[Kim Seong-kon] The world according to Trump

Once again, Americans have elected Donald Trump as the leader of their country for the next four years. As the New York Times headline said, “his comeback victory signals a different kind of country” and it seems that Americans still want change.

The world is now watching the deja vu while pondering the future of America and its allies. Supporters of Trump must be joyous because they believe that Trump will "make America great again” by banning undocumented immigrants, boosting America’s economy by imposing high customs taxes on imported products, and creating jobs by reshoring and demanding foreign companies build factories on US soil.

On the contrary, those who did not vote for Trump may be worried about the possibility of Trump’s political vendetta, defying democracy and even tyranny, considering Trump’s style in his first term in the White House. We believe that Trump will not do such things. His comeback does not mean “Return of Django,” who seeks revenge.

Of course, Donald Trump will continue to pursue his ideas and visions of what America is in his second term. However, we hope that he will be different from his first term when he had to push his plans hard and in haste to show the outcome fast. Now, he has the generosity and composure of a second-time winner and thus does not need to alter everything hastily and radically.

He can also put an end to people’s anxieties by trying to heal the psychic wounds of the American people caused by the polarity of their society as he promised in his victory speech. Then he will be a successful president to be sure.

In his second term, we hope that Trump will show moderation while pursuing his slogans, “America First” and “Make America Great Again.” Otherwise, America will keep suffering domestic bipolarity on the one hand and overseas hostility on the other. If so, America will end up being isolated in the global village.

The problem is that without its allies’ strong support, America will lose both its influence in the international community and its reputation as a highly esteemed country. Moreover, “isolation” will not make America great again.

Donald Trump is known to have both strengths and weaknesses. One of his strengths stems from his fresh image as a non-professional politician. Indeed, Trump can definitely give a sparkling new image to those tired of banal politicians who, they think, are corrupt, deceptive and untrustworthy.

One of Trump’s weaknesses is his mindset of a businessman who tends to perceive the world in terms of profits and deficits only. Indeed, the world according to Trump seems to be made of the countries that can give profits to America and those that cannot. Such a perception can be beneficial in business, but not in international politics or diplomacy which require subtlety and discretion.

Indeed, countries are different from companies or business corporations. Politics and diplomacy are much more complex and sophisticated than simply making business deals. In the relationship among countries, you should value friendship, value-sharing and alliance.

For example, in the eyes of a businessman, the deployment of the US Army in South Korea may look absurd unless South Korea pays all the costs. In the eyes of professional politicians, however, the US army in South Korea serves the US foreign policy, as well, which wants to deter the influence of China, Russia and North Korea in East Asia. Besides, South Korea is a leading country in the shipbuilding industry and thus, can be a pivotal base for the US Navy in the Pacific Ocean. Indeed, both countries can be of help to each other in many respects.

In addition, a political leader with a business mindset may think he can give up small profits for greater profits. Giving up Ukraine for nominal peace with Russia may be an example. Giving up Taiwan or South Korea can be another if he does it for the greater profits of his country when he negotiates with China and North Korea. Such a notion is dangerous because it is what radical socialists insist: “Lesser good can be sacrificed for greater good or a grand cause.”

If Trump can overcome his businessman viewpoints and see things from a professional diplomat’s or a politician’s perspective instead, he will surely become a highly esteemed leader of America and the world.

It is undeniable that America has lost respect considerably due to the above two slogans because they were pushed too hard in the past. We hope that Trump will restore “esteem” from other countries by showing them that those slogans do not mean the extreme egocentrism of America. We also hope that the world according to Trump is not simply made of profit-givers and deficit-causers.

If President-elect Trump considers the above things, surely it will “make America great again” during his second term in the White House.

Kim Seong-kon

Kim Seong-kon is a professor emeritus of English at Seoul National University and a visiting scholar at Dartmouth College. The views expressed here are the writer’s own. -- Ed.

World according to Trump as leader with business mindset

(koreadherald@heradcorp.com)