The Trump Doctrine

Stitching Together Greenland, Canada, Panama and Hamas

What to make of President Trump’s leadup to his second inauguration with his entertaining and for many, infuriating, comments on Greenland, Panama, Hamas and the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America? Of Florida? Of Mar-a-Lego?) and what could be a Trump Doctrine in foreign policy? Is there a common thread in all these seemingly over the top pronouncements that outline a comprehensive, thoughtful and very American foreign policy?

The first place to look is way back to America’s fifth president, James Monroe and his famous “Monroe Doctrine” that formed the basis of American foreign policy until the late 20^th century. The Monroe Doctrine, updated to the 21^st century would concentrate on re-establishment American dominance in the Western Hemisphere and all that it represents. The Panama Canal, given to the government of Panama as part of the America’s PTSD foreign policy due to guilt over Vietnam, represents US control over global trade to and from the America’s. Greenland represents the consolidation of American military power in the hemisphere, including control of shipping in the Arctic and possibly the mining of minerals and use of its vast natural resources to strengthen America against its enemies.

Canada is interesting because besides its fresh water and energy resources, it does not have much to offer the United States in terms of population. The absorption of Canada would make it not the 51^st state but the 51-60^th states and, with the exit of Pierre (or is it Fidel’s?) and Margeret’s son, Justin, as leader, brings no real asset to the US. But Canada too, represents the English speaking unity of the Western hemisphere.

And Hamas? How does the Trump pronouncement that there will be hell to pay if Hamas does not release the hostages by the time he is inaugurated? How does this fit into a new Trump Doctrine? We will lead you to our essay A New Paradigm for a non-Polar World, which the President or at least Marco Rubio, Mike Waltz or Mike Huckabee have certainly read, to see that the Trump Doctrine, as opposed to abandoning allies, seeks to strengthen allies by supporting them unequivocally in their wars against their and America’s enemies. In that essay, we suggested using Israel as the example for how a US-Ally relationship ought to work in a new non-Polar world where the West in general and the United States in particular continue to lead free countries without having to expend maximum American human and financial resources.

Before we get to Israel though, let’s examine America’s “traditional” allies in the west, meaning those in Europe and the UK. Read this excellent analysis by Walter Russel Meade, Nations Prepare for a Post-European World to understand what Trump understands but what the rest of the world does not – that Europe as a power is no longer as they have committed suicide via a lack of childbirth, mass immigration, a Sisyphean commitment to “saving the earth” and other maladies of the post-Christian Eden they have created. One might even say that they have created a post-human future as they have abandoned the three backbones of civilization: Having children, religion and agriculture/food. Through a desire to “save the earth” the Europeans have put into play policies that punish those who make thier food. It started with making genetics all but illegal in agriculture and moved to limiting if not banning the raising of cattle for beef and milk – all in the name of “settled science”.

As for religion and childbearing, some will blame prosperity and others will blame the ravages of the two world wars, but I blame the neo-pagan religion that is now known as progressivism. If Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter for the sake of his own glory before setting sail for Troy, now, the aristocracy sacrifice their potential children for the greater virtue of humanity (and their own selfishness). But that is neither here nor there, the real issue is that Europe as a power, Europe as an ally of the United States that can be counted on in moments of crisis, is no more. Trump and his team understand that. It is not an anti-European bias per se, but rather an acceptance of the reality that Europe now is.

The threats to Hamas should not be looked upon as a threat to send B-52’s to carpet bomb Gaza but rather as a threat to end the Biden-Blinken policy of propping up Hamas at all costs. The Trump Doctrine, if I read it correctly, will allow Israel stop supplying Hamas with the means to hold the Gazan population hostage and cash to recruit new fighters. Reports are that they have paid and trained up to 4,000 new terrorists in the last month alone. That means that the IDF will have to control the “humanitarian” aid and stop its absurd strategy of withdrawing from areas it has already conquered. In order for Israel to prove to the US and to the Trump team that it is in fact a reliable ally that looks to win wars instead of kicking the can down the street, it will have to fire the IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and put someone more aggressive and competent in his place. It means taking the power that the General Staff now holds in holding veto power over the civilian government. Also, it will require Netanyahu and whomever comes after him to understand that it is time to take responsibility for his actions and not to blame others, claiming his hands are tied by the internal workings of the country. I don’t see Trump taking the excuse that the Prime Minister doesn’t have the power to set policy.

There is a logic that ties together Greenland, Canada, the Panama Canal and Hamas and the hostages that makes sense if one understands that the new Trump Doctrine is based on a 21^st century version of the Monroe Doctrine with the addition of new alliances worthy of the leader of the free world. This is not the “America First” of Lindberg and his ilk but rather a view of American leadership that strengthens the homeland while allowing allies to strengthen their homeland too. One must always look behind and beyond Trump’s talk meant to shock, to see if there is something coherent there. If we are right, this is the most coherent remake of American foreign policy since Ronald Reagan decided that the Cold War was winnable.

America’s incoming ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee would do well to make Israel the centerpiece on the building of new, strategic alliances that form one leg of the Trump Doctrine.