One thing at least is missing.
World War II had strong racist and xenophobic elements. Count 6 million Jews plus assorted Gypsies, homosexuals and others among the victims. While there is no doubt that Germany should hold the brunt of the blame, in the years after the war some counted the allies and the US as sharing some of the guilt. When people under threat tried to immigrate, they were for the most part turned away. Refusing the chance for asylum was a death warrant.
The result was guilt trip based immigration and asylum laws. If anything like the holocaust started again, the US would not turn folks away. Some of this is still on the books, still is the official policy.
It is not clear that it should be the official policy. Is today’s situation not compatible? Is the situation in part worse because of US drug problems? Does a majority of the country now now longer share the values of the Greatest Generation? In a democracy with a working legislature, you would have a grand debate on policy, and the laws on asylum would be updated to reflect today’s situation and values. Given partisan politics and obstructionist policy, nothing is happening.
So Trump tried to solve the problem using cruelty. That will remain part of his legacy. Sworn to uphold the laws of the United States, he instead perverted them. That will remain part of the Trump legacy. If as I suspect the crisis is domestic, if the old values are doomed to fade, the message to be driven home in the high is that Trump cruelly disrespected the law.
Now John still emphasizes a foreign crisis. I can repeat my doubts here. No major power has initiated a crisis war in the Information Age. The US is not going to start a land war in Asia. China is not going to start a sea war with the US. That being said, the CPP likes brinksmanship. If you dance on the edge of a cliff long enough, the cliff might well give way. Something might well occur.
I’ll just leave it at that.