By Konstantinos Konstantinidis Amphiktyon
The American president promised, both before and after his election, that the consolidation of peace would be the central pillar of his policy. Yet, instead of peace, he turned against the dictator Nicolás Maduro, President of Venezuela, accusing him of crimes related to drug trafficking.
The Greek people, for reasons of interest or political fatigue, have remained silent in the face of many crimes unfolding during this period on the international stage.
In Ukraine, Mr. Trump failed as a mediator and peacemaker. After vacillations and protracted maneuverings in his relations with Putin and Zelensky, the war not only failed to end, but the massacre continues with greater intensity.
Global public opinion—even within the United States—reacted negatively both to the predatory-style aggressive action and to Mr. Trump’s inelegant statements, particularly regarding the operation to arrest Maduro. In his person, many see an unstable and unpredictable leader, who says one thing at one moment and another the next, without a coherent policy marked by continuity and consistency.
No one knows what consequences an intervention in Venezuela may have in the long run, especially if the peoples of Latin America oppose unilateral U.S. interventions on their territories. This is not a mere hypothesis, as Mr. Trump himself stated or implied that “the turn” of other countries is coming as well: Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, even Greenland. At the same time, he hinted at possible future action against Iran—thus opening the winds of Aeolus.
Had he studied Homer’s Odyssey, he would have known what happened to Odysseus when he opened the bag of Aeolus: he did not know which wind to guard against; the mast was broken, the sails were torn, and he barely managed to reach a calm island.
The gravest threat, however, is the absence of principles and ethics in politics. The abduction of leaders constitutes a blatant violation of international law. If this rule were to become generalized, who could guarantee that tomorrow Putin would not abduct Zelensky, or Erdoğan Mitsotakis?
What kind of world do reckless leaders—who believe that politics is conducted solely with weapons—envision leaving to future generations? History shows that such leaders usually fail.
Today, more than ever, the words of Mahatma Gandhi about the seven social sins are relevant:
- Wealth without labor
- Pleasure without conscience
- Commerce without morality
- Knowledge without character
- Science without humanity
- Worship without sacrifice
- Politics without principles
The United States suffered severe moral consequences from the Vietnam War. It must avoid new entanglements, because such a mistake would be worse even than ten Vietnams.
Mr. Trump has opened the door to abnormality. Demons and beasts will emerge, and America will once again witness the anti-war demonstrations of its youth. The “small screen” will turn Maduro into a national hero of Latin America—and then who will untangle the consequences?
Like a modern Louis XV, he seems to say: “After me, chaos.” Does he have prudent advisers, or—like Adolf Hitler—does he draw up strategy alone and leave the Armed Forces to pull the chestnuts out of the fire?
His radical actions portray a leader fearful of internal and external threats, unstable, unpredictable, and hasty—making decisions without weighing their global consequences. Once global public opinion turns hostile toward the United States, every measure he takes will be regarded as a failure.
This policy is dangerous. It could even lead to a crisis similar to the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.
As Isocrates said:
“Our democracy is destroying itself because it has abused the right of freedom and equality…”
If principles, ethics, and prudence do not prevail, history will repeat itself—not as a farce, but as a tragedy.
(5 January 2026)
Amphiktyon –
Major General (ret.) Konstantinos Konstantinidis
Author, Member of the Society of Greek Writers
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