My latest in PJ Media:
It’s an odd statement coming from anyone who was ever in the U.S. government. President Trump’s former Defense Secretary James Mattis has declared, in a Foreign Affairs op-ed co-written with establishment foreign policy wonk Kori Schake, that he hopes a Biden administration won’t put America first. He didn’t say which country he thought a president of the United States should put first instead.
Mattis and Schake wrote: “In January, when President Joe Biden and his national security team begin to reevaluate U.S. foreign policy, we hope they will quickly revise the national security strategy to eliminate ‘America first’ from its contents, restoring in its place the commitment to cooperative security that has served the United States so well for decades.”
This was so important, they asserted, because “in practice, ‘America first’ has meant ‘America alone.’ That has damaged the country’s ability to address problems before they reach U.S. territory and has thus compounded the danger emergent threats pose.”
This is rancid, insidious hogwash. Trump’s travel bans, which Biden has pledged to repeal on his first day in office, are designed to prevent problems from reaching U.S. territory. Biden’s repeal of them will only make Americans more vulnerable. Also, Trump’s America First policy was not “America alone” by any means: the U.S. was instrumental in concluding peace deals between Israel and three of its Arab Muslim neighbors, deals that John Kerry, who will soon be back in a position of power, assured us back in 2016 would be absolutely impossible. Trump has also demanded more responsibility from our allies, asking them to pay more for their own defense.
The only way in which Trump’s America First policy meant “America alone” was insofar as it broke from the internationalist arrangements that have been in place since the end of World War II, to which Mattis and Schake refer as “the commitment to cooperative security that has served the United States so well for decades.”
But if a “commitment to cooperative security” doesn’t involve being able to put one’s national interests first, how is it good for the people of that nation? That question doesn’t apply just to America.
There is much more. Read the rest here.
tgusa says
What is this old man doing here in the USA? Imagine America as a corporation of diversified interests. Now imagine a diversified corporation putting itself second and putting all of its subsidiarity interests third. That is something not possible if the corporation desires to survive.
tgusa says
“I should never have surrendered. I should have fought until I was the last man alive.”
Geronimo.
John says
I guess the generals that followed him in NATO didn’t get their asses kissed and balls rubbed by our ‘allies’ when Trump demanded they pay their fair share of defense costs.
Infidel says
Honestly, we need to be out of NATO. I get the president demanding that they pay their fair share, but seriously, what are NATO’s goals today? 30 years ago, the Soviets collapsed, and yet, as recently as a few years ago, we were admitting countries like Montenegro into the ‘alliance’. Are we going to go to war if they are invaded by any of their neighbors?
NATO knows that they have no purpose, which is why they recently proposed adding ‘Combating Climate change’ to their agenda! Last I checked, they weren’t a meteorological organization, and even if they were, Climate Change is something that’s like death – always was there, always will be!
In the meantime, everybody ignores the adventurism of Turkey, NATO’s second most powerful member (after US). They are happily moving against Armenia, Greece, Cyprus and trying to put together a virtual Ottoman empire. There is no mechanism in NATO to kick them out, so if a war breaks out b/w Turkey and Israel, we’d have to fight on Turkey’s side?
We need to be out of NATO. To all those Defense Contractors worried about losing their gravy trains, don’t worry: Beijing will keep our hands full! Not just that, we have quite a few allies in the region – Japan, India, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Australia and potentially a few others, depending on how China treats them (Burma, Sri Lanka). You’ll have plenty of customers to keep you going as long as China lasts
noel says
is it any wonder that Trump fired Mattis?
Infidel says
It’s a wonder that he hired him in the first place. Mattis was one of his bad picks, the others being McMaster, Kelly, Tillerson, Rosenstein, Wray, Haspell…
Rooster says
Mattis is a “mad dog” who needs to be put back in his cage. What a disgusting individual who puts self before country. You would think a Marine would know better but obviously something is lacking in Mattis’s character, integrity, honor, commitment to name a few. He may have politically achieved a senior rank but he is by no means a superior officer!
Infidel says
Too many Republicans were deceived by his moniker ‘mad dog’ and thought he was a great asset. When in reality, he was just another swamp creature, knee deep in lobbying
OLD GUY says
That’s about the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. Mattis should lose his rank as a general in the U.S. military and kicked out of Washington. The President of the U.S. should always put America first in all decisions.
CogitoErgoSum says
Joe will owe his allegiance to the people who elected him.
Gourdhead says
As a former Marine (yes, I know, Once A Marine Always a Marine) I am totally shocked at what a globalist douche-bag Mattis has been.
Shirley Ann says
Rabid-Dog Mattis was a BIG DISAPPOINTMENT, from the FIRST . Along with McMasters & Kelly, Rabid Dog Mattis was ready to Do Any Evil Deed to President Trump. The Trio now has found a life with the DEM-OWNED MEDIA .
Remember that the TRIO were ALL OBAMA’S GENERALS & SABOTEURS TO AMERICA. They’re a Poor Excuse for Soldiers. Was Mattis not involved with the RED HIGH-HEELS FOR SOLDIERS MESS? MY VIEW.
Clifford Fodor says
How about putting Christians and Jews first? –Especially the Christians in Nigeria. Many of them are killed every day. And the Christians in North Korea and Indonesia are faring very well either.
Art says
I am of the opinion that Gen. Mattis is confused, at best.
Every other country in the world puts themselves above their allies and enemies, not doing so is treason.
I have to wonder which countries Mattis would put before America?
We know that Biden will put China before America and possibly Cuba, they were the two non-Muslim favorites of his hero Obama.
I’m convinced he will put the EU ahead of America because he doesn’t understand the international politics the started WWII, which are very similar to what the EU is doing.
E T says
I do not understand why people are talking about what Biden will do. Everyone should know by now he did not win the election. Anyone who believes he did may have been dropped on their head. Stand up for President Trump, do not believe for a split second that Joe 30330, the sadly failing, demented old man won. Look at all the numbers of house seats that are being declared for the Republicans. The lying press said they would lose 27 seats.
Take a good look at the number of votes Donald Trump had in the states where they quit tallying at 10:30 pm on Nov 3 and then poof by morning Biden had won. HA HA HA Soros be sayin the joke is on the little people who will believe ANYTHING.
TRUMP WON, the criminal liars, the Democrats, the media ( including Fox News), the techs, Antofagasta, BLM, Bernie bros, Soros lost to the Patriot President.
I am taking bets, if anyone is interested.
Infidel says
I agree that Trump won, but fear that time is not on the side of his legal team to gather what’s necessary. Let’s see how it goes in SCOTUS
But I agree w/ you: I’m not paying any attention to Biden’s pageantry. It’s only worth anything if and when he’s confirmed the winner. And until then, I’m not gonna talk about the Trump presidency in past tense
E T says
There are still eight house seats not called yet, Republicans are leading in all of them. – x there truly was a. If red wave.
It is very hard to hide a landslide. No wonder they Hollywood, Soros and the other evil actors are hustling raising billions to fight for senate seats in Georgia.
What will they do when it is declared a Trump victory with Senate and House?
Keep you glass half full — We will not have 4 more years of Barack Obama telling the world how vile the West is.
They can go to hell, they cheated, lied, clawed their way through the swamp – ENOUGH a clean sweep.
E T says
Republicans just picked up another seat in California — up 11 now and the polls/ media liars told us they would lose 27 seats. Ha ha ha. What a bloody disgusting group of treasonous bleeps the democrats are.
Boycott Hollywood, Amazon, Facebook, Twitter and Google. Say goodbye to big tech. Destroy them like they have destroyed so many lives.
Small businesses are dying but Amazon owner is now a trillionaire!