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Trump’s need for instant gratification could have serious long-term consequences

In the late 1960s and early ’70s, researchers at Stanford University performed a simple but powerful experiment. Children were put in a room with a single marshmallow in front of them. The kids were told that if they waited 15 minutes to eat the marshmallow, while the researcher left them alone with it, they would be rewarded with a second marshmallow. But if they ate it before the researcher returned: no more marshmallows.

Some kids scarfed it down as soon as the door clicked shut, unable to resist. Others showed more self-control, patiently waiting for their eventual reward. And the researchers found something striking as they monitored those same kids over the next years and decades: Those who resisted the immediate temptation of that first marshmallow did better in school and were generally more successful throughout life.

These days, we have a president who routinely fails the Marshmallow Test. Impulse overrules patience. Instant gratification outweighs long-term planning. So long as the right headline crosses the morning cable news screens today, it doesn’t matter what the long-term costs might be.

We see evidence of President Trump’s short-termism on a daily basis: the reckless tweets where he can’t stop himself from lashing out at his critics or taking cheap shots at some celebrity, or the abrupt hiring and firing decisions that so often seem dictated by momentary whim.

In domestic contexts, the consequences of Trump’s apparently spontaneous decision-making often present themselves quickly — as when his dismissal of FBI Director James B. Comey almost immediately backfired by triggering the appointment of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III.

In foreign policy, though, the ramifications of a decision might take years to play out. The return home of American prisoners from North Korea at 3 a.m. makes for a great photo op. Tearing up the Iran deal on television offers a dramatic break to be cheered by supporters. Moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem affords an occasion for celebration among conservative Republicans and Israeli nationalists. But all of these highly telegenic moves could easily have destructive effects farther down the road, likely long after the favorable publicity has evaporated.

International affairs don’t play out as straightforwardly as the Stanford experiment. We don’t know what will happen if we engage in instant gratification rather than patient, strategic planning. But what is clear is that Trump’s presidency is defined by the unending pursuit of minor short-term “wins” — so long as the far more serious consequences are both delayed and diffuse.

This instinct is almost certainly tied to Trump’s reality-television stardom. It doesn’t matter what happens after the cameras stop rolling. Trump injected that mentality into politics. Who cares what happens down the road? What we are experiencing is the presidency of the now.

Now, it’s true that all presidents like photo ops. But Trump is different by an order of magnitude. This is the president who has tweeted 268 times about “crowds,” 263 times about “ratings” — and only three times about “human rights.”

Ask any of Trump’s supporters whether they think Trump’s foreign policy is going well and they’ll look at you like a fool for even questioning it. “Haven’t you seen how he’s won in North Korea?” Or, “Didn’t you see him rip up Obama’s Iran deal?”

To be sure, you can see Trump’s “wins.” Trump’s foreign policy achievements are easily and instantly broadcast.

What we can’t and don’t see, however, is how much we’re losing over the long run.

In pursuing impulsive short-term victories, Trump has savaged the world’s view of the United States. Between President Barack Obama’s departure and the first six months of Trump’s presidency, confidence in U.S. leadership fell 75 percent in Germany; 71 percent in South Korea; 70 percent in France; 57 percent in Britain; and 54 percent in Japan. This past week, after Trump torched transatlantic trust by unilaterally violating the terms of the Iran deal, the highly respected German magazine Der Spiegel, wrote an editorial proclaiming that “our relationship to the United States cannot currently be called a friendship and can hardly be referred to as a partnership. President Trump has adopted a tone that ignores 70 years of trust.” In most of Europe, Trump is a tragic punchline, not a statesman who leads the West.

But in concrete terms, what does that actually mean? And does anyone care? Where’s the photo op that underscores how our closest allies no longer trust our word after Trump has backed out of several international commitments? Where’s the footage of the transatlantic alliance slipping Titanic-like into an ocean that now seems wider than ever before?

Unfortunately, it’s not just European alliances that are being severed or downgraded by Trump’s lack of impulse control. Even if Trump’s meeting with Kim Jong Un next month offers yet another short-term win, there’s a serious risk that any concessions offered by Trump will be wholly unacceptable to one of our most crucial Asian allies — Japan.

Trump’s America First rhetoric increasingly means America Alone, and the United States is significantly weaker without allies. As China rises and Russia accelerates its chaos-inducing aggression, the United States needs all the help it can get. Proverbially, we need two marshmallows, but Trump is already busy chewing the first one while we all watch – and some of us cheer.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/demo...m=.a1c0795d02dd

Notice all the people pointing out americans past and saying we are an evil country - are the same ones that were up in arms when trump said "we aint so innocent either". Hypocrisy once again at its finest on the side of the Dems

If Israel announced it is laying down its weapons and will fight no more, what do you think would happen? Annihilation.

If the Palestinians did the same, what do you think would happen? Peace.

This is a shame. Nikki Haley is one of the few Trump appointees that I really like and think has a bright future.

Why do you think it is a shame?

Because she should stay and hear them out. That's what you do as an adult, especially in a position as important as hers.

If I'm not correct, the walk out happened months ago.

I've lost a lot of respect for Haley over the Israel/Palestine issue though. We should send her over to Gaza for a month and see if her feelings change on everything.......... I bet they would

We have heard them out for 30 years and no progress has been made.
The Position of the United States today is the Palestinian government is out, we side completely with Israel.

This is an attempt to show them what happens when they refuse to negotiate in good faith by only wanting Israel destroyed and the Jews dead.

This may bring them to the negotiation table again in the future after having had to do things on their own.

If not, we are back to where we have been with them for 30 years.

new, improved.


She's pretty much destroyed any hope of that, now that she carries that familiar 'Eau De Trump' around with her everywhere she goes.

Yea, I am sure she just decided to walk out on her own.

I am sure you think we should have people in high positions who run National Security issues their way, to heck with what the boss wants.

I am sure when the boss is negotiating a new contract with a new company that DC undermines him and does not show a united front.

Jeez.

Post of the thread.
Quoted for emphasis.
Truth in print.
All else is myopic propaganda or worse, willful ignorance

While she did walk out of another meeting a few months ago, this story was about how Palestine was asking the UNSC to condemn Israel for murdering so many people the other day.

Your ignorance is so freaking hysterical. Trump literally pulled the rug out from under her last month on Russian sanctions. They actually got into a public spat about it, where Trump said she "misspoke" and she quipped right back and says she never misspeaks.

Reading is one thing; comprehension is another. You've just proven that you're only good at one.


Doesn't matter what she decided or why or when.
Her first miscalculation was saying 'yes' to a job which featured this amoral goon as her boss.

Hence, my point: she will forever carry his stink wherever she goes, and his taint will be part of her resume until she's planted 6 feet southward.

You can share in some of that as well, since you willingly choose to wave trUmp-colored pom poms every day.

So this is the second time she's done this..... (Thank you for correcting me)

Gotta love our unbiased approach.




As I said, she should spend a month in Gaza. Maybe visit the hospitals. Live like the locals. When in Rome...............

It'd be a real reality check

You have shown your hate for President Trump has once again clouded your rational thinking.

Haley works for the President because she wants to. End of story.

She is gone if he says so. She is there because he said so. She walks out because he say to.

The only things she can do on her own is give advice to the President and resign.

She represents National Policy to the UN.

For some reason I thought 40 would weigh more than that.

So let me get this straight....

Hamas is a murdering terrorist group giving hundreds of human shields a death sentence to protect the terrorists from getting their arses whacked while inciting the deadly protests knowing the lib Trump and U.S.A. haters will help spin their innocence around the world and blame the U.S for all of its problems .

Maybe the real guestion that should be asked how many does Hamas want killed to get their point across

j\c

So far, according to the body count, they have a lot of catching up to do. But then, when you use rocks and they use bullets in response, you'll have that from time to time.

"well, I know is them Palestinians be believing what they be believing. cause they fight a tank, with a rock. Now I aint no punk, but if a dude got a tank, and all I got is a rock....I believe what he believe. I mean, dang, his god must love him, he done give him a tank! Mine done sent me out here with a rock! A......dirt rock. "

DL Hughely on this very subject - paraphrased.

That's the funny thing about terrorism. Who you believe the terrorists are is a matter of perspective. I mean if someone kicked you out of your country you would probably consider them the terrorists.

Not really. I don't think anyone believes outside of isis that isis are not terrorist.

like 40 pointed out, if one side laid down their arms - there would be peace. If the opposite laid down their arms, there would be mass murder and torture. Seems pretty easy to depict who is on the right side.

If we would have laid down our arms in 1776 there would have been peace.

So you think Hamas orchestrated this whole thing? Forced people, against their will, to go out there to protest the United States recognition of the City of Jerusalem as part of the State of Israel? Using these people as Human Shields to protect their own terrorists who were inciting the protest?

Because that's not what I saw. I saw people out there freely protesting on their own accord and getting shot down. One side with rocks and sticks. The other side with military grade rifles and bullets.

Whoever this woman is looks like she's acting on her own to me. And whatever she's doing, she seems quite determined

according to some on this board, that would have been the best thing for the world and they would be cheering right now.

I didn't know the Cons on the board thought that. Weird.

Very true. The ones whose "arms" include rocks are getting mass murdered and tortured by the side with actual weapons. Not to mention they've also been imprisoned in an area slightly bigger than Rhode Island after being forced from their homelands.

Who cares what you saw its my opinion

Actually what you want to see in the picture is a woman ,what I see is a person that might be either, you see their exactly like you libs ,blame all their woe on everybody else but their own leaders ,or TRUMP or your country PFFFFFFT

Feelings > Facts

Yeah ok side with the beheaders its what I expect from you TRUMP haters anyway

J/C

The land belongs to the Jews, as they won the war. Palestine is a territory and the people that lived there are from countries that ruled those territories and some refugees arabs from Jordan, Syria and Egypt.

If I recall, the Jews once offered to share the land, and the Palestinians refused, saying the only thing Jews deserved was death. hmmmm,

If we had laid down our arms in 1776 there probably would not have been a slaughter of our entire people.

There is truth to this. During the 1990's negotiations between the two sides, the Palestinians were offered a heckuva deal (compared to what's offered now).

They didn't have enough faith to accept it.

And Arafat, the corrupt POS (the man stole Billions from the Palestinians), might have been able to end the entire conflict.


It still doesn't make what's happening today right. You still have a society living under apartheid, with no rights. They aren't going anywhere. They're outpacing the Israelies in population growth, and this issue isn't going away.


But you are correct. I'd imagine if the Palestinians got the same offer today, the majority would say agreed. I'd hope so. From what I remember, what Abbas was asking for is a lot less at this point than what Barak offered.H

Hamas itself needs to lose power, but that's a whole different difficult situation. They're the Government of a society that is the serious Have-Nots. They live under a blockade on both sides from Israel and Egypt. I believe the people there see their only hope in Hamas, and the hatred of Israel (justifiably at this point) runs very strong. For each death that comes in Gaza, new recruits line up right to the cause.

As i've said, I've never supported Hamas. But, I get the feeling that to the people of Gaza, who feel like they've been forgotten, neglected, and aren't cared about; this is their only champion

No, both you guys and the British owned slaves and massacred natives.

While you guys sold them to us and helped massacre natives.

lolwut?

Well I figure if you can accuse me of owning slaves and killing natives, I could respond in kind.

That's cool, but I didn't accuse you of owning slaves and killing natives. We were talking about the British and y"our entire people."

You do this all the time. You state something, then come back with some stupid 'excuse' about how you didn't say it.