Recently, we had the extraordinary opportunity to sit down with the twenty-sixth president of the United States and discuss current events. Theodore Roosevelt played a starring role as president and was a world figure during the rise of American power at a critical moment in western history. No one, in our judgment, could provide better analysis and advice concerning contemporary issues and it is our pleasure to welcome him back.<\/p>\n
Thank you Mr. President for joining us again so soon. There\u2019s much we want to ask, given your experience and policies as president. If you don\u2019t mind, we will get right to it.<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019m sure you will agree that presidents frequently have to balance decisions about domestic and foreign policy depending on their immediate urgency. How do you see this now and looking ahead to 2024?<\/strong> Could you share with us the differences you see and be more specific as to why the present strikes you as more challenging than the early 20th century?<\/strong><\/p>\n Clearly the stakes weren\u2019t so high. Neither the war with Spain nor the Russo-Japanese conflict threatened the world order or became so destructive as to decimate whole populations. That came later after Sarajevo in 1914. Indeed, the Great War decimated much of the European population, certainly the young men of the warring countries.<\/em><\/p>\n To the point though, no country or countries had real weapons of mass destruction such as exist today. There were no nuclear bombs. The attack and invasion of Ukraine by the Russians in 2022 resurrected aggression that the world thought it had left behind after the second great war in 1945. What is frightening is that the Russians increasingly threaten to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine and against the West both in their diplomacy or whenever confronted with potential military setbacks. The history of military weaponry tells us that countries will use whatever gives them an advantage regardless of the consequences – submarines, tanks, airplanes, poison gas, or fire bombs, for example. Thinking that only a madman would resort to nuclear weapons gives me little confidence. Unfortunately, there\u2019s no shortage of madmen right now with Putin and Kim Jong Un leading the pack. Either might take the fatal step if they see no other way to prevent losing. Compounding this very real possibility is the fact that the United States is presently in a perilous state. Not since the Civil War have we been so divided and we have Donald Trump, our own madman, driving this discord. Trump is our own worst nightmare. He has no set of beliefs, no allegiance to an ideology and is given to fits of pique that that could lead to national suicide if he is somehow reelected in 2024. The very thought of pulling out of NATO is crazy.The fact that he remains a viable candidate for the presidency is proof that the Republicans have traded their American citizenship for momentary celebrity and power. Trump reminds me of seeing a fat African rhinoceros – mean and evil, something that even the lowest among us knew to avoid. I do know that a soft pansy like him would not have lasted two days out in the Dakota territory back in my days. Two things are clear:<\/em><\/p>\n 1. Don\u2019t let Donald Trump anywhere near the White House again. In sum, he has conflicted domestic policy with foreign affairs making it all but impossible to carry on positive and reasonable government.<\/em><\/p>\n 2. Be bold in regard to nuclear threats by the likes of Putin and Kim Jong Un. The West cannot be held hostage to continued threats of nuclear war indefinitely. Doing so only compounds the threat and serves to reward authoritarian aggression. Fear of war frequently provokes war. I remember too well the lollygagging and foot dragging by President Wilson over the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915. How did that turn out?<\/em> Thank you and may God see us safely through the 2024 election and the near future,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Recently, we had the extraordinary opportunity to sit down with the twenty-sixth president of the United States and discuss current events. Theodore Roosevelt played a starring role as president and was a world figure during the rise of American power at a critical moment in western history. No one, in our judgment, could provide better…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1197","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-by-robert-fischer"],"yoast_head":"\n
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\nWhoa, there\u2019s so much to say, thanks for your kind words. You know that back in my time significant changes were taking place in the world that affected the balance of power among nations. We thought the stakes were high then, but let me say now, right here, that our trepidations were minor compared to what you face in the beginning of the 21st century. Looking back, we had time to work things out, but I\u2019m afraid you don\u2019t have much time as you face far graver threats.<\/em><\/p>\n
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\nHow exactly do you see the United States in this picture?<\/strong><\/p>\n
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\nThank you Mr. President, you have given us a lot to think about. Both your points are well taken, believe me. The second strikes me as requiring more thought given its potential for world disaster. Perhaps you can join us for another sit-down.<\/strong><\/p>\n