“In any case”

Anyone who doubts that nationalism, so-called, is toxic to our moral values would do well to read the “Statement from President Donald J. Trump on Standing with Saudi Arabia.” It reads as if dictated or written by Trump himself, beginning and ending with the exclamation “America First!” The statement plays the game of whatabout (re: Iran), smears Jamal Khashoggi, sides with indeterminacy in all things (“it could very well be that the Crown Prince had knowledge of this tragic event — maybe he did and maybe he didn’t!”) and endorses a grim realpolitik: “In any case, our relationship is with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.” Why? Investments (wildly exaggerated) and oil prices. So they killed a journalist (and United States resident) who criticized their regime? Hey, a lot of people get killed. I mean, look at Chicago, &c.

America First! seems to mean Values Last.

[If this is Trump as a seventy-two-year-old head of state, imagine what we must have been like as a college student. See this evaluation: “Donald Trump was the dumbest goddam student I ever had.” “Hey, a lot of people get killed. I mean, look at Chicago, &c.”: doing my best to channel the president.]