April 13, 2017 09:16
The latest terror attacks prove
President Trump is on top of things. But if he wants to make America
great again, he’ll have to implement the next stage of America
First—unite the “United States.”
Despite controversy over whether President Donald Trump should have consulted Congress prior to launching the April 7
missile attack
on the Syrian Shayrat Airbase, whose planes apparently dropped sarin
gas bombs on civilians just three days prior, the general feeling is
that a military response was required.
Two months ago, Carl
Bildt, former Swedish PM, mocked the president following Trump’s
implication that there was a terror attack in Sweden perpetrated by
immigrants. Mr. Bildt tweeted, “Sweden? Terror attack? What has he been
smoking?” Two months later, the current Swedish prime minister
declared
that Sweden will “never go back” to the days of mass migration after an
illegal immigrant killed four people and injured 15 in a truck-ramming
attack in downtown Stockholm.
After months of derision at Trump’s statements that the Obama
administration spied on him and his advisors prior to the election,
Bloomberg’s Eli Lake has
revealed
that Susan Rice, former national security adviser to Barack Obama, did
precisely that. In my view, President Trump has proven that at the very
least, he deserves a chance to lead the country, as former Vice
President Joe Biden
put it last month.
Where to Go from Here
Despite persistent efforts by the likes of CNN and
The New York Times to discredit President Trump, and despite senior individuals within the GOP appearing to
act
like a fifth column, Trump must press forward with his agenda and take
America to the next level. And by “next level,” I mean consolidate,
unite, and fuse the American society into a cohesive whole. As president
of the United States, this is his primary obligation to the American
people, and nothing he can do will earn him more respect in the eyes of
the American people.
The Obama era was one of the most divisive
periods that the US has seen since the end of World War II, if not
longer. The rifts that Donald Trump exposed by his very election have
been in the making for decades. Trump did not create them, but his
election brought them to the surface. Throughout the American society,
accelerated marginalization is occurring, and the center is quickly
shrinking on both sides of the political map. Trump has come to power at
what might be America’s last chance to reunite itself into a society
with a common agenda, common goals, and common agreement on what is good
for America. If he fails, the next president might have to tackle such
problems as states declaring political independence from the central
government, rampant violent clashes between police and civilians, and
other problems more characteristic of Third World countries than of the
leader of the free world.
The fact that Trump was elected proves that despite the media’s attempts
to portray a different picture, the American people are largely behind
him. Just as he went above the media and addressed the American people
directly during the election, as president, he can do this even more
effectively. Steps such as
providing
“historically black colleges and universities a long-awaited boost as
he looks to outdo his predecessors, including the nation’s first
African-American president,” can earn him points and are a step in the
right direction. However, if they are not part of an entire strategy of
connection, they will not produce the desired result.
One of the
President’s main assets is his businesslike approach to governance. He
is willing to make changes both to policy and to personnel. As this is
the case, I would suggest that Trump look into building his cabinet from
people who are committed to the connection of the entirety of the
American people, rather than to promoting a specific political or
sectoral agenda.
The current challenges of American society are
indeed heavy, but a proactive approach can do wonders for them. The
government should not regard problems as isolated crises, but rather as
indicators of disunity in society. Tensions between police and
African-American communities, LGBT issues, growing economic gaps, and
the shrinking middle-class all highlight the lack of mutual
responsibility and the absence of a sense of interconnectedness and
interdependence in society. The mode of work should resemble that of a
healthy family: It has to prioritize, yet without leaving family members
behind. If Trump comes to view the American people the way a healthy
family treats all of its members, there is no doubt America will be
great again.
Trump Can Set a Unique Precedent
There is another element that the president should try to utilize. As
with any administration in the last several decades, that of Donald
Trump is rife with Jews in key positions. It is a common belief that
Jews use financial power to pave their way to the top levels of
administration. Yet, viewing their success as a mere outcome of wealth
misses the key strength of Jews. Jews are at the top primarily because
they are great connectors, making them key figures in the functioning of
every system. In many ways, Jews are like hubs, mediators who help
connect people in order to produce the desired result. The problem is
that every administration uses Jews in order to promote its own agenda.
Trump will set a precedent if he uses them in order to promote an
all-American agenda of unity. Everyone will benefit from this.
There
is a good reason why Jews excel at connecting people. The Jewish people
are the only nation in the world that has an official birthday.
According to the Torah, on the 6th of the Hebrew month of Sivan, in the
year 2488 on the Hebrew calendar (1272 BC),
the Jewish people was pronounced,
having fulfilled the prerequisite of committing to unite “as one man
with one heart.” Henceforth, the rise and fall of the Jewish people
would depend on its level of
adherence to the principle of unity.
For
centuries, the Jews endured countless internal disputes and conflicts.
They overcame them by applying the law that King Solomon succinctly
worded, “Hate stirs strife, and love covers all crimes” (Prov 10:12). At
some point, around the beginning of the Common Era, they lost their
ability to overcome their partisanship and disunity. In consequence, the
alienation between them evolved into such hatred that it brought upon
them the exile from the land of Israel and the ruin of the Temple.
Jews remained experts in connection, but because they no longer wanted
to connect the nation “as one man with one heart,” they used the skill
they had honed for centuries to promote only the interests of their own
coterie. Since political success requires good connections in order to
pave the way to the top, politicians have always kept several Jews
nearby as advisors. The position even has its official, derogatory
title: “Court Jew.” Though more often tied to money lending and banking,
the term also has a lot to do with politics. Just recently, Jonathan
Levi of
Forward Magazine asked,
“Is Jared Kushner the ‘Court Jew’ of Donald Trump’s Realm?” Clearly, it
is not Kushner’s money that President Trump needs. The President feels
he needs Kushner precisely where he has him, as a “senior advisor.”
Making America Great Again
If Trump truly wants to
deliver on his promise to make America great again, he will need to take
a different approach from all his predecessors. This must also require
that the Jews in his administration work differently than in all
previous administrations. To make America great, it must be a united
nation. Trump needs to require that the Jews facilitate connections and
rapport among themselves on both sides of the political map, and
subsequently extend that amity to the rest of the American people.
If
the Jews, who are in key positions on both sides of the map, establish
trust and mutual responsibility among themselves, it will be much easier
for the President to reconcile with the Democratic Party and establish a
government that enjoys the full support of Congress. The longer Trump
waits, the harder it will be for him to operate. Divisive forces such as
Barack Obama, John McCain, and Bernie Sanders will grow stronger
through the relentless push of neoliberal media outlets, which
encompasses nearly all major news media including, to an extent, Fox
News.
For the most part, advisors suggest to a ruler which way to go and what
tactics to embrace at any given situation. But Donald Trump is not your
ordinary president. As a businessman, he understands that in order to
see results, things need to get done. He is a leader and will determine
in what way he wants his advisors’ help. If he is smart, he will tell
them that he wants them to draw up a roadmap leading from the current
partisanship to trust, cooperation, and eventual cohesion of American
society and the political establishment.
This will make America
not only great, but also a role model for all other nations, “a light
unto nations,” if you will. Implementing a plan of this nature will
reverse the negative global trajectory and will guarantee our future,
that of our children, and our children’s children.