Thomas Friedman Has Given Up on Politics — but Not on the World
Feb 20, 2025
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Thomas L. Friedman, a renowned Opinion columnist for the New York Times and expert in global affairs, delves into Trump’s unpredictable foreign policy. He discusses the troubling implications of Trump cutting deals without consulting Ukraine during the Russia conflict. Friedman likens political decisions under Trump to a high-stakes casino game, shedding light on the transactional nature of modern governance. He emphasizes the need for accountability among leaders while navigating today's chaotic geopolitical landscape, drawing parallels with influential figures like Putin.
Trump’s transactional view of international relations risks undermining long-standing alliances and global stability through simplistic, deal-driven approaches.
The podcast highlights the dangers of leadership ignorance, showing how uninformed decisions can escalate geopolitical tensions and lead to conflict.
Deep dives
Radical Foreign Policy Questions
Donald Trump's approach to international relations involves asking radical questions about longstanding conflicts, particularly those related to the Israeli-Palestinian issue and the Ukraine war. He challenges the status quo by suggesting drastic solutions that provoke essential debates about the effectiveness of current policies. However, this approach is often marred by a lack of thorough understanding, leading to potentially dangerous assumptions about what can realistically be achieved. The combination of his willingness to disrupt and his apparent naivety raises concerns about the implications of his ideas on both international stability and U.S. interests.
Transactional Worldview
Trump's worldview is heavily transactional, viewing relationships with other nations as mere deals to be negotiated rather than complex interactions grounded in shared values. This perspective leads him to see countries as either beneficial allies or obstacles to be maneuvered around, often disregarding the importance of collective international stability. Such an approach risks undermining alliances, particularly with Europe, which has historically been a crucial partner for the U.S. in terms of political and economic cooperation. The inherent danger lies in his lack of recognition for the long-term costs associated with breaking up these alliances, which could lead to increased global instability.
Implications of Ignorance in Leadership
The discussion emphasizes the significant dangers posed by ignorance in leadership, particularly through historical precedents that highlight the catastrophic outcomes of uninformed decisions. The conversation points out that leaders, including Trump and Putin, often operate in low-information environments that prevent them from grasping the broader consequences of their actions. This ignorance can lead to failed strategies and unintended provocations, exacerbating geopolitical tensions rather than resolving them. As such, the analysis suggests that the most underestimated force in international relations can often be simple stupidity, which has the potential to escalate conflicts to dangerous levels.
President Trump appears ready to cut a deal that could end Russia’s war in Ukraine without ever consulting Ukraine. In this episode, the deputy Opinion editor Patrick Healy talks to the Opinion columnist Thomas L. Friedman about Trump’s unpredictable approach to foreign policy.
Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.
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