January 20 will mark the end of the first year of the administration of Donald Trump in Washington. President Trump was nominated for and then elected president contrary to the almost unanimous opinion of the media, the pollsters and the political talking heads that those outcomes were impossible. He was also elected to the office by the Electoral College despite having received almost 3 million fewer votes than his opponent.
Since taking office on January 20, 2017, he has been the object of the unremitting hostility of all the forces that were arrayed against him in 2016 – the Democratic Party, a substantial minority of Republicans, academia, minority voting blocs, the media, most of the federal bureaucracy, and the commentariat. In the face of this massive counterattack, the president has governed with many turns and tumbles, demonstrating his lack of political experience as well as his personal style, which resembles that of a whirling dervish.
His administration is still far from complete – many important posts remain unfilled, partly because of the obstructionism of congressional Democrats. His lack of political experience and that of a network of congressional supporters have meant that he has suffered serious defeats in attempting to forge his domestic programs. He has also supported and signed into law a budget bill that violates not only his own fiscal promises during the campaign, but also, and massively, the presumed dedication of the Republican Party to fiscal responsibility, adding, as it does, more than a trillion dollars to the federal debt.
In the case of foreign policy and execution, however, the record of the Trump administration is very different, and much more positive. This has now been codified in the recent publication of the National Security Strategy of the United States of America. This is an annual report issued by the executive branch as mandated by Congress. What does the 2017 version demonstrate to the country and the world?
In the first place, the document is moderate and measured in both tone and content. Efforts on the part of the conspiratorial opposition to characterize it as incendiary and incoherent are meaningless babble. It is nothing of the kind, and any such descriptions are simply manifestations of political malice.
Efforts on the part of the conspiratorial opposition to characterize the NSS as incendiary and incoherent are meaningless babble. It is nothing of the kind, and any such descriptions are simply manifestations of political malice
The overall strategic paradigm is declared to be “a strategy of principled realism that is guided by outcomes, not ideology.” There you have it: no more invading countries in order to “democratize” them. No more military reactions to situations that do not merit military action. No more being sucked into violent situations because of stubborn adherence to ideology. Bottom line, no more Iraqs.
The national interest will be paramount over all other considerations and massive armed response will be authorized only in the case of an imminent threat to the national security that cannot be addressed in any other way.
The report recognizes that no strategic plan can ultimately be successful unless the resources are available to implement it, and that means resources of all kinds: economic, financial, scientific, technological and military, and most important of all, will – the will to do what is necessary and to succeed. Consequently, the report makes it clear that one of its principal objectives has to do with the ability of the United States to recover its position in the world in the face not only of external opposition, but also of internal dissension and social decay.
The conceptual framework of the overall strategic vision is set out as follows:
- “First, our fundamental responsibility is to protect the American people, the homeland, and the American way of life” (emphasis original throughout).
- “Second, we will promote American prosperity….”
- “Third, we will preserve peace through strength….”
- “Fourth, we will advance American influence….”
There is, frankly, nothing that can be seriously objected to in this list.
The principal threats to the implementation of the strategic plan are set forth in starkly realistic terms, beginning with Russia and China in the foreseeable future, moving on to North Korea and Iran and finishing with “jihadist terrorism.” None of the pussy-footing around engaged in by previous administrations (and reflected in some earlier pronouncements about Russia by Trump himself). No obfuscation of what kind of terrorism is being referred to.
The final of the five major threats is unambiguously identified as “jihadist.” The term “jihadist” is found only in Muslim literature; it cannot be identified as anything other than Muslim, again contrary to the practice of the government of Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama.
Finally, a realistic and sober review of US challenges in the various regions of the world is undertaken, again with no attempt to avoid or hide difficult situations. It is unambiguously stated that the US will support its friends and allies and firmly oppose its enemies and the enemies of the West in general, using all the instruments of statecraft in so doing. This principle is being illustrated by the administration’s support of the Iranian people in the ongoing anti-government demonstrations, contrary to the attitude of the previous administration when faced with a similar situation in 2009.
One of many examples of truth-speaking in the document is the following from the section on the Middle East: “Today the threats from jihadist terrorist organizations and the threat from Iran are creating the realization that Israel is not the cause of the region’s problems.” Indeed it is not, but this anodyne conclusion goes contrary to decades of inane international concentration on the Israel-Palestine dispute almost to the exclusion of attention being paid to threat situations in the region many orders of magnitude more significant.
Realistic, moderate in tone, firm in conception and well-expressed, the “National Security Strategy of the United States of America” is a document worthy of study and respect. If successfully implemented, such a strategic plan has the potential to reverse a process that in 16 years of George W Bush and Obama turned the richest and most powerful country not just in the world but in the history of the world into a pathetic, crippled giant.
A final, cautious note. If the massive over-indebtedness of the US is not reversed, however, and there is no sign yet of that, as noted above, such implementation will be impossible.
quote: "The overall strategic paradigm is declared to be “a strategy of principled realism that is guided by outcomes, not ideology."
LOL!! Let’s take a look at one recent outcome:
128 nations support UN call for Trump to withdraw his Jerusalem decision.
Only 7 opposed the call along with the US and Israel — they are (drum roll)
Guatemala
Honduras
Marshall Islands
Micronesia
Nauru
Palau
Togo
That’s 7 really Powerful Primitive Partners — Prominently Poor, Perennially Pathetic Puppet-Producing Banana Republics. (Organic banana producers too?)
Among the 128 nations that supported the call:
Russia
China
India
Brazil
South Africa
Japan
Germany
France
Italy
Spain
The Netherlands
Switzerland
Sweden
Norway
Greece
Turkey
…
128 vs 9, 33 abstentions.
https://vladtepesblog.com/wp-content/uploads//2017/12/Camtasia-2ScreenSnapz001.jpg
What a remarkable achievement by Donald Trump and Nikki Haely at the UN!!!
LOL!!
Pathetic.
Stuart Budgen – just a few questions:
1. Identify the mistakes of the Bush Era.
2. Explain what has Trump done to correct them.
3. Explain how Israel’s interests in annexing Jerusalem as its capital align with America’s national interests when practically the entire world is against the idea.
4. Explain why the military need to remain number one when the US government is already insolvent.
5. What’s the basis of your "feeling" that Trump is "sound" …
Robert Ferrin a man who is capable of creating and implementing a realistic no nonsense strategy to straighten up the mistakes of the Bush Era is obviously smart and patriotic enough to put right as best he can internal issues also.
My feeling is that the guy is sound and his sense of moral duty would compel him to put his countries interests above those of his friends in cases where they are not in alignment.
The military will obviously need to remain number one in the world although its usage will vastly differ.
Actually it is explaining a vital point which effects the lives of billions of people around the globe but as it doesn’t affirm your point of view its obviously empty words. ????
The white house still needs to project and maintain its position in the world or it would leave many vast and dangerous power gaps isn’t it?
It cannot be described as empty words because it clearly talks about the fact that the Trump Whitehouse has got it together now and this means a strong and realistic way of dealing with the world as it is.
My God this is about as profound as anything that could possibly happen in the wake of recent history and American War and intervention.
You see Vince Cheok Trump didn’t turn out to be such a moron after all. ????
Actually the solution for the USA is clearly spelled out in the above article. And it’s implementation is happening very effectively already only 1 year into the Trump administration.
You say it needs to focus on education, well I guess the intelligent people who are now in command at the white house are probably well aware of this only they have a slightly more optimistic and proactive stance to tackling the issues.
Go USA!!!
"There is, frankly, nothing that can be seriously objected to in this list." Because in order to object, there must be something to object to and these are merely strings of empty words. All Americans living in the US need is a coast guard and a border patrol to be kept safe. We do not need 900 or so bases around the world to keep us safe and well. We do need healthcare to protect us. Adequate healthcare will save far more lives than all the aircraft carriers that could be built. The US government is providing security for corporations not for citizens. Americans do not need and cannot afford the most expensive and losingest military on the planet. A military that hasn’t won a war since 1945 unless you wish to count Panama and Grenada as wins. But in fairness to the most expensive and losingest [though it has impressive toys that it loses when hostitilies are engaged in] it has been tasked to fight wars that are unwinnable. The largest military lesson from the 20th and 21st centuries is that the ‘visiting team’ always [99% or so] loses. If you want to save American lives provide healthcare, not weapons that end up on the other side. Cheers.
The biggest threat to America is not Russia, China, Iran, but USA itself.
While for last 50 years Asia concentrated on education, Americans ignored it. Its school system produced youth that can neither read nor count. American youth is far behind the world in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math).
The school system is unable to feed its once stellar universities that are now starved for input. Over half of univesity population in the US is now foreign.
Lack of education has decimated its small and medium industry. Its large scale industry will be history in 10 years or less.
Eric Schmidt of Alphabet (Google) alleges that China is already at par with US on AI, and will take a commanding lead within 5 years. In coming years conflict will require educated youth to fight a high-tech war. The ignorance of its youth ties American hands.
Trump is the kid who shouts that Emperor has no clothes – realism par excellence. Self-Isolation is the only remedy for USA.
Bailey forgets, or chooses to ignore to make his point, that Obama was elected because he offered to end USA involvement in Iraq and Afganistan or in any other country and bring the soldiers back home. Not because he is black! This was the will of the American people then and it’s still today. That some Nazis like Bailey, who want to subjugate the rest of the world, stole the last election and now run the US Government is a temporary infection that will be cured in the next elections.
what this neocon wall street zionist israeli agent writes is incomplete.no mention of the trillions of u.s. treasury bonds owned by the chinese in one hr. of trading they could crash the u.s bond market and stock market.so this article is full of deciet and propaganda
Art Laramee how uneducated !!!typical wall street zionist israeli agent speak. you can watch cnn; fox and hear the same. pump up the militaristic propaganda for this man laramee
absolutely correct!!!! this man bailey is a zionist israeli wall street neocon. all 4 pts he showed of trrmps plan is a disquise for more wars more wealth for the wall street crowd more heavy handed police etc. lies and deciet shame on asia times for promoting this as that is what they are doing!!!
Why is it that people have such a hard time relizing one fact Trump will never ever turn on his own class, thus the corruption on wall street within the Federal Reserve within the corporations will continue unabated in his term,as far as foreign adventures they to will continue at a greater pace as he feeds the Military/industrial animal, doubt it just look at the large increase in defence spending.God save America and its people from their own government for he’s the only one who can..
Norman Bailey,
Thank you. Very informative and in fact very tension and stress relieving given all the War cries in the news.
I am beginning to see a light at the end of the ‘Trump’ tunnel.
Back to basics approach. Who can argue about that? Start off domestic with bread and butter issues and securing law and order out in the streets and public places and then step up homeland security.
Cut down on overseas military expenditure and spend the funds weeding out the terrorists within and keeping the terrorists out.
Make America rich again! It is good if Trump puts trade and commerce before overseas military incursions. Let others fight their own wars. If others need American troops then they have to pay for the protection services like the British have to pay for Gurkha troops.
Be tough on terrorism whatever form it takes including the perpetrators of financial and banking and tax frauds. All terrorists are evil. But the white collar corporation terrorists are the worse of the lot. They have ruined the lives of millions of good hardworking ordinary U.S. citizens instead of terrorist bombers usually killing a few dozen victims at any time. Start with the big banks and Wall Street icons in the U.S. Nationalise them unless they repay in full the 2008 financial crisis bailout from taxpayers money. Any U.S, corporation having a tax haven holding company should pay double on tax based only as a percentage of their gross income or gross sales or equity, whichever is higher. No tax deductions or rebates or write-offs That should bring all these unpatriotic U.S. corporations home to roost.
Have a genuine Central Bank fully owned solely by the U.S. Government and responsible to Congress instead of the sham of a Federal Reserve that is in fact privately owned by private banks.
All these measures and others would then make sense of (Welfare of) American (People) First.