The war in West Asia will accelerate US decline and the rise of China. It will force Europe to kick the habit of holding on to Uncle Sam’s coat-tails, and make it grow up fast. It will speed up the ongoing shift of nations towards energy security (read: freedom from imported fossil fuels and embrace of electricity for mobility, cooking and heating). Trump’s fond baby will be left holding its drill, as the world switches decisively to renewable, geothermal and nuclear energy.
Trump plays many roles — willingly, like that of Christ healing the sick; unwillingly, as validator of Lenin’s saying that there are decades in which nothing happens, and there are weeks when decades happen. In the 66 weeks since he took office, Trump has made decades happen.