By JACKIIE TAYLOR | May 6, 2026

Speak softly and carry a big stick

Very interesting, Theodore Roosevelt, Republican president from 113 years ago, used a phrase that became very popular – and, I think, appropriate to describe management theory President Donald Trump uses today.

According to Wikipedia, “Big stick ideology (also known as big stick diplomacy, big stick philosophy) was a political approach used by the 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt. The terms are derived from an aphorism which Roosevelt often said: “speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far”. The American press during his time, as well as many modern historians today, used the term “big stick” to describe the foreign policy positions during his administration. 

“Roosevelt described his style of foreign policy as “the exercise of intelligent forethought and of decisive action sufficiently far in advance of any likely crisis”. As practiced by Roosevelt, big stick diplomacy had five components. First, it was essential to possess serious military capability that would force the adversary to pay close attention. At the time that meant a world-class navy. The other qualities were to act justly toward other nations, never to bluff, to strike only when prepared to strike hard, and to be willing to allow the adversary to save face in defeat. 

“The idea is negotiating peacefully but also having strength in case things go wrong. Simultaneously threatening with the “big stick”, or the military, ties in heavily with the idea of Realpolitik, which implies a pursuit of political power that resembles Machiavellian ideals. It is comparable to gunboat diplomacy, as used in international politics by the powers.”

I look at what is going on in the Iran conflict; they are essentially like a Monty Python and The Holy Grail scene where the knight gets his arms, then legs chopped off and refuses to give stating, 

“BLACK KNIGHT: Oh? All right, we’ll call it a draw.

“ARTHUR: Come, Patsy.

“BLACK KNIGHT: Oh. Oh, I see. Running away, eh? You yellow bastards! Come back here and take what’s coming to you. I’ll bite your legs off!”

Iran has been obliterated to the point their gun boat squadron that runs the west coast of Iran is its last remaining defense of their country, in large part. Their arms and legs are cut off and they’re threatening the United States with biting our legs off.

Funny, but not funny.

It’s time to finish the job. I watched my cats, and dog, go after a field rat that had unfortunately gotten onto my porch. The rat had nowhere to go, ran back and forth, and my cats and dog were having a great time chasing the wounded critter. Finally, the rat was caught and put out of its misery.

I feel like Iran is both the Black Knight and the field rat; it’s caught, severely wounded, but still wants to bite our legs off. 

I don’t view Trump as a man that necessarily believes in giving face to someone, or a country. Iran is obviously a proud nation, their face is in the mud, but they won’t say ‘gimme.’

Trump has gotten to the point now where he’s over being the nice guy and is just requiring a white flag thrown into the ring – no gimme’s left.

Roosevelt’s five rules of diplomacy can fit Trump with ‘act justly toward other nations, never bluff, and strike only when prepared – hard. The ‘allowing the adversary to save face in defeat’ is a little lacking – but, in peeling the onion, Iran doesn’t realize their legs and both arms are chopped off and all they have is teeth – maybe.

Roosevelt was a wise man; Trump is a historian that learns from the past and is using five key points from a president that learned the hard way. Hopefully, we can quit playing cat and mouse and finish off our adversary before gas gets to $5 per gallon.