America First: Trump’s Pragmatic Stand on Foreign Policy
Trump’s pragmatic “America first” view on foreign policy is a beautiful marriage of Libertarian non-interventionism and conservative humanitarianism. Noting that America is, at its core, a “humanitarian nation”, he plans to continue to serve the world to our highest ability while taking a more realistic approach with foreign involvement.
Non-Interventionism
The meat of his policy comes from his non-interventionist views on foreign affairs. Trump understands the quagmire of Middle Eastern conflict is wholly avoidable and logistically nightmarish. Our policy of regime change since HW Bush has led to the destabilization of critical Middle Eastern power-blocks, the rise of radical Islam, and a worldwide humanitarian crisis. To solve the problem, we need to understand that the political establishment knowingly and deliberately engaged our country in perpetual war for profit. The endless list of government officials and private special interest groups who have made billions standing on the graves of our American heroes stands as grim evidence of decades of government corruption and globalist interests.
Need some proof? Vice President Dick Cheney’s Halliburton made over $39 billion from the Iraq War. This is a man who voted for our country to enter into a war on dubious terms, while profiting via government contracts directly related to that war.
All this to say that the Middle Eastern crisis was birthed out of corruption and greed. A Trump presidency will blow the top off these criminal actions and put American interests first again while avoiding future conflicts abroad.
ISIS
The rise of ISIS is the product of criminal foreign policy. For years our government has been incubating radical groups masquerading as “moderate” rebels while the protests of military officials have been met with silence. This led to Obama’s highly publicized military purges of 2013–2014 in which tens of high ranking officers were fired or resigned in a period of a year.
Trump understands very clearly how and why ISIS was allowed to grow. One only has to look as far as Hillary Clinton’s benefactors to see that she has actively sold foreign policy to the highest bidder as Secretary of State. Saudi Arabia, the world’s leading financial backer of Islamic extremism, has donated over $25 million to the Clinton Foundation. These back-room deals undoubtedly resulted in favorable legislation and policies for the Saudi government.
These corrupt policy auctions have fueled the rise of radicalized Islamic terror groups over the years, and have led to the current refugee crisis in Europe.
The answer? Hold these countries accountable for the love of God! Imagine a world where a US president held Saudi Arabia and Turkey accountable for their actions rather than accept bribes and pander to the faux monarchy. Enter Trump.
Russia
Trump has often been criticized for his relationship with Putin. While Putin is by no means a saint, he is far from the Stalin-esq dictator the media represents him as and there is definitely room to build positive bridges with Russia.
Once again, a pragmatic approach to American-Russian relations is something we just haven’t seen from any other Republican. From Ted “Carpet-bomber” Cruz to Kasich’s “bloody Russia’s nose” comments, it is clear that the GOP is still in Red Scare-mode. A more cynical American might think they are attempting to villainize Russia to perpetuate a cold-war military industrial complex…but I digress.
The Russian government has indeed tempered over the 25 years since the fall of the USSR, and it is time for us to start moving forward and stop antagonizing the bear, so to speak. In stark contrast to his headline grabbing, bombastic personality on the trail, Trump has proven that he is is willing and capable to have a calm, but firm, hand when dealing with foreign leaders. As long as it isn’t Rosie O’Donnell.
Border Security
Border security should be our top priority when speaking of national defense. Brass tacks, our border is nearly non-existent and our laws non-enforceable. We are at a point where illegals and cartel members can navigate our borders with ease and it’s not a stretch to say that Islamic radicals will exploit this breach as a way to import arms and fighters into our heartland.
Trump’s immigration plan is tough, and relies on a zero-tolerance stance against illegal immigration. This, partnered with his plan to build his now famous wall, will shore up our southern flank and allow us to stop the flow of drugs, criminals, and terrorists from Mexico.
Rebuild the Military, the Right Way
Gone are the days when we needed masses of ships, planes, and men to defend our nation from tyranny. We are living in a time when cyber warfare can cripple countries faster and more precisely than a nuclear bomb. It is time to take a firm look at our national defense and determine what programs are actually worth investing in.
In the realm of cyber security, we are vastly outgunned. Trump’s plan will propel us into the modern age and allow us to properly defend against grid attacks and foreign hacking. While this isn’t as sexy as investing $1 TRILLION into a failed F-35 program that no one wants, it is definitely more practical.
Wiser investing, mixed with a cut in wasteful spending will bring our military to fighting strength again without breaking our budget. A great example of government waste was used often by Senator Rand Paul on the campaign trail. The US military spent over $40 million on the construction of a natural gas station in Afghanistan. The problem? Not many Afghans have natural gas cars and the project came in 140 times over-budget…
This is just one great example of how much money is actually being wasted by the Pentagon and a Trump presidency will surely start with a full audit of military spending.
Can’t Stump the Trump
Convinced yet? Let me know in the comments below!