On this blog, I discuss important national issues, often, but not always, concerning fiscal and economic issues.  Most recently, I made the case that Trump is doing the right thing in Iran. Today, I extend this discussion to Trump’s foreign policy in general.

• Iran War. Iran is a terrorist state and simply cannot be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons.  The current military action should virtually guarantee this outcome for many years to come.  Since 20% of the world’s oil comes from the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz must be reopened to international shipping traffic before the war ends.  Hopefully, boots on the ground will not be necessary to accomplish this.

  

• Other rogue states. Trump removed Venezuela’s President Maduro without an invasion. He is leaning on the new government to release political prisoners and restore democracy.  Investment by U.S. oil companies can restore Venezuela’s oil industry, but this won’t take place without political stability.  Cuba wants U.S. help to restore its economy.  Again, political reform will be needed to obtain our help.  North Korea is another rogue state, but is highly unlikely to use its nuclear weapons.
• China. China wants to take over Taiwan, but it also wants a U.S. market for its export-driven economy.  If it attacks Taiwan militarily, it will not only lose our huge market but will be sanctioned by the entire Western world.  China is an ideological adversary, but mostly in an economic rather than a military sense. This is especially true technologically, where we are fierce competitors with China for supremacy.
• Russia. Russia is economically weak (ranking ninth worldwide in GDP) and militarily tied down with its mostly unsuccessful invasion of Ukraine.  It does not pose a serious threat to the U.S.  In fact, once the Ukraine war is over, we should try to help it create a stronger economy.

Conclusion.  The U.S. is still by far the strongest country in the world, both economically and militarily.  By cracking down on rogue states like Venezuela, Cuba and now Iran, and being willing to negotiate our differences with China and Russia, Trump is doing a good job in preserving U.S. predominance in world affairs.

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