support around the country but it’s alarming that the man Trump is doing it and all the while thinking it’s OK. Collective attention on the needs of the nation is crucial. The problems the United States of America faces include attacks on civil liberties, racial divisions, economic mayhem, a poor health system and its declining global hard power and leadership.

Filling the leadership vacuum

There are many things that Trump could do to promote and exercise leadership but he can’t and won’t do it, because he knows his Presidency is a charade. This begs the question of whether the leadership vacuum in the United States of America can be filled again. Do Americans have to live in dread with the ghastly looming specter of trump’s next catastrophe or potential nuclear strike because of Trump’s rabid hatred of Iran or his lazy policies for world peace? The United States of America must return to rebuilding stronger relations with its allies strained by the current lack of presidential commitment.

Where to now for American democracy

The strength of American democracy lies in its ability to recycle its leadership. This can, however, not translate into putting up with a bad leader while hoping not to be killed by him. However, the November 2020 elections are around the corner. Americans will have to make the right choice. The American flag has flown low in the last four years. Whether it remains there or returns to flying high and shining bright will depend on how Americans will vote on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.