# What actions has Trump taken to specifically hurt / help America **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 7, 2019, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actions-has-trump-taken-to-specifically-hurt-help-america/835159 "2019-06-07T09:00:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2019, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actions-has-trump-taken-to-specifically-hurt-help-america/835159/41 "2019-06-09T18:50:02Z")
Trump is a buffoon. However, I am not entirely sure a ‘reliable America’ reputation is good for us. We have been taken advantage of for decades in Military support in Europe from our NATO allies. We have faced Islamic extremism with the sorry aid of lukewarm Muslim allies using our interests as a pawn in their local games. Other nations can pay their way. If Abe changes the Japanese constitution to build a functional deterant on their dime. Good. It’s their burden also and 70 year old beefs can be set aside . ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2019, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actions-has-trump-taken-to-specifically-hurt-help-america/835159/42 "2019-06-09T19:08:12Z")
If Trump’s legacy is haphazardly and unintentionally dismantling US hegemony I am ok with that. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2019, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actions-has-trump-taken-to-specifically-hurt-help-america/835159/43 "2019-06-09T19:11:06Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > The one positive thing that I’d been aware of that Trump had done was to okay burning the poppy fields in Afghanistan. > > I’ve just checked and apparently - for unknown reasons - that never happened and instead they tried to track down drug processing labs and take those out. That was so difficult to pull off that they’ve now given it up. > > I’d be strongly curious to know what caused the change. Bribery, corruption, etc is always the best guess there. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2019, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actions-has-trump-taken-to-specifically-hurt-help-america/835159/44 "2019-06-09T19:21:42Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > If Trump’s legacy is haphazardly and unintentionally dismantling US hegemony I am ok with that. That’s like saying that you’d be okay with someone dismantling the scaffolding that was put into place to build the dam, but not asking the question of whether the dam is able to stand on its own yet. I would generally agree that it’s probably for the best that the US not hold the hegemony - not with the current global legal framework and internal election setup, at any rate - but right now is not the moment, let alone moving that direction haphazardly and unintentionally. If the option was American hegemony or “no need nor way for anyone to have a hegemony” then sure. But right now, _someone_ will have the hegemony. If we abandon it, it’s not going to stay open. If you think it’s so hard and horrible having to be the 800 pound gorilla all the time, you might want to think about what life will be like as **not** the 800 pound gorilla before you step down. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2019, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actions-has-trump-taken-to-specifically-hurt-help-america/835159/45 "2019-06-09T19:28:24Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > That’s like saying that you’d be okay with someone dismantling the scaffolding that was put into place to build the dam, but not asking the question of whether the dam is able to stand on its own yet. > > I would generally agree that it’s probably for the best that the US not hold the hegemony - not with the current global legal framework and internal election setup, at any rate - but right now is not the moment, let alone moving that direction haphazardly and unintentionally. > > If the option was American hegemony or “no need nor way for anyone to have a hegemony” then sure. But right now, _someone_ will have the hegemony. If we abandon it, it’s not going to stay open. > > If you think it’s so hard and horrible having to be the 800 pound gorilla all the time, you might want to think about what life will be like as **not** the 800 pound gorilla before you step down. I disagree hegemony is necessary for global order. I disagree someone else will have it inevitably. I would even go so far as to say it is bad for the US in the long term. The world will have to learn to cooperate internationally more. Sucks for them, but that’s part of the sovereign nation deal. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actions-has-trump-taken-to-specifically-hurt-help-america/835159.md?page=2)