So there was this Atlantic item from 2017 on the shocking history of America First.

See the Smithsonian Magazine for more on that.

Then I was amused by a tweet from distinguished British historian Simon Schama, but not so amused by the POTUS in his latest tweets, which rather confirm Simon Schama’s judgement: “He’s mad as a hatter, utterly off his trolley; discount stand-up one minute bar-room ranting looney the next. Drivel and gibberish pouring out. Can anyone listen to this and think he should be POTUS for another HOUR much less 4 years… ?” Nice turn of phrase there!

And POTUS?

My rant follows.

This Atlantic article dates back to 2017 — but as ABC’s latest Planet America has recently noted, this election is full of  déjà vu!

And here is a history lesson to keep in mind when some of us, both Left and Right even among my Facebook friends, try to justify Donald Trump by saying “at least he hasn’t started any wars.” America First and Isolationism did not look so good from an Australian viewpoint back in the 1940s when I was born. But take a look back for yourself!

Trump has been a total zone of chaos in foreign policy — as so many have pointed out. That recently, we are told, Chinese military have been told to “prepare for war” is more than partly due to Trump’s wild gyrations on the subject of China. Trump’s rhetoric has too often been a game of chicken — and not only with China. He often backs down, admittedly, but I do wish he was not quite so cavalier in his treatment of expert opinion, in his (alleged) imperviousness to or inability to read expert briefings, and in his often inflammatory language and deployment of “alternative facts”.

The contribution of Trump to world order is highly debatable. His contribution to exemplifying and condoning antidemocratic authoritarianism much less so.

Yes, I have not got around to Israel yet! This post is long enough! But I will say that the significance of the “normalisations” has been greatly hyped up — as also suits Netanyahu, who however did not endorse Trump’s swipe at “Sleepy Joe” about the Sudan (NOT an Arab nation) one.

At least I did not say — though I should have — that Trump is “The most despicable excuse for a President that we have ever had in my memory.” But this woman from Georgia did less than a day ago.

About that I said:

Real people. Not actors, not spin doctors, not partisan shills, and certainly not CGI! All have been suggested. I do not agree with every word said by people in this series, but I certainly recognise authenticity when I see it, or certainly hope so! I prefer these to the Lincoln Project products which seem to me over-partisan and too “professional”.

This woman’s experience speaks volumes. And she is utterly right — that Trump is systematically DESTROYING the delicate checks and balances that have thus far distinguished the US system.

“I beg, I besiege anyone who has not yet made up their mind to please vote, not only for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, but vote a blue ticket all the way down the line, because those members of the Senate and those members who are seated in the House of Representatives, are complicit…. The most despicable excuse for a President that we have ever had in my memory.”

I hope US friends heed that message. It isn’t any of my business as an Australian — except that it is because it determines the state of the world we live in, including obviously Australia, even Wollongong.