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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."