By Jerome A. Cohen

Trump’s remarks on having “second thoughts” about the U.S.-China trade war remind me of the old saw: “How do I know what I think til I hear what I say?” Of course, it is easy to joke aboutthis literally incredible person.

Yet we all know what disasters he is inflicting and are frightened at the significant possibility that he might be re-elected. I thought the American people would repudiate George W. Bush after his first four years and was stunned by Trump’s election. Similar leadership problems exist in other major countries. Politics is too serious to be left to national leaders anywhere.

But we need to spend more time analyzing Trump’s thoughts, such as they are. Are they rooted in his experiences? His canny plotting for financial gain? His fear of criminal prosecution? His desire to leave a lasting mark on world politics? His many prejudices? His lack of relevant knowledge? His social life? His insatiable narcissism? His inability to tolerate many advisors? Is he declining further mentally?

It’s this last question that troubles an increasing number of jaded American observers. If Trump is reelected, what steps might be taken to guard against a second term’s further decline? Reagan had some able advisors. We would not want the group currently around Trump to be acting in his name, even if they could agree on a China policy for one day, if not the next.

More important than Trump or any single leader is whether the US is being mobilized to counter China in every way, to what extent and with what likely consequences. Xi Jinping undoubtedly realizes the situation. I wish he would respond by removing some of the obvious causes of our concerns instead of expanding the charges in our indictment. One way or the other I’m sure he is preparing for the worst, as the US Government is gradually doing, which, of course, may increase the prospects for unhappy outcomes. Trump is only the most immediate potential spark in what would be more than a prairie fire.

Of course, it is possible that we can find international stability by reverting to the Cold War pattern of “Two scorpions in a bottle”, but that was always an unpleasant and uncertain way to live.