Dear Editor:
After World War II, America enjoyed a well-earned peace—but only briefly. Even before the war ended, we were preparing for the next confrontation, this time with our soon-to-be former allies: the Soviets. Thus began the Cold War—a period many of us remember vividly. The threat of nuclear war and the fear of a Communist world loomed constantly over our heads.
It was during this era that a high-stakes strategy emerged, known as brinksmanship. This approach involved pushing situations to the very edge of disaster in order to force the other side to back down. It required convincing opponents that threats would be carried out, leaving them no room to maneuver. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles famously described it as “the ability to get to the verge without getting into the war.”
But brinksmanship came with a price. The Cuban Missile Crisis—and other close brushes with catastrophe—made the dangers of this strategy clear. Human error, unintended consequences, and reputational damage proved too costly. In response, the U.S. evolved. We embraced détente, engaged in multilateral diplomacy, and signed arms- reduction treaties. Nixon went to China. Reagan negotiated the INF Treaty (limiting nuclear weapons with the Soviet Union, designed to be indefinite and cancelled by President Trump in 2019). George H.W. Bush built an international coalition to liberate Kuwait. For sixty years, this cooperative approach kept America strong, stable, and respected.
Today, we are witnessing a regression.
The United States has drifted back toward unilateralism, favoring confrontation over collaboration. President Trump’s “Art of the Deal” style—born from his background in business—mirrors the outdated brinksmanship of the Cold War. It has been praised by some as a no-nonsense approach to leadership. But history—and results—tell a different story.
Trump’s approach has failed nearly as often as it has succeeded. The key difference is that in the business world, he could walk away from failure, often filing for bankruptcy and leaving others—investors, small businesses, employees—holding the bag. Now, the stakes are infinitely higher. He can no longer just bankrupt a casino. He can only bankrupt the future of a nation.
This tactic of threatening collapse to extract better terms has made its way into the public sphere. But now the negotiations aren’t about real estate or licensing deals—they’re about our constitutional rights, the rule of law, and the lives of everyday Americans.
The Constitution is not a bargaining chip. The lives of our children are not bargaining chips. And the health of our veterans must never be reduced to one.
Great leaders study history. They learn from it. They build on it. America has shown what’s possible when leadership is grounded in wisdom, not ego—and what’s at stake when it isn’t.
Ed Matlack
