Foreign Policy

JD Vance On Donald Trump, Foreign Policy, Abortion: Inheritor Of Maga Philosophy

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JD Vance hated Donald Trump with a passion, until he did not.

He thought Trump was a potential Hitler, said the most insulting things about Trump.

At the same time, he connected with billionaire Peter Thiel, a right wing advocate, who pushed him to run for the Senate seat in Ohio, and is his major benefactor.

As a result, Vance has adopted admiration for Trump, and has taken on positions that are extreme, the most so for any Republican since Barry Goldwater in 1964.

Vance has demonstrated he is an isolationist, not willing to support Ukraine or Taiwan, so like Trump, cozying up to authoritarian governments, a shocking development for the heritage of the Republican Party since World War II.

Vance also has made clear he wants no exceptions for abortion, a national ban, and even if a young girl is made pregnant by a male relative, that incest is not an excuse to avoid following through on pregnancy, an unreasonable view.

Vance should be seen as a real threat long term, because he can now be seen as the inheritor of Donald Trump’s MAGA movement!

The fact that the Russian Foreign Minister has just praised Vance should be a warning sign of the danger of Trump and Vance, and to the long term stability of NATO and other alliances with democracies against authoritarian governments, including Taiwan against China, and South Korea and Japan against North Korea.

If Trump wins or even if he loses, JD Vance will be a presence in American politics for the long run, and it is essential that Americans understand the long term threat to American foreign and domestic policy!

Most Dangerous Time In Foreign Affairs Since World War II!

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America has been through a lot of crises in foreign affairs since World War II, with the 45 Years Cold War with the Soviet Union ending in 1991.

But now in 2024, we not only have to face the twin crises of the Russia-Ukraine War (the most massive war on the European continent since World War II), but also the Israel-Hamas War, which could spread throughout the Middle East.

And we have a former President, Donald Trump, seeking to come back to the White House, who consorts with autocratic leaders, including Vladimir Putin along with many others.

Trump promotes a return to the “America First” mentality advocated by Charles Lindbergh, Henry Ford, and their ilk in the years before World War II, and the first two years and three months of that war, before Japan pushed America into prosecution of that war.

With eight months to go, the crisis facing America is totally horrifying, and with some public opinion polls showing Trump defeating President Joe Biden!

This cannot be allowed to happen, as it portends the end of American democracy and the rule of law, and the promotion of Fascist authoritarianism, autocracy, and the destruction of the 250th anniversary of independence in 2026!

Despite Critics, Joe Biden Has Accomplished More Than Any President Since LBJ!

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President Joe Biden has many critics, including those who think he should not run for reelection in 2024 due to his age.

But with recent successes, and adding to what was accomplished earlier, and despite strong attacks by Republicans, Joe Biden has actually accomplished more in domestic affairs than any President since Lyndon B. Johnson six decades ago!

The amazing difference is that Biden has had to work with a 50-50 US Senate, only the fourth time we have had an evenly divided Senate, unlike what LBJ had in the 1960s and Franklin D. Roosevelt had in the 1930s!

His long experience in the US Senate, and his ability to communicate, has led to results no one could have predicted.

Additionally, his success in unifying NATO, and gaining support for Finland and Sweden to join the alliance, make the US safer, and the world safer.

And support of Ukraine in the Russian war on that nation has made Russia lose massive numbers of troops.

Just imagine if Donald Trump was President!

The domestic successes of Biden would never have been accomplished, and Trump would have supported Russia against Ukraine, and almost certainly, would have taken America out of NATO!

Extremism On Both Sides Lurks In Upcoming Midterm Congressional Elections!

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It is very sad and troubling that extremism on both sides lurks in the upcoming midterm Congressional elections.

It is much more so on the Republican side, but some Democrats are also clearly not willing to cross the aisle, and that means nasty days ahead, probably worse than now, as the nation moves closer to the possibility of inability of Congress to get anything done, despite the multitude of problems, including:

COVID 19 Pandemic
Climate Change
Escalating Crime
Mental Health Crisis
Protection of Civil Rights
Protection of Women’s Rights
Protection Of Gay Rights
Threat of Russia Against Ukraine
Threat of China Against Taiwan
Threat of Middle East War Between Israel and Iran

and many other problems and issues!

Joe Biden’s Foreign Policy Challenges In Year Two Of His Presidency

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In addition to the uncertainty and tensions domestically, surrounding the danger of Donald Trump and the Republicans striving to end American democracy, Joe Biden faces massive foreign policy challenges in year two of his Presidency.

The Russian Federation and Vladamir Putin seem poised to invade Ukraine, with NATO and the US determined to punish Russia with harsh economic sanctions if that horrible event occurs.

China seems poised to invade Taiwan at some point, with the US stating it would come to the defense of that island, without being specific, but with the reality that a direct military intervention seems unlikely or manageable.

Iran seems resistant to resuming the 2015 nuclear agreement that Donald Trump destroyed during his Presidency, and there is the danger of a Iran-Israel War on the horizon.

North Korea and Kim Jong Un continue to test nuclear weapons, and therefore, represent a clear and present danger to US interests and neighboring nations in Asia.

Other nations have become more autocratic, including Hungary, Poland, Turkey, and Egypt in recent years, and democracy seems clearly to be on the defensive.

How much America can have an impact on these “hot spots” is hard to imagine, but that is not saying that Donald Trump or any other potential President would have any more fortune in world affairs!

Nine Months Of President Joe Biden: Realism Sets In With Major Challenges Domestic And Foreign

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Today marks nine months of the Joe Biden Presidency.

This is a crucial time for Biden and the nation, as his public opinion ratings have declined, due to the constant controversy over the COVID 19 Pandemic mandates on masks and vaccinations, bitterly opposed by the right wing channels, including Fox News Channel, One America News Network (OANN), and Newsmax TV, as well as the vast number of Republican governors and members of Congress.

But also, the economic outlook is uncertain, as inflation rages, and many people are staying out of the work force, as we are seeing a massive change in the outlook of Americans toward the kind of work they have done, and wish to do in the future.

The constant debate over the social infrastructure bill is also a burden for Biden, as Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema and a few House Democrats are forcing a major cut in the proposed spending from $3.5 trillion to about half that amount, causing a scale back in the proposed legislation on education, health care, and most particularly on climate change actions.

Foreign policy also presents major challenges in many areas, and is always unpredictable, but the growing threat of China, international terrorism and natural disasters omnipresent, Russia, North Korea, and many other issues are always on the front burner in the White House!

At this point, an objective observer would likely give Biden a B Minus, but with hope that it may rise to B Plus or A Minus grade by the end of the year, but sadly, if the major goals are not accomplished, and if voting rights legislation and criminal justice reform are not attainable, it could go down to the C range in judgment by experts and general public opinion!

Joe Biden Associated Press Public Opinion Poll Puts The President at 63 Percent!

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The Associated Press Public Opinion Poll out today shows President Joe Biden’s ratings continue to soar.

Overall, Biden’s rating is at 63 percent, but on the COVID 19 Pandemic, he is even higher, at 71 percent, including 47 percent of Republicans.

Regarding the overall direction of the nation, the rating is 54 percent, the highest since 2017.

On the direction of the economy, the numbers are 57 percent.

However, on the issue of immigration and the problem at the Mexican border, only 43 percent support Biden.

48 percent support Biden on the issue of guns and mass shootings escalating, with 49 percent opposed.

And on foreign policy, 54 percent support the President on an area still in process of development.

Considering that Donald Trump NEVER reached 50 percent at any time since he first announced for President, and right up to now, it is clear Joe Biden is in very good shape, despite massive margins of Republicans remaining loyal to the twice impeached, twice loser of the popular vote 45th President!

76th Anniversary Of FDR Death, And His Impact On The Nation Continues!

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Franklin D. Roosevelt passed away on this date in 1945, being the last President to die of natural causes in office.

The debate about many actions and policies of FDR continue 76 years later, but there is no doubt that his impact on the nation was the greatest of any President other than Abraham Lincoln.

Right wing critics still condemn FDR in so many ways on domestic and foreign policy, even in 2021, but can one imagine what the nation and the world would have been like if FDR had never been President?

So much of America today is based on FDR and the New Deal, and even those elderly citizens who are right wing conservatives, are not about to repudiate Social Security, and they all benefited in so many ways from FDR policies in other ways that many may not be even aware of.

There are certainly plenty of issues and policies that even an FDR scholar, such as this author, can find fault with, particularly the Japanese American internment, and the issue of the Holocaust, but in FDR’s defense, he was faced with a myriad of issues and also health problems that it is hard to imagine any future President handling the circumstances at the time any differently.

One Month Anniversary Of The Biden Presidency: Tremendous Initiatives And Goals And Early Success!

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It is today one month since Joe Biden became the 46th President of the United States, and there is a sense of great optimism.

The basic decency, compassion, empathy of Joe Biden is very evident, and he has staked out goals in foreign policy and domestic policy, canceling out most of the damage done by Donald Trump in his horrendous four years in office.

Biden has embraced NATO and our democratic allies in Asia;

has made clear that America will hold authoritarian governments around the world accountable for their outrageous violations of basic freedoms;

has selected an exceptional group of Cabinet and other advisors to deal with the myriad of issues he faces, greater than anyone since Franklin D. Roosevelt nine decades ago;

has committed himself to the fight against climate change;

has dedicated himself to the need for immigration reform, and to protect DACA recipients who have been living in uncertainty for the past five years;

has worked to promote the environment and conservation after the worst environmental record of any American President;

has been moving forward on a major economic relief bill;

has surpassed his goal of daily vaccinations against COVID 19 and made it a national commitment, not just left up to states alone;

has made the fight for civil liberties, civil rights, and the struggle against racism, nativism, misogyny a major commitment;

has endorsed full protection for the gay and lesbian community;

and above all, has restored the dignity and prestige of the American Presidency which was in rapid decline.

Joe Biden may not be able to accomplish everything he wishes, due to political realities, but his heart is in the right place, and he clearly is out to promote progressive goals and work against domestic terrorist groups which endanger American democracy.

Joe Biden Finally Able To Move Ahead And To Select A Talented Team Of Cabinet Advisors

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Joe Biden has hit the ground running, officially selecting today a group of seven talent Cabinet advisors to cope with foreign policy, economic policy, homeland security and intelligence matters, and with the crisis of climate change.

Anthony Blinken will be Secretary of State; Janet Yellen will be Secretary of the Treasury; Alejandro Mayorkas will be Secretary of Homeland Security; Linda Thomas-Greenfield will be US Ambassador to the United Nations; Avril Haines will be Director of National Intelligence; Jake Sullivan will be National Security Adviser; and former Senator, 2004 Democratic Presidential nominee, and Obama Secretary of State in the second term John Kerry as Climate Czar to deal with the climate change crisis.

These are all experienced in their fields, and have worked in the government for decades, and they are all decent, honorable people who wish to do a job to promote recovery of the nation from the multiple crises it faces as Joe Biden gets ready to take the oath of office as the 46th President of the United States.

The group includes three women; a Cuban immigrant; an African American woman; two Jews; and age wise, they range from the 40s to the late 70s.

Any decent person can feel a sense of satisfaction already, and there are still many other appointments to come!