Be very afraid: Trump claims his unpredictability is a strength in global affairs

By Paul McGeough
Updated December 4 2016 - 7:13pm, first published 12:14pm
Tsai Ing-wen, flanked by National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu, left, and Foreign Minister David Lee, speaks with Donald Trump on Friday. Photo: Taiwan Presidential Office via AP
Tsai Ing-wen, flanked by National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu, left, and Foreign Minister David Lee, speaks with Donald Trump on Friday. Photo: Taiwan Presidential Office via AP
Donald Trump and Nigel Farage: sidestepping protocol, Trump recommended his buddy as UK ambassador to Washington. Photo: Twitter @Nigel_Farage
Donald Trump and Nigel Farage: sidestepping protocol, Trump recommended his buddy as UK ambassador to Washington. Photo: Twitter @Nigel_Farage
A Chinese base under construction on Mabini (Johnson) Reef, one of the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.   Photo: Armed Forces of the Philippines via New York Times
A Chinese base under construction on Mabini (Johnson) Reef, one of the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. Photo: Armed Forces of the Philippines via New York Times

Washington: We live in frightening times. After their White House meeting last month, Barack Obama cautioned Americans and the world that the sobering weight of the presidency would restrain Donald Trump - but now we know that everything is up for grabs.