The 10 Best U.S. Foreign Policy Decisions, According to Historians

Recommendable!

Trump pauses tariffs for one month on Mexico goods after negotiating with country's President Sheinbaum

Good news! Perhaps a great cooperation between the US and Mexico is being developed.

One can argue whether this is a good approach to conduct foreign policy or not!

Now the pressure is on this moron, the resigned Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau!

However, clearly under the previous President of Mexico, i.e. the leftist AMLO, Mexico did little to fight drug and human trafficking and mass migration through Mexico in order to harm the US.

""We had a good conversation with President Trump with great respect for our relationship and sovereignty," Sheinbaum wrote on the social media platform, X.

She said Mexico will  reinforce the northern border with 10,000 members of the National Guard to prevent drug trafficking.

Trump said on TRUTH Social that he looks forward to more negotiations with Sheinbaum.  ..."

Trump pauses tariffs on Mexico goods after talk with country's President Sheinbaum | Just The News "Sheinbaum said both of them came to an agreement regarding trade and security"

What a nice couple! 😊 Will they get along more to the benefit of Americans and Mexicans?

QUAD to G7 to BRICS: India Settles into Geopolitical Sweet Spot with Palki Sharma

Very recommendable! Narendra Modi will go down in history as one of the great leaders or recent times.

Steve Forbes: Biden-Harris Administration Has Put The Monroe Doctrine On Life Support

Food for thought!

De-escalating Tensions with Russia and China Should Be a Priority for the Next Administration. Really!

When will the megalomaniac and war criminal Putin the Terrible and Communist leader and Chinese empire builder Xi Jinping be replaced?

Western talking heads like the author of this article are like useful idiots!

The underlying article is much less outspoken or rather lame, so the Cato Institute used this provocative headline for this article in their email newsletter! This is an interesting disconnect or contrast!

Caveat: I did not read the article.

Prices and Price Controls: An Introduction (newsletter)

Both Parties Got Us to Where We Are on Foreign Policy "Republicans and Democrats have coordinated to make the world more dangerous." [???]

In China, Giorgia Meloni Vows to Relaunch Bilateral Ties with Palki Sharma

Recommendable!

China’s growing influence in the Middle East

Very recommendable and very concerning!

Western countries have to stop imposing excessive and lofty moral and ethical standards on Arab countries!

"China’s economic and political engagement in the Middle East has surged over the past decade, particularly in the aftermath of the Arab Spring and amid growing perceptions of the United States’ withdrawal from the region. ...

China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), initiated in 2013, has significantly increased China’s involvement in the region and propelled Beijing to become, since 2016, the primary foreign investor there. Initially focused on energy-sector trade and investment, Beijing has broadened the scope of its regional engagement to encompass infrastructure, technologically advanced smart-city projects, innovation hubs and 5G mobile networks. ...
Middle Eastern leaders, increasingly disillusioned with policies of the United States—including its invasion of Iraq in 2003, support for the Arab Spring in 2011, hurried exit from Afghanistan and withdrawal from nuclear negotiations with Iran—have turned towards China as a potentially more reliable partner. For Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries especially, the relationship with China has become strategic rather than opportunistic. China’s ability and willingness to cooperate with regional players without imposing political or human rights ideals align with the visions of Middle Eastern leaders. ...
allowing China to fill the gap. China’s trade with the six-member GCC bloc has drastically surged, increasing from $10 billion in 2000 to more than $230 billion in 2021, further contributing to the erosion of Western influence in the region. China’s increasing interest in technology and its aspiration for technological autonomy have also significantly affected its relationship with the Middle East. ...
China has developed a partnership with Israel that has expanded across various domains, from infrastructure to agriculture and education. Trade between the two reached a record $21 billion in 2022, and Chinese firms have been engaged in about 500 investment deals in Israel over the past decade, predominantly in the technology sector, focusing on areas such as telecommunications, artificial intelligence and cloud computing. ...
A significant step in Beijing’s evolving position occurred in February 2024, when China’s representation at the International Court of Justice asserted Palestinians’ right to self-determination, including the use of armed struggle, signalling more explicit support for Hamas. ..."

China’s growing influence in the Middle East | The Strategist

A hillbilly elegy for Ukraine and the West

Very recommendable! This piece was written by Carl Bildt. It is a serious warning!

We can only hope that if Trump is reelected that he will take this carefully into consideration!

"In a commentary published by The New York Times in April, J D Vance, now the Republican vice-presidential nominee, proposed a strategy of ‘defence’ for Ukraine that was nothing but a recipe for defeat. There can be no doubt that his words were closely read, and well received, in Beijing and Moscow. Appeasing Russia at Ukraine’s expense would amount to a major strategic loss for the United States and thus a victory for its adversaries. ...
A resurrected Great Russia, in alliance with today’s China, would change the world order. In fact, this is precisely the outcome that both countries’ leaders want. An America in strategic retreat—abandoning Kabul and then Kyiv—would encourage the Eurasian authoritarian bloc to go on the offensive. Taiwan’s days would be numbered, and others might fold even before that happens. ...
Putin has made no secret of his war aims. While ‘interviewing’ the Russian leader this past February, the right-wing activist Tucker Carlson did us a great favor by letting his subject ramble on about his dream of wiping Ukraine off the map. The issue was never really about Ukrainians who spoke Russian or about NATO expansion or anything else. Rather, having resurrected the classic Russian imperialist view, Putin believes that Ukraine simply has no right to exist as an independent state. ...
After all, Poland, Finland, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan were all once part of the empire that Putin seeks to restore. If Ukraine can be defeated because the US decided to walk away, all bets are off. ...
The defense of Ukraine obviously rests primarily with the Ukrainians. It is their blood soaking into the battlefield, and it is they who have shouldered the awesome responsibility of defending the West despite the odds against them. When the war started, no one expected them to last more than a few weeks, maybe not days. But they did, inflicting grievous damage on Russia’s military. That alone is a victory of sorts. ..."

A hillbilly elegy for Ukraine and the West | The Strategist

Carl Bildt, former prime minister and foreign minister of Sweden

Why are Countries Trying to Woo Vietnam? What is bamboo diplomacy? with Palki Sharma

Recommendable!

Lack of international Western Leadership

We are living in trying times! Worse there is a serious ongoing lack of international leadership in Western countries!

The current U.S. President is demented and senile! The French President is boyish ineffective. The current German chancellor and successor to the terrible Angela Merkel is mediocre! The British Prime Minister has changed so frequently in recent times that one's head is spinning.

Putin the Terrible has already demonstrated how to make use of this void! China just flew a spy balloon over the continental U.S.. What will be next?

India's Ukraine Dilemma

Very recommendable! Explains the position of India very well. Exposes the frequent hypocrisy of Western countries.

Henry Kissinger - Realpolitik in the Cold War Documentary

Recommendable! Henry Kissinger is a smart cookie no doubt! When he spoke with his heavy accent it was fascinating to listen to! I remember it well. Unfortunately, this biography documentary is completely void of his speeches etc.!

Sweden’s foreign minister visits Israel, ending 7-year diplomatic freeze

Good news! The Swedish government is coming to its senses again! Better late than never!

"... Israel and Sweden had ceased formal relations in 2014, after Sweden officially recognized a Palestinian state. The following year, after the multiple terrorist attacks in Paris that left 130 dead, Sweden’s then-foreign minister, Margot Wallström, linked the killings to what she argued was a feeling of hopelessness among Palestinians. ...
On Monday, Lapid [Israel's foreign minister] — whose father and grandmother were among the tens of thousands of Jews saved by the Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg during the Holocaust — welcomed Linde at a press conference in Jerusalem."

Sweden’s foreign minister visits Israel, ending 7-year diplomatic freeze - Jewish Telegraphic Agency Sweden’s foreign affairs minister visited Israel on Monday, ending a seven-year freeze in diplomatic relations between the two former allies that had started over disagreements on Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians.

Japan, a sleeping giant of global affairs, is waking up

Bravo Japan! Good news! Recommendable! However, Japan needs to change article 9 of its constitution to reform its deep commitment to pacifism and strict self defense!

"Three times in the modern era, Japan has reacted to profound international shifts with a sweeping remake of its foreign policy — in ways that drastically altered global history.

The nation is now undergoing a leadership transition, as the job of prime minister passes from Yoshihide Suga to Fumio Kishida. This may seem like “more of the same,” as both men — like nearly all of Japan’s postwar prime ministers — represent the Liberal Democratic Party. But the bigger story is that Japan is also tentatively approaching a fourth foreign policy revolution, thanks to the combined shock of an aggressive China and an uncertain U.S.

All three of Japan’s prior revolutions followed epic geopolitical disruptions. The first came after the forced opening of the country by the West in the 1850s. The result was the Meiji restoration, the construction of a modern economy and strong military, and the emergence of Japan as a great power that thrashed China and then Russia in major wars.

The second revolution occurred during the 1930s. The collapse of the world economy and rising challenges to Japanese objectives in China led Japan to embrace militarism, violent expansion and the quest for economic autarky in Asia — thereby helping to spark World War II.

The third revolution followed Japan’s crushing defeat and occupation by American forces. Japan’s postwar leaders responded by renouncing an independent foreign policy and outsourcing security to the U.S. That allowed Japan’s reconstruction as an engine of regional prosperity and helped propel East Asia into an era of relative stability and peace.

The era of Japanese quiescence is ending, however, and the primary reason is China’s bellicosity. Beijing is challenging Tokyo’s control of the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, and it is menacing Taiwan, which shields Japan’s southern flank. China is building naval and air capabilities designed to overawe Tokyo and other U.S. allies; its leadership gives every indication that it would love to teach Japan, which ravaged China during World War II, a painful lesson.

Japanese security is simultaneously being challenged by an unreliable U.S.

President Donald Trump withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade deal intended in large part to keep China from dominating the region economically, and periodically threatened to blow up the bilateral alliance.

President Joe Biden has restored a more normal rhythm in U.S.-Japanese relations, but has not yet brought America into a major Pacific trade deal or found a formula for reversing a deteriorating regional military balance. Also looming is the fear that Biden’s presidency may simply be an interlude between Trump’s abrasive unilateralism and a return to “America First.”

Japan isn’t sitting by as threats gather. In 2016, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government originated the concept of a “free and open Indo-Pacific.” Japan was a central player in reviving the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, with Australia, India and the U.S. For years, Tokyo has been slowly unwinding constitutional constraints on its ability to project military power. The U.S.-Japan alliance has taken on an anti-Chinese character, as Japanese air and naval forces help American forces patrol potential maritime flashpoints. ..."

Japan, a sleeping giant of global affairs, is waking up | American Enterprise Institute - AEI Beijing’s threat and Washington’s ambivalence are pushing Tokyo’s fourth foreign-policy revolution of the modern era.

The goal of the foreign policy of the 46th President of the U.S.

Many enemies of the United States of America will die laughing watching the demented and senile 78 years old lifetime career politician and longtime habitual liar, the 46th President of the U.S. 

Should the 46th President succeed thus reducing the enemies of the U.S. he will go down in history as one of the greatest presidents of all times. His memories will live on in perpetuity. Mount Rushmore will see another monumental sculpture to be added in the aftermath.

(Caution: Satire)

India’s Afghanistan quandary

Recommendable! Afghanistan remains at the crossroads of foreign ambitions and transit routes. Let's not forget that Afghanistan is rich in natural resources, which could make this country and its people prosperous under good government.

I don't share the opinion of the article's author that it is a "harsh reality of a Vietnam-like retreat" for the U.S. with regards to Afghanistan. Actually, this comparison is quite wrong: The Vietnam War severely divided American society, the Afghanistan war did not.

"The only country with a major stake in the future of Afghanistan that is unhappy with the American decision [to leave Afghanistan] is India—and for very good reasons. India has already pumped US$3 billion since 2001 in developmental assistance into Afghanistan in order to prevent the exact scenario that is emerging now. ...
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s recent visit to India tried to paper over the cracks between American and Indian perceptions of the future of Afghanistan. Afghanistan was at the top of the agenda during Blinken’s talks with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, which ended with the bland statement that India and the US ‘largely see Afghanistan in the same light. We’re both committed to the proposition that there is no military solution to the conflict that afflicts Afghanistan.’ This meaningless declaration ignores the fact that after withdrawal neither Washington nor New Delhi has any means of preventing a power grab in Afghanistan or a takeover of the country by the Taliban. ...
India faces a quandary in terms of its policy towards Afghanistan. India was opposed to the Taliban regime in power in Afghanistan from the mid-1990s until 2001 primarily because it saw it as a tool of Pakistani policy in two spheres. First, a pro-Pakistan government in Kabul was expected to provide Islamabad defence in depth in times of future conflict with India, thus to some extent neutralising India’s conventional-power superiority. Second, Afghanistan under the Taliban had become a safe haven for Pakistani and Pakistan-trained terrorists that Islamabad deployed on the Indian side of the Line of Control in Kashmir in an effort both to make the state of Jammu and Kashmir ungovernable and to divert substantial Indian military capabilities into fighting the insurgency and keeping order in Kashmir. This is why India supported and secretly armed the Northern Alliance that was fighting the Taliban in northern Afghanistan. ...
India is worried not only about Pakistan’s increasing clout in Afghanistan but also about potential moves by India’s other nemesis, China, in post-withdrawal Afghanistan, especially in light of Beijing’s interest in roping in Afghanistan as part of its Belt and Road Initiative. A meeting between a Taliban delegation and the Chinese foreign minister on 28 July in China has heightened these concerns. In the meeting, Mullah Baradar, who led the Taliban delegation, called Beijing a ‘trustworthy friend’ and said that the group wouldn’t permit ‘anyone to use’ Afghanistan’s territory. The reference to ‘anyone’ was obviously meant to reassure China that the Taliban won’t allow insurgent Uyghur groups already active in Afghanistan to use the country to attack targets in China. Incidentally, this meeting followed a joint statement issued by the Pakistani and Chinese foreign ministers on 24 July that the two countries will coordinate their policies and closely cooperate on Afghanistan, further adding to Indian apprehensions. ..."

India’s Afghanistan quandary | The Strategist

U.S. and Western countries biggest foreign policy challenge: Irredentism by Michael Rubin

Recommendable! Good overview article of recent U.S. foreign policy challenges. Rubin covers Turkey, Russia, China, Azerbaijan, Venezuela. Unfortunately, Rubin has solely pointed at U.S. foreign policy challenges while in reality these are challenges to all Western countries!

So, I disagree with Rubin on his remark:

"There is a fine line, however, between restraint and abandonment of global leadership. Trump sprinted across that line, and global security may pay the price."

Au contraire, President has opened the eyes of other Western countries to these challenges. All Western countries have to step up!

"... The problem is irredentism, countries laying claim to former territories and willing to enforce such claims with military force. ..."

Joe Biden’s biggest foreign policy challenge: Irredentism | American Enterprise Institute - AEI The United States was never the catalyst for conflict but rather was the lid on the pressure cooker. America’s retreat opens the door to dictators and despots to pursue their own revanchist ideologies.

Putin As Western Ally Again?

Posted: 11/30/2015 Updated: 12/3/2015, 12/1/2015

It appears that Western leaders (e.g. U.S. president Obama, French president Hollande, German Defense minister von der Leyen) wish to form an alliance with Putin the Terrible to fight islamist terrorism.

That is about as stupid as the alliance of the most socialist U.S. president of all times, i.e. Franklin D. Roosevelt, with Soviet dictator Stalin during World War II.

Dictator Assad must go with the help of Putin the Terrible?

The German defense minister von der Leyen refers to this as an alliance of convenience (Zweckbuendnis). Realpolitik has been more often than not a lousy guide!

Western nations do not have to become an ally with Putin the Terrible to prevent a 3rd World War.

Latest Blunders Of European Foreign Policy

Posted: 9/11/2015

The Refugee Crisis

Why did the European countries threaten to punish airlines and probably ship operators with fines if they carried refugees to Europe as reported? Most of the harrowing losses of lives in the Mediterranean Sea would not have happened if would be refugees just boarded a plane or a ship to Europe for a few hundred dollars.

Why did the European countries not do more to establish and finance safe zones for displaced or internal refugees in Syria? Why did European countries refuse to intervene more forcefully in Syria to get rid of dictator Assad? Because of Putin?

Why did European countries not do more to establish and finance refugee camps in neighboring countries?

Why did European countries not allow for refugees to apply for asylum closer to the areas of conflict like Syria or Afghanistan?

Really Bad Iran Deal

Germany, France, and the United Kingdom are guilty of repeating the appeasement of Munich 1938 called officially “Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action”

It is just beyond incomprehensible that these three, major  European countries became complicit in this naive and stupid deal.

If any of these foolish European politicians had any vision they would have insisted e.g. that Iran first signs a peace treaty with Israel since Iran claims to pursue nuclear power for purely peaceful reasons. In particular I blame the German foreign minister Frank Steinmeier, who I think is a really dull knife in the kitchen drawer.

Abandoning Afghanistan, Iraq, And Libya

It’s bad enough if a socialist community organizer in the White House withdraws all troops in a hurry from these hot spots. For the European countries it was another abject abdication of responsibility and an enormous complicity in foolishness.

The European Union Needs To Increase Defense Budget!

Posted: 7/25/2014

Peace Through Strength

For readers not familiar with this phrase please see e.g. Wikipedia article.

Since the World War II, Western European countries have relied on the U.S. to defend them.

For several decades, Western European countries have irresponsibly downsized their military.

Unfortunately, on the centennial of World War I (the Great War), this negligence is coming home to roost or what goes around comes around. Another irony of history.

Why?

To schmooze with authoritarian leaders like Vladimir Putin was an egregious mistake by Western leaders! Putin’s adventourism could have been challenged by a more muscular Europe.

The Arab-Israeli conflict could have been resolved many years ago (approximately since 1989) had the Europeans carried their weight.

Africa is another continent that has been largely abandoned by European leaders.