Whatever Mr. Trump did or didn’t achieve with Carrier, the real question was whether he would take steps to make a lasting difference.
Publicity stunts may generate a few days of favorable media coverage,
but they end up making America weaker, not stronger, because they show the world that we have a government that can’t follow through.
To achieve any lasting result, Mr. Trump would have to get involved on a sustained basis in Syria.
In fact, if last week’s action was the end of the story, the eventual effect may
well be to strengthen the Assad regime — Look, they stood up to a superpower!
But no: The U. S. fired off some missiles, and once again Mr. Trump “became president.”
Aside from everything else, think about the incentives this creates.
One thing is certain: The media reaction to the Syria strike showed that many pundits and news organizations have learned nothing from past failures.