When “Just Do Something” Is The Best Plan
By
Leonard Zwelling
On Monday I wrote a rather pessimistic view of the Trump plan for Mideast peace. It has nothing to do with Mr. Trump and everything to do with the players in the region. What is clear so far is that Mr. Trump did use his leverage on Mr. Netanyahu to make the deal, but Mr. Netanyahu also got way more than he would have gotten before he bombed Qatar. If things went according to plan on Monday, October 13 (I am writing this on Saturday, October 11, but editing on Oct 13 and they did), the cease fire has held and the hostages are back in Israel, at least the living ones are. Hamas doesn’t even know where many of the dead bodies are.
That means Mr. Netanyahu got ALL of the living hostages out not just some, and Hamas has laid down their arms at least for now, although Hamas police are already patrolling the streets of Gaza. Hamas is not gone.
In the Monday piece, I also outlined all the things that need to happen to bring true peace to the region and that I felt most of these were unlikely to occur unless the Arab Gulf states really step up to the plate this time, something they have not done since the Gulf War in the early 1990s.
Now, to Mr. Trump’s credit, his plan may be flawed, but it is something and sometimes the only plan is just to do something—anything. He did.
I am about to argue that the entire Trump Presidency is a prime example of the American people saying, “just do something.”
Throughout the Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Biden Presidencies, it was pretty much business as usual in Washington, D.C. as things got worse and worse for the average American. What Mr. Trump offered in 2016 was something different when his opponent, Mrs. Clinton, looked like more of the same. The American people decided they didn’t want more of the same. They wanted to try something—anything—thus, Mr. Trump won.
During his first term, Mr. Trump was pretty conventional. He really didn’t get all that much done of what the people wanted him to do. Mexico never paid for the wall, but some of it did get built. Some of this shortfall was because rather conventional Cabinet choices held Trump back. Still, I believe he would have gained re-election had it not been for Covid and the inept handling of the pandemic at every level of the government including the White House. Thus, the people narrowly reverted to what they knew, Mr. Biden in 2020. That was thoroughly rejected once again in 2024 when the people, now in even more pain and despondency than in 2020, said yet again, “just do something.” And this time, Mr. Trump really did.
His Cabinet is loaded with unconventional choices who were all approved by a Congress that will do anything Trump asks—no resistance. Any judicial challenge of note has been batted away by the Supreme Court which has gone so far as to say that whatever the President does in office, is not illegal. He’s even ordering the indictment of his enemies. Trump plays for keeps and no one has yet told him no successfully. He’s on a roll.
Mr. Trump may well have made a significant breakthrough in the Middle East. Even if it fails, at least he tried something. He is standing up to China. He may yet stand up to Putin. He has made Europe increase its defense spending. Ending the war in Ukraine has evaded him, but don’t think he won’t try something else, soon. He really wants that Nobel Peace Prize.
On the domestic front, he sealed the southern border as he said he would and abated the flood of illegal immigration. He has deployed troops to sanctuary cities over the protest of local and state officials, not so much that these few troops will make a difference in crime rates, but to let these mayors and governors know who’s boss. I am sure that the Texas National Guard might decrease crime in Houston, but they are deployed to Chicago.
Is Trump a bully? You bet. Do the American people crave a bully against crime? They do.
Have you heard anyone really object to Trump’s blowing up speedboats in the Caribbean because he “thinks” they contain drugs? Nope. Do you hear anyone objecting to his bullying the international pharmaceutical companies to control their drug prices? Nope. Outside of the blue states with sanctuary cities, you barely hear a peep. And Congress has been neutered thanks to the feckless leadership of the Democrats and the lap dog leadership of the GOP that Trump has on a short leash.
So, while I am very concerned that the Trump initiative in the Middle East is likely to go nowhere fast, I give Mr. Trump full credit for trying something there and everywhere else.
I am reminded of my own experience as a vice president when the clinical trials system at MD Anderson was not up to federal standards (the FDA told me so) and a change was needed (according to the FDA, not according to the MD Anderson president or faculty). I had no choice. I had to do something as that system was mine to oversee and keep in compliance with federal code and we were being threatened with a shutdown by the feds. So, I did. I tried anything. Some things worked (creating a single system for all clinical trials and their associated patient registrations and data). Some did not (making the clinical research faculty happy with me), but eventually we got it working and the feds off our backs. My tenure leading clinical research infrastructure lasted about nine years. Then, under a great deal of political pressure, I passed the ball to Maury Markman who led it for a couple of years before leaving. Oh, well. I have no idea what’s going on in this area now.
So as someone who did not ever vote for Donald Trump and does not care for his affect or manner, my hat is off to him for one good reason. At least he tried something when anything would be better than where we were.
So, all you Trump readers out there who rag on me for being “liberal,” enjoy your gloating because sometimes doing something, anything, is the best plan. Sometimes it’s the only plan.
