The Economist: ‘For the hard men who rule China, Iran and other American adversaries, to survive Mr Trump’s various maximum-pressure campaigns would be a propaganda win for the ages—even if those same autocrats never quite shared the Trump-horror that consumes liberal democracies. Deep down, Xi Jinping and his friends believe that all occupants of the White House are selfish, America First bullies, but some hide it better than Mr Trump does.’

And: ‘As long as Mr Trump is still commander-in-chief, he can secure a place in history by remaking, or breaking, the world.’

As well: ‘But the book describes Mr Trump, in a closed-door meeting with his close aides, dismissing Iranian regime change as “their problem”. Whether he meant the Iranian people’s problem or Israel’s, nobody quite knew. Punishment, though, was indisputably his intent.’

Punishment is the goal, revenge is the passion.

Remake the world on the road to immortality.

(a sf 2218)