The Silver Lining of The Atlantic Articles
It was unfortunate that Jeffrey Goldberg, editor in chief of The Atlantic, was accidentally included in a chat group among President Donald Trump’s top national security officials.
The magazine recently released an article containing the details of discussions among the group on planned attacks on Houthi terrorists in the Middle East. The article was an attempt to smear the Trump administration by showing that his advisors are “amateurs” who have acted recklessly, leaking classified information, and potentially compromising U.S. national security. The original article included the phrase “classified war plans” to suggest the severity of this leak, but this phrase did not appear in a follow-up article that contains the rest of the transcript of the chat.
Does this imply that the phrase “classified war plans” in the original article was misleading? Now, with full disclosure, it’s up to the reader to decide. And the investigation is still underway.
Nonetheless, I see a silver lining in this. This transcript provides a rare window of opportunity for us to observe how Trump’s top advisors interact in private. And through their exchange, we get a better picture of who President Trump is.
What We Can See
Foremost, the transcript reveals that Trump is far from being the “dictator” the Left claims him to be.
Having grown up in an authoritarian country, I’m familiar with the way a dictator behaves and how his demeanor affects the people around him. Those close to one constantly walk on eggshells, never daring to express their own opinions. Knowing their career (and sometimes, their physical survival) depends on pleasing the dictator, they do anything to avoid infuriating him.
Here’s an example.: The Chinese language contains many words that have multiple pronunciations, depending on the context. The ability to pronounce them correctly serves as an indicator of a person’s education and culture. While delivering a speech during a national meeting a few years ago, President Xi Jinping mispronounced such a word — a mistake an educated person never make. But no one there showed the slightest contempt; all pretended they didn’t hear it.
A few days later, another high-level Chinese Communist Party official had to say the same word Xi had read. He first pronounced it correctly — then, remembering the mistake Xi had made, he immediately “corrected” himself and said it the wrong way in order to avoid humiliating Xi and possibly losing his prestigious position. This is how dictatorships work.
Dictatorships are dark places. There is no peaceful relationships with a dictator, especially among his inner circle. To win favor and survive, those close to him spare no effort to trample others under their feet.
The transcript The Atlantic released, however, presents a startling contrast. There is noticeable harmony and camaraderie among Trump’s top advisors. During the chat, no one hesitated to counter views or express misgivings about the topics being discussed, and their candid conversation led to a concerted agreement in the end. If Trump was a dictator, this would not have happened. Even if the advisors had peaceful relationships among themselves, Trump would see their unity as a threat to his power. He’d rather they strive against each other so that he could take advantage to maintain his control.
Responsibility Is the Hallmark of Leadership
In addition, Trump’s response to this crisis bears no resemblance to that of a dictator. So far, he has handled the situation well, admitting that a mistake was made, containing a lesson to be learned. A dictator would never admit getting anything wrong because it –would threaten his power. He rules by fear and manipulation.
There are other signs that Trump does not deserve the label of “dictator.” Many people have predicted that National Security Advisory Mike Waltz, who has taken the blame, will not survive this crisis. Rumor has it that some in the White House have even suggested that Waltz should resign so that Trump will not be put in a “bad position.”
If Trump was a dictator, he would have forced Waltz and others out already, without any hesitation, to save his own face. But Trump is a man of loyalty. Unlike others (like former Vice President Mike Pence), he never throws someone else under the bus to save himself. As White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated, “President Trump continues to have the utmost confidence in his national security team, including National Security adviser Mike Waltz.” Trump himself also told the press, “Michael Waltz has learned a lesson, and he’s a good man.”
A dictator would never be that gracious.
Those insisting on calling Trump a dictator remind me of my childhood friends. They heard the popular derogatory expression “anti-revolutionist,” used by adults during the Cultural Revolution. Without a clear understanding of the meaning of the concept, they simply applied this insult to anyone they didn’t like. (They once called me a “little anti-revolutionist,” so I guess I’ve always had these conservative leanings!).
Like my childhood friends, the American Left is childish and ignorant. Instead of reasoning with them, the better option might be to overlook the noises they make, whether from The Atlantic or elsewhere, and just keep on making America great again.
Chenyuan Snider was raised in Communist China and majored in Chinese language and literature in college. After immigrating to the U.S. and studying at Assemblies of God Theological Seminary and Duke Divinity School, she became a professor at Christian colleges and seminary. She and her husband live in northern California and have two grown children.