Mike Tyson once famously said, "Everyone has a plan until they get a punch in the face." I admire the simple, yet profound, wisdom in that brief statement. This life lesson, which awaits anyone who hasn’t yet encountered it, seems to be unfolding before our eyes in the case of President Trump.
Dealing with unpredictable figures like Putin and the Ayatollah differs significantly from engaging with those who regard the lives and happiness of their subjects as worthy or valuable. These extremists think and act in ways that starkly contrast with rational individuals who pursue win-win outcomes in negotiations. Instead, they adopt an all-or-nothing approach, indifferent to the cost in their own people’s lives as long as their objectives are met.
This observation extends beyond the two mentioned earlier. It is a characteristic commonly seen in dictators who govern with minimal support from their citizens. The only effective way to negotiate with them is to apply pressure and threats that target them directly, rather than solely affecting their country’s population. They show little concern for their citizens, focusing solely on their own interests, which should be the primary target President Trump aims for when dealing with these tyrants.
President Trump has voiced strong confidence that reason would guide his dealings with Putin, but he has been proven wrong. He struggles to understand irrational actors, having been shaped by a Western democracy where leaders are held accountable through fair elections and must meet voter expectations to secure re-election, a rational system.
Dictators, however, operate with a completely different mindset, employing deceptive negotiation tactics that appear to involve compromise but conceal a hidden agenda that undermines any agreement they sign. For them, it is an all-or-nothing approach. History stands as my evidence.
