AMERICAN DIPLOMACY – HOW IT WORKS
Have you ever wondered how American Diplomacy is formed and how it works? The United States 20th & 21st century foreign policy is based on Diplomacy, Information, Military and Economics (D.I.M.E.). These four legs of the foreign policy chair are implemented overtly and covertly, and each leg is necessary.
If you understand D.I.M.E. you see actions and hear the news and the statements made by various leaders differently. Let’s dissect the Trump statement reference not attacking Iran for shooting down the U.S. drone in June 2019, “Not proportionate to shooting down an unmanned drone. I am in no hurry”. Not proportionate is an overt (D) diplomatic statement. This statement signals to the world, Trump does not want war but is seeking to build a coalition. Not proportionate is a covert military signal to Iran that they got lucky this time. I am in no hurry is an overt indication that kinetic military action will be taken if Iran continues to behave aggressively, but Trump did not specify a red line.
The world knew that Obama would not use (M) military force because he drew so many red lines. Failure by Obama to act made the 4-legged chair unstable. Trump has used kinetic force several times. The world knows that the US is an oil exporter so economic (E) also comes into play. Against Iran soft (M) military power in the form of cyber intrusion is being used as well as (E) economic sanctions.
After the June 2019 G20 Summit Trump went to South Korea. President Trump met Kim Jong-un at Panmunjom, took a few photos and talked for almost an hour. Main stream media, liberals and Democrats were very critical. They exclaimed how terrible of Trump to give this dictator and murderer a photo-op. They also exclaimed Trump is being played, and Trump is an idiot. What has been the result? Talks between North Korea and the United States that had stopped were started again. The world saw Trump restarting stalled talks. This act of overt (D) diplomacy will also have a positive effect as other countries consider supporting the United States against Iran.
In the 1980s the same liberals hated Reagan and said he would get us into a nuclear war with the Soviet Union. We know that Senator Edward “Ted” Kennedy sent a letter to the head of the KGB in 1983. The head of the KGB summarized what was offered by Kennedy and sent that to Uri Andropov in a letter dated May 14, 1983. Kennedy offered to assist Soviet leaders in formulating a public relations strategy against Reagan’s foreign policy in hopes of complicating his bid for reelection. Do we see John Kerry doing something similar today regarding Iran and how they can fight US sanctions?
So we see much the same criticism regarding Trump. Do Democrats and the Main Stream Media say that Trump is dangerous, stupid, and unstable and will get us into war?
Reagan met with Gorbachev five times: November 1985 – Geneva, October 1986 – Reykjavik, December 1987 – White House, May 1988 – Moscow and December – 1988 Governors Island. How many times has Trump met with Un to date?
Trump’s crossing into North Korea is the first border crossing the Democrats did not like. The world watches how Trump interacts with North Korea, Iran, China and Russia. The world watched President Obama and his rudderless leadership. I will not review Obama’s entire failure at foreign policy but will simply focus on his policy in Syria. After drawing several red lines the world knew that the (M) in DIME was empty.
During the 2012 presidential debate Obama criticized Romney’s comments on the Soviet Union saying that the 1980s want their foreign policy back. Since that debate and the Obama red lines, the Soviet Union and Putin have annexed large portions of the Crimea from the Ukraine. Following Desert Storm Russia was essentially out of the Middle East but thanks to Obama, Putin and Russia are firmly involved in Iran, Turkey and Syria.
What about our relationship with NATO? Presidents as far back as Clinton have criticized NATO countries for not contributing the agreed upon 2% of their GDP. Following the 2014 Russian invasion of the Ukraine every NATO member pledged to meet the 2% by 2024. In 2014 Greece, Britain and the US were meeting the 2% obligation. May 2019 those countries plus Estonia, Poland, Latvia and Lithuania are now paying 2%.
Trump campaigned to Make America Great Again. People are angry with Trump because his bedside manner is more aggressive and direct. Trump is like a doctor that tells you that you are too fat and need to stop smoking. You are offended but upon reflection realize that he is correct. Trump favors an America first policy which goes against the one world no borders policy that Democrats and the Media favor.
Germany loved Obama but ignored him; NATO and Germany do not ignore Trump. The US Ambassador to Germany encouraged German businesses not to trade with Iran which is an overt (D). Europe does not want Iran to have nukes.
Look back at Iran’s behavior in the 1980s, and you see similar behavior today. In July 2019 Iran seized a British tanker and the US shot down an Iranian drone. Iran has pulled fighters back from Hezbollah, Hamas and Syria because its economy is crashing. Through other countries Iran has given indications they want to talk.
Make yourself sheep and the wolves will eat you. Ben Franklin