Sunday, December 17, 2017

Santa Claus versus The Protectionists

'Twas No Trade Before Christmas, Newsday, December 17, 2017. "Now, BARRY! now, DONALD! now, SHERROD and BANNON!/On BERNIE! on TRUMKA! on WARREN and CLINTON!"

Sunday, December 3, 2017

A Tale of Three Purges

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Is Consolidating His Power, Newsday, December 3, 2017. "Under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia has launched a crackdown on corruption. This is the world’s third great anti-corruption drive in the past 15 years. The last two, in Russia and China, presaged war and aggression. The same things will happen in the Middle East."

Monday, November 20, 2017

I Want You to Not Want Me

Putin Clever At Sowing Fear, Confusion, Newsday, November 20, 2017. "There is no mystery about what Vladimir Putin’s Russia seeks to achieve through its propaganda. It doesn’t want to make you love Russia. It wants to make you distrust America. And thanks to the panic about Russia’s influence in the 2016 election, it’s enjoying brilliant success."

Monday, November 6, 2017

One More Time . . .

A Mistake to Conflate Trump, Brexit, Newsday, November 6, 2017. "Americans have never fully grasped why Brexit — Britain’s exit from the European Union — matters to them. That’s made it easy for the EU’s friends to lump Brexit together with President Donald Trump as symbols of all that’s wrong with the West today. The truth is that Brexit shows what’s right with it."

Sunday, October 22, 2017

Keep Your Eye on the Ball

Iran Deal Was Not About Iran, Newsday, October 22, 2017. "President Donald Trump’s announcement of a new strategy for confronting Iran offers a modicum of hope that the United States will stop kicking the can down the road in the Persian Gulf. But to do that, we have to recognize the point of the Iran nuclear deal wasn’t to restrain Iran. It was to restrain the United States."

Thursday, October 12, 2017

Down to Davy Jones' Locker

Deep-Six the Jones Act, Newsday, October 12, 2017. "In response to Hurricane Maria, the Trump administration waived the restrictions the Jones Act imposes on shipping to Puerto Rico. The Sept. 28 decision was the right move, though a belated one. The act is a costly failure, and the administration’s short-term waiver was of a piece with its broader protectionism."

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

The Conservative Dilemma in Britain

Are Britain’s Conservatives Dead?, Daily Signal, October 4, 2017. "A year ago—even six months ago—Britain’s Conservative Party was riding high. It had won an unexpected victory in the 2015 election. Then, in June 2016, Britain voted to leave the European Union—a result that delighted most voters on the right, and quite a few on the left too. And at the start of the summer, the Conservatives looked set for a smashing, historic victory in the elections of June 2017. Well, that didn’t happen. The Conservatives won a narrow victory, but the margin was so close, and the collapse against expectations so catastrophic, that the victory felt—feels—like a loss."

Friday, October 6, 2017

A Brutal Conference

Conservative Gloom in Manchester, Weekly Standard Online, October 6, 2017. "The nicest thing you can say about this year’s conference of Britain’s Conservative party in Manchester is that at least it’s not Birmingham’s turn. Manchester may draw more lefty protesters — the 2015 conference in Britain’s second city made me feel like Aragon at Helm’s Deep, surrounded by unwashed orcs — but at least it retains some of its brickwork grandeur. Birmingham, by contrast, was heavily bombed during the war — I mean modernism’s war on humanity, not the Second World War — and no city has made the deadly results of fascination with reinforced concrete more brutally obvious."

Saturday, September 30, 2017

The Anglo Tendency in American Politics

Conservatism Across the Atlantic, Centre Wright, published by Bright Blue, Autumn 2017 issue on "Conservatism Refresh," September 30, 2017, article only available in PDF. "In the era of Trump, it would be easy to conclude that the greatest challenge facing conservatism in the United States is its tendency to fratricide. That is a challenge not unknown in Britain. But in the US, the more serious challenges come from shifts in the underlying political and ideological structure of the nation. These challenges, too, have their parallels in the United Kingdom."

Sunday, September 24, 2017

The UN: A Club for Nations

Why United Nations Membership Means Little, Newsday, September 24, 2017. "The UN today is a club for nations. Every widely recognized nation is in it, and if you’re not a nation, you’re excluded. As such, the UN has no serious membership standards: If you’re a nation, you’re in. But that was not how it was meant to be. When the UN was founded in 1945, it was a society for the nations that had won the Second World War. The losers — Germany, Italy and Japan — were excluded. As such, the UN was supposed to embody the values America had fought to defend."

Thursday, September 21, 2017

China, Russia, and the Abuse of Interpol

The U.S. Must Challenge Autocratic Regimes at the Beijing Interpol Meeting, Heritage Foundation Issue Brief #4766, September 21, 2017. "The autocracies of the world have learned that Interpol, the international organization of police and law enforcement organizations, can be a valuable instrument of oppression. The United States, and the rest of the world’s democracies, have failed to respond effectively to this challenge. The 86th annual meeting of the Interpol General Assembly will take place from September 26 to 29 in Beijing. Interpol has in recent years been heavily criticized for failing to ensure that—as its constitution requires—it focuses exclusively on ordinary crime, and does not become an instrument of political oppression in the hands of autocratic regimes. The U.S. has so far failed to devise an effective strategy to resist, and roll back, the politicization of Interpol. The Trump Administration should take the opportunity of the General Assembly meeting to develop and implement such a strategy. If it does not, Interpol, which is heavily used by U.S. law enforcement, will continue to lose credibility in ways that will damage both it and the interests of the U.S."

Friday, September 15, 2017

No Reports, No Success

A Failing Reporting Card for the Arms Trade Treaty, Daily Signal, September 15, 2017. "Why does reporting matter? Because treaty advocates—to the extent they’re interested in anything more than hating on the U.S., Britain, and Israel—have insisted adamantly that the treaty will succeed or fail to the extent that it promotes transparency. By their own measure, therefore, the treaty is a failure."

Thursday, September 14, 2017

The US Bill for the Arms Trade Treaty (So Far)

Who Pays for the Arms Trade Treaty? You Do, Daily Signal, September 14, 2017, "The simple fact is that only a bare majority of the nations that are party to the Arms Trade Treaty are willing to do anything more than utter sweet nothings in support of it."

Sunday, September 10, 2017

A Few Hard Facts About NoK

Is It Back to Basics with North Korea?, Newsday, August 26, 2017. "A viable U.S. policy toward North Korea starts with recognizing basic facts. North Korea is a nuclear state. It has worked hard for five decades to become a nuclear state. Wooing Pyongyang with sweet words will not lead it to denuclearize."

Saturday, August 26, 2017

Give A Dog A Computer

, Newsday, August 26, 2017. "Congress is unpopular. It’s also widely perceived as ineffective. Regrettably, I share that perception. But the problem rests not in who serves in Congress, or their staff, or in the resources at their disposal. It rests in Congress’ retreat from its role as a deliberative and legislative chamber."

Friday, August 11, 2017

In Praise of Sumida, Not Allison

There’s Good History, and Not-So-Good History, Newsday, August 11, 2017. "It turns out that predicting the future by leaning on a famous phrase isn’t enough to make a history good. Indeed, it may be enough to make it bad. I’d recommend you read Sumida and avoid Allison. But read what you like. Just remember: if it makes history seem simple, it’s probably not good."

Monday, July 31, 2017

Not Next Ten, But Next Two

A Cliché About Military Spending, Newsday, July 31, 2017. "It’s often observed that the United States spends as much on defense as the next 10 or so nations combined. As Congress begins to consider the annual National Defense Authorization Act, it should recognize that this commonplace is simplistic, inaccurate, and serves only to undercut our own defenses."

Thursday, July 27, 2017

The Worse, the Better

The U.S. Goal at the Conference of States Parties of the Arms Trade Treaty: Keep the Treaty on Its Downward Spiral, Heritage Foundation Issue Brief #4744, July 27, 2017. "While the U.S. should attend the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) Conference of States Parties as an observer state, it should do so in the clear recognition that the ATT is not in the interests of the United States. Although the U.S. will not have a vote, it should intervene in the debate to: (1) speak honestly about the ATT’s failures; (2) make it clear that it will make no voluntary financial contributions to support the ATT; and (3) warn the states parties against launching a propaganda campaign in support of the treaty or amending the treaty to expand its requirements. Finally, the U.S. should unsign the ATT as rapidly as possible."

Monday, July 24, 2017

On Helping the Bad Against the Worse

The U.K. Defeats A Legal Challenge to Its Arms Sales – Or Does It>?, Forbes, July 24, 2017. "Last week in London, the High Court rejected a challenge brought by the Campaign Against The Arms Trade (CAAT). The court ruled that the British government had broken no law by selling arms to Saudi Arabia that are being used in a war against Houthi rebels in Yemen. NGOs that backed the challenge, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, are downhearted. But on a closer look, Britain's victory over the legal challenge to its arms sales doesn’t give anyone much comfort."

Monday, July 17, 2017

Locust Years

The Cost of Kicking the Can Down the Road in Russia, Iran and North Korea, Newsday, July 17, 2017. "You know the major foreign threats to the United States — Russia, Iran, North Korea, and terrorism. We’ve been talking about them for years. Today, we’re in a bad place on all of them. It’s an object lesson in the dangers of kicking the can down the road."

Thursday, July 13, 2017

Turkish Abuse of Interpol

Is Turkey Trying to Harass U.S. Service Members Through Interpol?, Forbes, July 13, 2017. "Last week, a Turkish newspaper alleged that Interpol had “removed Turkey from its database” after the Turkish government sought to report 60,000 people to Interpol on the grounds that they were members of the so-called Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETO), which the Turkish government alleges was behind the July 2016 coup attempt in Turkey. Supposedly, Interpol said that the Turkey request raised an “issue of trust” and suspended its access in July 2016. A day later, Interpol denied this report."

Monday, June 26, 2017

Like A Duck Hit on the Head

One Tory's Story, Weekly Standard, June 26, 2017. "After one of his many unfortunate generals sustained a particularly abject defeat, Abraham Lincoln remarked that the man was "confused and stunned like a duck hit on the head." Such is the state of the Conservative party after the U.K. general election of June 8, an election the party felt sure it would win overwhelmingly but in which it somehow contrived to lose seats. Though technically a victory, in that the Tories remain the largest and governing party, it was in every other sense—and especially as judged against expectations—a profound and confusing defeat."

Sunday, June 18, 2017

Same Names, New Games

New Political Parties in Old Clothes, Newsday, June 18, 2017. "On the surface, the elections for the National Assembly in France have nothing in common with Britain’s most recent election, held on June 8. In France, President Emmanuel Macron’s new party may take three-quarters of the Assembly. In Britain, established parties dominated the voting. But underneath, Britain and France have a lot in common with each other, and indeed with the United States."

Sunday, June 4, 2017

Germany's the Problem

Want A Good Ally? Then Be A Good Ally, Newsday, June 4, 2017. "Trump isn’t entirely in the right in this clash. But he’s more right than wrong. His idea that trade surpluses are always good and trade deficits are always bad is wrong. In the end, trade is an exchange of goods among individuals. If our government attempts to make it harder for us to buy what we want from abroad, it’s trying to tell individual Americans what we should do with our own money. That’s wrong."

Wednesday, May 31, 2017

On Competitive Strategy

This is the Key to a Successful Trump Foreign Policy, with Colin Dueck, Daily Signal, May 31, 2017. "For the purposes of strategic planning, what organizing principle might be useful to inform such initiatives, consistent with existing statements of presidential intent? Here is one such principle: Conceive and implement strategies of pressure against U.S. competitors overseas."

Monday, May 22, 2017

Trump and the Russians

Donald Trump’s Anti-Russian Agenda, Newsday, May 22, 2017. "Politically, no story is hotter than the one about Donald Trump and the Russians. Last week’s appointment of a special counsel to investigate Russian interference in the election keeps the story alive. But abroad, President Trump hasn’t helped the Russians. In fact, he’s opposed them."

Saturday, May 6, 2017

The Constitutional versus the Administrative State

Trump and the Limits of Presidential Power, Newsday, May 6, 2017. "Last week, President Donald Trump blamed the Constitution for making his life hard. As he put it, “It’s an archaic system. . . . It’s really a bad thing for the country.” He’s not the first president with that complaint, and, sadly, he won’t be the last."

Monday, May 1, 2017

Getting BAD

Reclaiming American Realism, with Michael Auslin and Colin Dueck, American Affairs, May 2017. "Trump himself may not be the answer to the threats the country faces, but his election offers an opportunity to reconsider the state of our relations with the world, to more forthrightly admit what has failed, and to consider bolder changes in our approach to foreign policy than would take place after a more “normal” election. Conservatives must recognize the widespread public dissatisfaction, and respond with a realistic approach to the challenges we face abroad and at home. Failing to do this will result not merely in a more dangerous world, but also in a yet more disillusioned U.S. public that will demand a retreat that endangers our vital interests and puts the ability of Americans to live freely at risk."

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Expanding the Perimeter

How to Expand Defense Trade Cooperation Between the U.S., the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada, with Daniel Kochis, Heritage Foundation Issue Brief, April 26, 2017. "Of the United States’ alliances, none are stronger than those it enjoys with Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The U.S. has stood shoulder to shoulder with these English-speaking allies in two World Wars, the Cold War, two wars in Iraq, and the war in Afghanistan, and that collaboration continues today in the fight against ISIS. The U.S. also works closely with these allies in the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing community, which includes New Zealand. It is therefore in America’s interest to promote even closer defense collaboration with Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. A major pillar of improved collaboration is improved defense trade cooperation."

Sunday, April 23, 2017

The Worrying Decline of the Establishment

The Disturbing Decline of Europe’s Left, Newsday, April 23, 2017. "British Prime Minister Theresa May shocked her nation last week by calling an early election, to be held on June 8. Her Conservative Party is likely — though not certain — to win, a result that would end all doubt that Britain will leave the European Union. But it’s not Conservative strength in Britain that’s the most impressive. It’s the weakness of the opposition left-wing Labour Party. It’s not just Labour that’s weak. All across the continent, the left is in trouble, just as the EU is. And the EU’s problems are the left’s."

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

The Latest British Election

In Britain, Conservatives Seek a Mandate from Voters, Daily Signal, April 18, 2017. "On Tuesday, British Prime Minister Theresa May shocked Britain by calling for an early general election, which will be held on June 8. This election will decide the fate of her government and Brexit. In many ways, May’s decision to “go to the country”—British slang for calling an election—is the way it should be."

Sunday, April 9, 2017

Stuck in the Middle with You

U.S. Caught In Between on China, Newsday, April 9, 2017. "Summit meetings between American presidents and Chinese leaders are always high-risk. But the drama of last week’s meetings between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping concealed a key fact: U.S. policy toward China is based on an assumption that has never looked less attractive."

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Again, The Advantages of Brexit

The Opportunities Brexit Gives Britain to Reshape Itself, Daily Signal, March 29, 2017. "Today, British Prime Minister Theresa May formally notified the European Union that Britain will leave the union. This is a great day for believers in democratic self-government, here and around the world. The process of Britain’s leaving the EU will not be easy, and today’s step—the triggering of the EU’s Article 50—is a vitally important stage in the process. Article 50 is not saying Britain wants a divorce. It assumes the divorce exists, and starts a two-year period of negotiations about its terms."

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

The Advantages of Brexit

Theresa May and the Brexiteers, National Interest, March 28, 2017."When British prime minister Theresa May triggers Article 50 on Wednesday, the clock starts ticking on Britain’s exit from the European Union. Barring an extension of the exit negotiations—which would require a unanimous vote of all EU members—Britain will be out on March 30, 2019, deal or no deal. In this world of change, it is nice to see that a few things remain the same. And one of those things is Al Gore. Speaking in London last week, the former vice president was kind enough to favor his audience with his own views on what caused Brexit. The villain, of course, was global warming."

Sunday, March 26, 2017

Diet Time at State

Donald Trump is Right to Cut the State Department’s Budget, March 26, 2017, Newsday. "President Donald Trump’s budget proposes a 28 percent cut, worth $17.3 billion, in the budget of the State Department and our foreign aid. Inevitably, liberals are opposed, but even some conservatives have expressed doubts. Yet if you believe in diplomacy, cuts are a good first step."

Monday, March 20, 2017

In Praise of the Freedom Association

Britain’s CPAC Celebrates Brexit, Daily Signal, March 20, 2017. "Britain’s fourth annual Freedom Festival, organized by the Freedom Association and held in the traditional seaside resort of Bournemouth, concluded on Sunday. Like the U.S. Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, the festival brings together conservatives and libertarians to discuss, debate—and this year, to celebrate."

Sunday, March 12, 2017

In Praise of Robots

Bill Gates Takes Aim at Robots Who Take Our Jobs, Newsday, March 12, 2017. "Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft and a very smart and rich man, has an idea: tax robots who take jobs that people used to do. Interesting idea. But before we sign on, let’s think about how it would work in practice."

Sunday, February 26, 2017

London (and Paris), Not Brussels

U.S. Should Stop Supporting the EU, Newsday, February 26, 2017. "The Trump administration doesn’t like the European Union. Its critics claim this is a major shift in U.S. policy. They’re right. But on substance, it’s the administration that’s got it right. The upcoming French elections show why."

Saturday, February 11, 2017

TPP Matters More than Refugees

Furor Over Refugee Order Overshadows TPP, Newsday, February 11, 2017. "President Donald Trump’s “extreme vetting” order on refugees is his most controversial act in his three weeks in office. But his decision to withdraw the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership was more important. Yet the first order stoked a panic, while the second received limited attention in comparison."

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

The Top Five Treaties to Kill

On Treaties, It’s Time to Clear the Inbox, Washington Times, February 7, 2017. "The Trump administration is reportedly reviewing all current and pending multilateral treaties, with a view to exiting those that are not in the national interest. This is a long-overdue step. More than 40 treaties are pending in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, many of them gathering dust there for decades."

Saturday, February 4, 2017

Britain Backs Brexit, Again

On Brexit, So Much Winning, Daily Signal, February 4, 2017. "On June 23, the British people voted to leave the European Union. Earlier this week, Britain took another mighty step on the road to regaining its independence when the House of Commons voted, by a smashing margin of 498 to 116, to back Brexit."

Monday, January 30, 2017

What, Me Worry? Well, Yes.

So, You Worry About Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Newsday, January 30, 2017. "The left has a new boogeyman: Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin. Russian hackers, many liberals say, cost Hillary Clinton the election. Russia is certainly a bad actor. I only wish the left had noticed years ago. And no, I don’t excuse conservatives who fall for the Russian lure: They should know better."

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Really, It's Not Just Another Country

How Trump Can Advance the Special Relationship with Britain, with Nile Gardiner, Daily Signal, January 26, 2017. "Just seven days after taking office, President Donald Trump will meet with British Prime Minister Theresa May in Washington on Jan. 27. It will be the first visit to the White House by a foreign leader since Trump’s inauguration, and the meeting sends a clear signal that the Anglo-American alliance will be at the heart of strategic thinking in the new Trump administration."

SHOT Wonders if Trump Will Hit the Target

With Obama Gone, Firearms Industry Hopes for New Freedom for Gun Owners, Daily Signal, January 26, 2017. "In past years, the SHOT Show—the Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade Show; organized annually by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, held this year in Las Vegas—has been marked by delight at the booming firearms market, clouded by concerns about impending executive actions by now-former President Barack Obama. This year, SHOT was the exact opposite: hopes for regulatory relief from President Donald Trump, tempered with regret at the end of—or at least a pause in—the remarkable sales run of the past eight years."

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Not Just Another Country

The Trump-May White House Meeting: Five Key Recommendations for Advancing the Special Relationship, with Nile Gardiner, Heritage Foundation Issue Brief #4649, January 25, 2017. "On January 27, just seven days after taking office, President Donald Trump will meet with British Prime Minister Theresa May in Washington. It will be the first visit to the White House by a foreign leader since Trump’s inauguration, and the meeting sends a clear signal that the Anglo–American alliance will be at the heart of strategic thinking in the new Trump Administration."

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Bin the ATT

A Simple Plan in 2017 for the Arms Trade Treaty: Return to Sender, Heritage Foundation Issue Brief #4648, January 24, 2017. "Though then–Secretary of State John Kerry signed the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) on behalf of the United States on September 25, 2013, the Obama Administration waited until December 9, 2016, to transmit the treaty to the Senate. The strength of the opposition to the treaty and the fact that the Administration only acted when it had less than six weeks left in office make clear that the ATT has no chance of receiving the advice and consent of the Senate. Therefore, like a number of other treaties, it will await action by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) when the next Administration enters office."

Thursday, January 19, 2017

Broadening the River

Brexit and the Arrival of Trump Signal the Beginning of an Exciting New Era of Closer and Deeper US-UK Relations, BrexitCentral, January 19, 2017. "So let’s try something new: focusing on reality. Let’s get a few solid accomplishments under our belt – starting, but not ending, with that trade deal – and then see how we feel about each other, and ourselves. I’d love to go back to the era of Roosevelt and Churchill, or Reagan and Thatcher, because they all combined great rhetoric with great achievements, but that’s not happening. Yet we do have the chance – because you now have the freedom, and we appear to have the desire – to break the mould, to do things that used to be impossible, or merely unthinkable. If politics allow us to make Churchill’s river that little broader for both our benefit, and for the years that will follow our new administrations, it would be folly not to take it."

Saturday, January 14, 2017

Grade: Must Improve, But Didn't

Obama Did Not Learn from Foreign Policy Mistakes, Newsday, January 14, 2017. "During their time in office, most presidents learn. And usually their actions reflect what they’ve learned. That’s good: Learning is a vital part of being an effective leader, and it’s essential if you’re president. Regrettably, President Barack Obama doesn’t appear to be a good learner."

Thursday, January 12, 2017

What the US Should Do in Europe

Recommitting the United States to European Security and Prosperity: Five Steps for the Incoming Administration, with Luke Coffey and Daniel Kochis, Heritage Foundation Issue Brief #4646, January 12, 2017. "Since the end of the Cold War, U.S. policy toward Europe has drifted far from its initial premises; Europe itself has changed beyond recognition. The U.S. needs to recognize this fact. President Trump should direct the National Security Council (NSC) to oversee a comprehensive study of U.S. policy toward Europe, a study based on enduring American interests in Europe, the lessons of the post-1945 era, and on the new features of Europe that have emerged since 1991."

Sunday, January 1, 2017

Accountability Time

My Questions for the New Year, Newsday, January 1, 2017. "Commenting on current affairs is an ongoing lesson in humility. It’s a big world, and anyone who writes about it should be prepared to be wrong a lot. So at the end of the year, I like to practice some accountability by looking back to my last New Year’s column, and forward to the coming year."