This column is about the Trump administration’s first National Security Strategy document issued late last year. An NSS describes a president’s foreign policy philosophy and agenda. Some key sections of the document will be quoted followed by my comments.
The Era of Mass Migration is Over: “ the era of mass migration must end …We want a world in which migration is not merely ‘orderly’ but one in which sovereign countries work together rather than facilitate destabilizing population flows and have full control over whom they admit and do not admit…In countries throughout the world mass migration has weakened social cohesion, distorted labor markets and undermined national security … We must protect our country from invasion….A border controlled by the will of the American people as implemented by their government is fundamental to the survival of he United States as a sovereign republic”.
Protecting the nation’s border is indeed the responsibility of any country. However our president tells us that we are being confronted by an “invasion”, and the “survival of the republic” is at stake. This is an implicit rationale for using brutal tactics to remove people who are in our country illegally. Masked , unidentified police may be deployed in communities unrestrained by law or fundamental decency .
Western Hemisphere The NSS introduces us to the Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, “After years of neglect, the US will …restore American preeminence in the Western Hemisphere …we will reward governments, political parties and movements broadly aligned with our principles and strategy… we must not overlook governments with different outlooks …to identify strategic points and resources …with a view to their protection and joint development with regional partners.”
According to our president’s NSS our country will dominate the Western Hemisphere because we want their oil and minerals. Working with dictatorships is not objectionable. Democracy and human rights are not even mentioned.
Subsequent to the publication of the NSS our president commenced military action against Venezuela until that country “returns to the United States of America all the Oil, Land and other Assets they previously stole from us”.
Greenland is actually part of the Western Hemisphere even though it is government by a European country. Like Venezuela it has important natural resources ( rare earth minerals, uranium and iron ). Our president is applying a similar policy to Greenland as it has to Venezuela .
For Europe A prominent goal is “ Promoting European Greatness” This requires “ …restoring Europe’s civilizational self -confidence and Western identity.” . Therefore, “ America encourages its allies in Europe to promote the revival if spirit and the growing influence of patriotic European parties indeed gives cause for great optimism”.
Our European allies are frequently spoken of in disrespectful manner throughout this section of the NSS. On the other hand it is far right, neo- fascist parties that our president and vice president have identified as being “patriotic” .
Asia
“ .. . the United States does not support any unilateral change in the status quo in the Taiwan Strait… partly because of Taiwan’s dominance of semiconductor production but most importantly because Taiwan provides direct access to the Second Island Chain …” [This is important because] “…one-third of global shipping passes annually through the South China Sea…”
A similar rational apples to Korea and Japan.
Commerce is important but shouldn’t be the only matter of concern. Helping democratic countries defend themselves against China is not explicitly mentioned in the NSS.
Middle East: The “ Middle East was for decades the most important supplier of energy, was a prime theater of superpower competition and was rife with conflict that threatened to spill over into the wider world and even our own shores… [Now]…the United States is a net energy exporter …As this administration rescinds or eases restrictive energy policies and American energy production ramps up, America’s historic reason for focusing on the Middle East will recede”.
Removing a conflict zone from superpower competition is a good thing. However the fact that our president’s energy policy is adversely impacting climate change is not a matter of concern to him anywhere in the NSS.
A parting thought : There is no steel wall between the values of foreign policy and domestic policy. The same autocratic president who directs one also directs the other. When democracy and human right are not important in America’s relations with foreign countries they won’t be important to our government in America either. European neo -fascist parties are deemed “ patriotic” by our president . At home our president addresses his supporters as patriots but his opponents in derogatory terms . The adverse implications for the future of our democracy are unmistakable. The NSS tells us about our government’s overall values , not just its foreign policy.
National Security Strategy : What it Means for You
This column is about the Trump administration’s first National Security Strategy document issued late last year. An NSS describes a president’s foreign policy philosophy and agenda. Some key sections of the document will be quoted followed by my comments.
The Era of Mass Migration is Over: “ the era of mass migration must end …We want a world in which migration is not merely ‘orderly’ but one in which sovereign countries work together rather than facilitate destabilizing population flows and have full control over whom they admit and do not admit…In countries throughout the world mass migration has weakened social cohesion, distorted labor markets and undermined national security … We must protect our country from invasion….A border controlled by the will of the American people as implemented by their government is fundamental to the survival of he United States as a sovereign republic”.
Protecting the nation’s border is indeed the responsibility of any country. However our president tells us that we are being confronted by an “invasion”, and the “survival of the republic” is at stake. This is an implicit rationale for using brutal tactics to remove people who are in our country illegally. Masked , unidentified police may be deployed in communities unrestrained by law or fundamental decency .
Western Hemisphere The NSS introduces us to the Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, “After years of neglect, the US will …restore American preeminence in the Western Hemisphere …we will reward governments, political parties and movements broadly aligned with our principles and strategy… we must not overlook governments with different outlooks …to identify strategic points and resources …with a view to their protection and joint development with regional partners.”
According to our president’s NSS our country will dominate the Western Hemisphere because we want their oil and minerals. Working with dictatorships is not objectionable. Democracy and human rights are not even mentioned.
Subsequent to the publication of the NSS our president commenced military action against Venezuela until that country “returns to the United States of America all the Oil, Land and other Assets they previously stole from us”.
Greenland is actually part of the Western Hemisphere even though it is government by a European country. Like Venezuela it has important natural resources ( rare earth minerals, uranium and iron ). Our president is applying a similar policy to Greenland as it has to Venezuela .
For Europe A prominent goal is “ Promoting European Greatness” This requires “ …restoring Europe’s civilizational self -confidence and Western identity.” . Therefore, “ America encourages its allies in Europe to promote the revival if spirit and the growing influence of patriotic European parties indeed gives cause for great optimism”.
Our European allies are frequently spoken of in disrespectful manner throughout this section of the NSS. On the other hand it is far right, neo- fascist parties that our president and vice president have identified as being “patriotic” .
Asia
“ .. . the United States does not support any unilateral change in the status quo in the Taiwan Strait… partly because of Taiwan’s dominance of semiconductor production but most importantly because Taiwan provides direct access to the Second Island Chain …” [This is important because] “…one-third of global shipping passes annually through the South China Sea…”
A similar rational apples to Korea and Japan.
Commerce is important but shouldn’t be the only matter of concern. Helping democratic countries defend themselves against China is not explicitly mentioned in the NSS.
Middle East: The “ Middle East was for decades the most important supplier of energy, was a prime theater of superpower competition and was rife with conflict that threatened to spill over into the wider world and even our own shores… [Now]…the United States is a net energy exporter …As this administration rescinds or eases restrictive energy policies and American energy production ramps up, America’s historic reason for focusing on the Middle East will recede”.
Removing a conflict zone from superpower competition is a good thing. However the fact that our president’s energy policy is adversely impacting climate change is not a matter of concern to him anywhere in the NSS.
A parting thought : There is no steel wall between the values of foreign policy and domestic policy. The same autocratic president who directs one also directs the other. When democracy and human right are not important in America’s relations with foreign countries they won’t be important to our government in America either. European neo -fascist parties are deemed “ patriotic” by our president . At home our president addresses his supporters as patriots but his opponents in derogatory terms . The adverse implications for the future of our democracy are unmistakable. The NSS tells us about our government’s overall values , not just its foreign policy.
This column is about the Trump administration’s first National Security Strategy document issued late last year. An NSS describes a president’s foreign policy philosophy and agenda. Some key sections of the document will be quoted followed by my comments.
The Era of Mass Migration is Over: “ the era of mass migration must end …We want a world in which migration is not merely ‘orderly’ but one in which sovereign countries work together rather than facilitate destabilizing population flows and have full control over whom they admit and do not admit…In countries throughout the world mass migration has weakened social cohesion, distorted labor markets and undermined national security … We must protect our country from invasion….A border controlled by the will of the American people as implemented by their government is fundamental to the survival of he United States as a sovereign republic”.
Protecting the nation’s border is indeed the responsibility of any country. However our president tells us that we are being confronted by an “invasion”, and the “survival of the republic” is at stake. This is an implicit rationale for using brutal tactics to remove people who are in our country illegally. Masked , unidentified police may be deployed in communities unrestrained by law or fundamental decency .
Western Hemisphere The NSS introduces us to the Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, “After years of neglect, the US will …restore American preeminence in the Western Hemisphere …we will reward governments, political parties and movements broadly aligned with our principles and strategy… we must not overlook governments with different outlooks …to identify strategic points and resources …with a view to their protection and joint development with regional partners.”
According to our president’s NSS our country will dominate the Western Hemisphere because we want their oil and minerals. Working with dictatorships is not objectionable. Democracy and human rights are not even mentioned.
Subsequent to the publication of the NSS our president commenced military action against Venezuela until that country “returns to the United States of America all the Oil, Land and other Assets they previously stole from us”.
Greenland is actually part of the Western Hemisphere even though it is government by a European country. Like Venezuela it has important natural resources ( rare earth minerals, uranium and iron ). Our president is applying a similar policy to Greenland as it has to Venezuela .
For Europe A prominent goal is “ Promoting European Greatness” This requires “ …restoring Europe’s civilizational self -confidence and Western identity.” . Therefore, “ America encourages its allies in Europe to promote the revival if spirit and the growing influence of patriotic European parties indeed gives cause for great optimism”.
Our European allies are frequently spoken of in disrespectful manner throughout this section of the NSS. On the other hand it is far right, neo- fascist parties that our president and vice president have identified as being “patriotic” .
Asia
“ .. . the United States does not support any unilateral change in the status quo in the Taiwan Strait… partly because of Taiwan’s dominance of semiconductor production but most importantly because Taiwan provides direct access to the Second Island Chain …” [This is important because] “…one-third of global shipping passes annually through the South China Sea…”
A similar rational apples to Korea and Japan.
Commerce is important but shouldn’t be the only matter of concern. Helping democratic countries defend themselves against China is not explicitly mentioned in the NSS.
Middle East: The “ Middle East was for decades the most important supplier of energy, was a prime theater of superpower competition and was rife with conflict that threatened to spill over into the wider world and even our own shores… [Now]…the United States is a net energy exporter …As this administration rescinds or eases restrictive energy policies and American energy production ramps up, America’s historic reason for focusing on the Middle East will recede”.
Removing a conflict zone from superpower competition is a good thing. However the fact that our president’s energy policy is adversely impacting climate change is not a matter of concern to him anywhere in the NSS.
A parting thought : There is no steel wall between the values of foreign policy and domestic policy. The same autocratic president who directs one also directs the other. When democracy and human right are not important in America’s relations with foreign countries they won’t be important to our government in America either. European neo -fascist parties are deemed “ patriotic” by our president . At home our president addresses his supporters as patriots but his opponents in derogatory terms . The adverse implications for the future of our democracy are unmistakable. The NSS tells us about our government’s overall values , not just its foreign policy.