Trump’s action plan untested, aggressive: Analyst

The inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th US President is scheduled for January 20. Press TV has spoken to Alexander Azadgan, senior geopolitical analyst and professor of Strategic Global Management and International Political Economy, as well as Richard Hayden Black, Republican member of the Virginia State Senate, to discuss Trump’s campaign promises and whether he is expected to fulfill any of those sweeping pledges.

Azadgan believes that Obamacare was a “disaster” right from the beginning, adding that it was another “misachievement” by the administration of President Barack Obama.

He described Obamacare as “unconstitutional” on the grounds that people should not be forced to buy insurance. The act, Azadgan explained, was basically a “win” for insurance companies which are not even accepting it any longer.  

The analyst further noted the Republicans are going to reform this “unaffordable act” which works to the detriment of small businesses.

Azadgan further opined that Rex Tillerson, Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, was a “suitable pick.”

However, he went on, everybody else that Trump has picked so far is “an absolute sign of his incompetency, lack of knowledge and geopolitical manners.”

He also described Trump’s action plan as being “untested” and “aggressive,” predicting that his transition into power will not be a smooth one.    

Elsewhere in his remarks, the analyst criticized Obama’s last-ditch efforts to trigger some kind of a diplomatic crisis with Russia.

The US establishment, he noted, is looking for another Cold War with Russia, whereas a total reconciliation with Moscow is what it really needs.

“I think they are trying to rock the boat, to start another Cold War. Because the US economy is predominantly supported by the war industry. They are looking for perpetual war,” he said.

He called the strategy “absolute lunacy” because the United States cannot even afford wars anymore. 

The analyst also predicted that as long as this “decrepit and corrupt petrodollar system” exists in the United States, wars will continue.  

In other remarks, Azadgan dismissed Trump’s stance on Iran’s nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as “corrosive” and “counterproductive,” arguing that the incoming president was seeking to “unleash” Israelis on Iranians.  

JCPOA is not a bilateral agreement between Washington and Tehran and renegotiating it is contrary to every international law and norm, he maintained.

The analyst concluded by saying that Trump’s reconciliation with Russia is positive, but that his one-sided inclination towards Israel is very dangerous for Iran.

Meanwhile, the other panelist on Press TV’s program Richard Hayden Black, stated that theoretically, Obamacare had a great prospect, but over the years of its implementation, the project proved to be an “economic disaster” and a “very costly failure.”

“They sold it on the premise that it was going to lower the costs and it was going to provide sort of free healthcare for everyone. In fact the costs have soared just astronomically,” he said.

He also predicted that some elements of Obamacare that have been extremely popular will reappear once it is repealed.

The analyst further praised Trump for putting aside the issue of the Office of Congressional Ethics and moving on to more important things such as Obamacare.

He also noted the reason for the backlash against this independent ethics watchdog was that it tended to become “extremely politicized.”  

Black further mentioned that the United States was certainly on a collision path for a nuclear war with Russia, arguing that with the nomination of Rex Tillerson as secretary of state, this direction will dramatically change.  

He also opined that Trump’s picks for the most part have been “superb,” adding that there is going to be a very “dramatic change” in the United States under his presidency. 

According to the analyst, Trump is going to exert an unprecedented degree of power in the US, and in terms of foreign policy, he is going to turn the world upside down in a positive way.

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