https://twitter.com/geiger_capital/status/1996958459577716809?s=46
@bradstevens you brought up the idea of having a conversation around Trump's administration foreign policy shift. I think it would be an interesting conversation. Feel free to add your thoughts and take the rein.
So does Russia get to control its sphere of influence? China?
Is South America worth it? Trade wise, rare earth metals, oil, etc. how does it stack up with the rest of the world where we will stop influencing as much (we have limited resources, after all)? Or is this in addition to what we're already doing across the world?
What if the people of South America don't want us?
On that last point, establishing free-market, liberal democracies at the bottom and top of South America might be a big step in the right direction. You'd need to stabilize Argentina and flip Venezuela though.
This is mostly about Maduro. Maduro has got to go. Maduro has brought to the Western Hemisphere a new kind organization and threat to peace and stability. The Houthis, Hamas, Hezbollah, ISIS, etc have ruled areas of the Middle East for decades. Maduro is using Tren de Aragua in a similar fashion in the Western Hemisphere and the United States. Kidnapping, extortion, human trafficking, drugs, and violent intimidation are their tools of the trade.
The only countries that recognize Maduro’s presidency are Iran, Cuba, China, Russia and their allies. No western democracy or no Latin American Country recognize him. He is under Criminal Indictment here. The Nobel peace prize committee poked a stick in his eye by giving the Peace Prize to his number one opponent.
Maduro leads TdA, a criminal armed gang with spreading influence throughout the Western Hemisphere. TdA, a quasi state-sponsored threat, is not clearly dealt with by international or domestic law. I would resolve legal ambiguities in favor of kicking his butt. Doing so is not without legal support. That includes destroying fast drug boats. Bound for Europe? So What? Each boat is not drugs, each boat is money that goes to TdA.
Of course factual and legal ambiguities exist in the effort to smash Maduro and TdA. I think the equities and imperatives require action to free the world of him and TdA.
Here's the National Security Strategy:https://twitter.com/geiger_capital/status/1996958459577716809?s=46
@bradstevens you brought up the idea of having a conversation around Trump's administration foreign policy shift. I think it would be an interesting conversation. Feel free to add your thoughts and take the rein.
2025-National-Security-Strategy.pdf
I've read these from front to back since the 80s and I'll do the same with this one. I'll get to this one soon but just skimming it this is a big change. Trump's NSS documents (this is his second) have a different tone than those of other Presidents from the extreme "I'm so great" and "all my predecessors sucked" message in his intro letter to the deference paid him throughout the document. I always thought Obama was the most narcissistic President we've had before Trump. He doubles down on it. Trump is referenced 27 times in this NSS and Obama is referenced 0 times in his last one. Clinton did one nearly every year. Others did one or two, which is probably enough. Here's a link to the NSS documents since Reagan:
Setting aside your objections to Trump’s personality, what do you think of the new emphasis on the Western Hemisphere and focus on meeting the increasing influence of criminal cartels?
Maduro leads TdA, a criminal armed gang with spreading influence throughout the Western Hemisphere.
Honest question: do we have proof of that? What is it?
circumstantial evidence. Maduro and TdA occupy common ground and Maduro uses it to do some dirty work. I’ve also read anti-Trump publications who go to great lengths to deny connections. Separating TdA from Maduro’s interests doesn’t make a lot of sense. There are too many common interests.
Sounds kinda weak.circumstantial evidence. Maduro and TdA occupy common ground and Maduro uses it to do some dirty work. I’ve also read anti-Trump publications who go to great lengths to deny connections. Separating TdA from Maduro’s interests doesn’t make a lot of sense. There are too many common interests.
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