"We're a poor country now - a debtor nation," Donald Trump told the editorial board of The Washington Post only a few months ago. But that hasn't stopped him promising more of everything in the military sphere today, including a quick fix for the security challenge posed by the so-called Islamic State.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
When pressed, Trump often promises to compel other nations to pay for his extravagant commitments. But this presumes that American diplomatic standing remains robust despite the nation's changed economic circumstances. Simply insisting it can be done and will be done is not a program.
Trump and his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton took turns to address the question of national security at a time when challengers to the established order - both states like Russia and non-state actors - are pushing to see what they can get away with. It is no, surprise, therefore, that both candidates for the US presidency are keen to project an image of strength and reliability, and to portray their opponent as reckless and unstable.
Martial language comes easily to leaders in the wake of terrorist atrocities, as the French have already shown. But the current wave of Islamist terrorism relies for its success on more than military confrontation. It also seeks to undermine confidence in the institutions and the freedoms that nations like France, the US and Australia have sought to embody, and to do this it often enlists the worst counter-terrorist impulses of Western leaders themselves.
So perhaps a glimmer of hope can be found in a small but significant move by the White House's current occupant, to show that there is more to this fight than fighting. There is also the cultivation of our own garden, and all those who grow in it.