click to view press conference
by Rod Williams, Jan. 7, 2025- President-elect Donald Trump has upped his rhetoric regarding taking military action against our neighbors. He had previously said he might retake the Panama Canal which implies military action, and he had spoken of purchasing Greenland, which of course is not for sale. Today said he would not rule out the use of military force to seize control of the Panama Canal and Greenland, declaring U.S. control of both to be vital to American national security.
Much of what Trump said on the campaign trail was dismissed by his supporter as simply bluster and not to be taken seriously. Now that he is days away from taking office and he continues to talk of taking military action against friendly neighbors, I don't think one should be so sanguine. Not only has he talked of taking Panama and Greenland but has insultingly, jokingly called Canada the 51st state. He has also threatened to declare Mexican drug cartels Foreign Terrorist Organization.
Declaring the Mexican drug cartels Foreign Terrorist Organization would open the door to a more hostile relationship with Mexico and could be a first step in justifying military action against Mexico. Not only is Trump threatening these actions, but he has threatened a trade war with both Mexico and Canada.
Unfortunately, I think many Americans would be ready to support Trump aggression against our neighbors. The case for retaking the Panama Canal would be an easy sell. After all, we build it and when we gave it away, that was a contentious decision. And we could likely take it with little difficulty and little loss of life. After taking Panama, then it would be easier to sell the next foreign aggression. People could more easily be persuaded taking Greenland was essential to our national security than they can be persuaded that preventing China from taking Taiwan or Russia from taking Ukraine or continuing to support NATO is in our national interest. Not that they are right, but most people think simply.
Trump as a candidate talked like an isolationist. I take his threat to cut support for NATO and his willingness to let Putin take Ukraine seriously. While it was Joe Biden who presided over the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, it was Trump who negotiated the American surrender in that war. These isolationist actions and utterances from Trump do not make him an isolationist nor are they contradictory to his threats against Canada, Greenland, Mexico and Panama.
Trump's hostile posture and threats against our neighbors are consistent with a new theory of multipolarity. This grand theory holds that Russia should rule over an area called Eurasia. It also recognizes that there will be other regions of the world ruled over by other superpowers. This is viewed as natural and appropriate. This theory's prime proponent is Aleksandr Dugin, a Russian philosopher and activist. Dugin's books and essays and ideas are popular among people like Curtis Yarvin and Steve Bannon and others of the Trump intelligentsia. Dugin is often spoken of approvingly in speeches and interviews by people like Yarvin and Bannon and other Trumpian theorist.
Whether this posture of hostility toward our neighbors is the result of adherence to new theories or just old fashion imperialism, colonialism and a desire for empire I don't know. In any event we should be concerned.
The president has broad powers to authorize military actions without prior congressional approval. Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the U.S. Constitution grants Congress the power to declare war. However, Article II, Section 2, names the president as Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. A state of war can exist without a declaration. The War Powers Act however, says within 48 hours of committing troops to hostilities outside the United States the President must notify Congress and that after 60 days, the President must get Congressional Approval to continue the military action. With foes like Panama and Greenland the task of conquering those territories could be accomplished well within 60 days, probably within mere days.
Normally after even a hard-fought campaign, the public and the loyal oppositions grant the winner a honeymoon period. A period of goodwill often follows a hard campaign. Despite my concerns with Donald Trump and what I see as his authoritarian tendencies, I was ready to wish him the best and hope for the best. I was ready to say, maybe Trump wouldn't be so bad. Afterall, I want him to get control of the border and expel criminals and cut government and rollback DEI and political correctness. Maybe, he wouldn't start a trade war, I reasoned. Maybe he wouldn't exact revenge on his critics. Before I had time to consider that maybe he would be sort of normal, he starts talking of making war on our friends.
There can be no honeymoon when the new President-elect is promising military action against our neighbors and allies. Democrats, pundits, and sane old-style Republicans need to be loudly condemning this talk of military action against our neighbors. While I doubt it could pass Congress, there should immediately be a bill introduced prohibiting military action against Mexico, Canada, Greenland, and Panama without specific Congressional authorization.
There can be on honeymoon.
Top Stories
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment