Joseph Collins
How should we describe Trump’s Foreign Policy? It’s certainly unusual and atypical. It’s hard to say whom it pleases, or whether it will be successful. He’s off to a rocky start. His policy comes from his gut and not a well-examined policy process.
The guiding light of Trump’s foreign policy is America First. It is a neo-isolationist, mercantilist, fiscally-focused, short-term approach to the pursuit of the national interest. At its heart, it is also neo-imperial in its orientation. Allies should be obedient or sanctioned. The other Great Powers, China and Russia are not enemies, but other powers to be admired or reckoned with.
Some observations:
From the start, the White House has made a habit of picking on our allies and friends. Canada, Mexico, Panama, and Ukraine have all come in for harsh words, usually attributed to some bad behavior which is untrue or exaggerated. The President apparently believes, for example, that if you run a trade surplus with the United States, you are taking advantage of us. Sometimes, the President is reacting to something he heard, like China is running the Panama Canal and Panama is overcharging U.S. vessels.
Another behavior, unusual to say the least, is territorial acquisitiveness. In the past, the United States has been successful as a superpower because, while it sought influence and access to markets, it did not seek ownership or permanent occupation of any new territory. To the contrary, President Trump has talked about retaking the Panama Canal, buying Greenland, incorporating Canada as the 51st state, and somehow owning Gaza to establish a resort, a Riviera in the Middle East.
His approach to Ukraine also has an element of acquisitiveness. To facilitate U.S. involvement, Trump wants an ownership stake in certain minerals in Ukraine. The final deal remains unsigned due to the shoot out in the Oval corral.
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