Sadly, I expect it has to founder on the rocks before things will turn for the better. I'm channelling Great Depression —> FDR here. Hopefully a world war is not required.

> Hopefully a world war is not required.

We've already come close to Trump causing a war [0]. However, there is one aspect of the man (that's on display here) that gives me hope. He is a moron who can't take advice, and who appoints other morons (to make him look good?).

If it was Stalin, or Hitler, or Erdoğan or god help us Xi, the USA would be in real trouble. All of them are very competent leaders, who could take their countries in the direction they desired for a decade(s). Trump, well you just have to look at his popularity ratings, or the economy shrinking 0.5% in his first quarter. He could have poured money on the economy and had everyone getting high and merry on debt, while he took in billions in bribes via is cryptocurrencies. But nooooo, no one has a clue why he is perusing his economic policies, probably because there aren't much in the way of clues to be had.

It could have been so much worse. As it is, it looks like most countries have his measure and are working around him. I don't know what made me cringe more: Netanyahu showing Trump his letter of recommendation for the Nobel Peace price, or Trump lapping it up. Before that is was the European leaders showering gifts on him. It was disgusting. And it worked. Such is the art of politics, I guess. If you are dealing with pigs, it must appear to the pig that you enjoy rolling in their shit just as much as they do. All leaders except Putin that is. Putin played him for such a fool that even Trump picked up on it.

[0] https://theconversation.com/trumps-first-term-lies-at-the-he...