Guest post by Ted Malloch
The President of the United States came to Britain for a long overdue working visit last week.
What can the Brits (and all European countries for that matter) possibly learn from this US President?
To start with the country post-Brexit, needs to focus on attitude.
Keep calm and carry on, or worse, sulk and take the Brussels – EU beat down, just doesn’t fly. In fact, if Britain does more of the same it won’t just suffer, it will become completely irrelevant. The Brits need a strong dose of confidence and optimism: in America we call this a “can-do” spirit. My advice, muster your inner TRUMP.
Try this on for size—put the GREAT back into Britain.
The UK was, not so long ago, a great power, an economic juggernaut and the center of the universe, yes GMT.
While she has lost power in the post-colonial world and her economy is no longer the world-beater and empire it once was, she is still a player.
Or is she?
Ask this: truthfully, what does Britain want to be for the rest of this 21st century? Now engineer it. Learn from Trump. Take a page from his book.
Please ponder that single question and think about what Trump would do in this situation. WWTD is a new bumper sticker to adhere to every collective British racing green Mini Countryman.
Does Britain want to be a hopeless appendage to the dwindling and feckless globalist, European Union, taking its rules and living under its dictates and courts? Or does it want to be a fully sovereign nation, proud of its past, its historic patrimony, the rule of law, and democratic experience ruled in its own House of Commons?
Does the UK want to be a maker of its own destiny in every sense of the word or a taker, reduced, sorry to say, to an insignificant mid-Atlantic island?
That is a question Trump would answer only one way.
Take a page from his Art of the Deal; cut a favorable deal or walk away and be done with that corrupt Brussels-EU mafia. Pioneer all over the globe as the traders and find new partners, new horizons and far away places, where longstanding values resound, and where Great Britain is respected, not belittled. The Commonwealth is one place to start but also include China, Turkey, and most importantly, your first cousins in America. Yes we will do a deal if you lean our way.
Britain has to work hard again to make its economy free of the shackles of over regulation and use new technologies and human capital both to step up productivity. UK industry, especially medium and small size business, is as good as anywhere. Invest in it. Finance it. Let it pull Britain past all other competitors. Simply believe in yourselves.
Fortunately the UK also has some of the best minds and academic institutions in the entire world. Don’t just boast about them — unleash them and commercialize them to bring you into the workforce of the future, using AI, robots, machine leaning, block chain, drug discoveries and every other new invention to grab the Gold.
Yes, Donald Trump is a disruptive Commander in Chief and CEO of America. He is also patriotic, market oriented, conservative where necessary, and very demanding. He exudes — will power.
Britain could be the same but you will need to move boldly into the future and not remain stuck in or chained to the past or to that unelected supranational body across the channel. Trump would have none of that.
Frankly, you will need fresh political leadership, a Prime Minister who leads, not reacts, and who commands respect from their own party as well as from the larger public. Your present leadership is an unmitigated disaster. Jeremy Paxson, a knowledgeable fellow, calls her the “worst PM in all history.” The last few days have vividly demonstrated how her cabinet has fallen apart. Will her government be next?
“Imagine Trump doing Brexit,” your now former Foreign Minister Boris Johnson said recently, according to a leaked audio recording. “I have become more and more convinced that there is method in his madness.” “He’d go in bloody hard … There would be all sorts of breakdowns, there would be all sorts of chaos. Everyone would think he’d gone mad. But actually you might get somewhere. It’s a very, very good thought,” he said. You need to make this Brexit opportunity successful not stew in your inaction and succumb to inertia and worse, infighting or possible radical socialism.
Donald Trump does not like losers.
He likes winning. In fact as he says himself at those over the top political rallies of his, “You will get so tired of winning under my Presidency.” Britain needs to get a leader with gumption that can seize the future and actually get it where it needs to go. You too could turn your ship around. You could say au revoir to Messr. Barnier and his ilk and rebuild Britain on a sound model of growth, prosperity and open markets. Just do it.
Instead of making Noise Against Trump on London Streets or following its’ inane and disrespecting multicultural mayor, Britain should embrace Trump. Ride his wave. Take his outstretched hand and make the Anglo-American ‘special relationship’ something of value instead of a trinket or worn out bauble.
Don’t pass up this once in a lifetime chance — as it won’t likely come again!
Of course it takes two to tango, as the saying goes, and Britain will not be in the lead. Accept it as it is and dance with Trump. God knows, Theresa May has blown her opportunity, squandered time and a potential relationship that started out with so much potential in the White House Rose Garden well over a year ago.
Truthfully, Trump doesn’t give her the time of day now. As a Remainer, the lame PM seems more content with some sort of continuing relationship with Macron and Merkel, even Juncker, than with her natural ally. This should change. But the way to do so may be to just send her packing. The US wants, needs a real partner — not a weak Girl Friday. Some question whether Trump should even meet with Mrs. May. Skip the working session and see the Queen where he is at least meeting a most durable head of state.
Donald J. Trump is the leader of the free world. He is the best friend Britain has today. Don’t neglect the relationship or him. Wrap yourself around him and Britain too can become exceptional. Turn away, and the next phase for the UK will be to quote its’ own modern political philosopher, Mr. Hobbes, increasingly–nasty, brutish and short.
Ted Roosevelt Malloch is an American, scholar, diplomat and strategist, whose recent book is, The Plot to Destroy Trump.
