Without fail, Ben Shapiro demonstrated that he is a seasoned establishment gatekeeper.
Shapiro took to Twitter on February 28 to lambast President Trump’s most recent summit with North Korean strongman Kim Jong-un. Trump’s meeting with Kim Jong-un ended abruptly after Trump left the meeting without any concrete agreement in the books.
***Insert Tweet Storm***
Not wasting time to attack Trump, Shapiro said: “Trump should be grateful for Cohen distracting everyone from the massive moral and diplomatic debacle that just unfolded in Vietnam.”
This was in reference to the media’s non-stop coverage of Michael Cohen testimony taking place in Congress at the same time.
Shapiro continued piling on Trump, describing Trump’s diplomatic endeavors as “amateur hour.”
Shapiro shouldn’t be so quick to downplay Trump’s efforts, however. The fact that Trump has brought Kim to the negotiating table says a lot about an approach different from the status quo.
Yes, countries like North Korea and present-day Venezuela are examples of socialist disasters. Of course, these governments should be exposed and condemned in general media and culture. But to reflexively intervene or advance top-down regime change are sub-optimal strategies that come with a myriad of unintended consequences.
Ron Paul was correct in saying that, “setting a good example is a far better way to spread ideals than through force of arms.” Neocon foreign policy is centered on spreading democracy across the globe, often through military force or coercive means such as sanctions, which often hurt civilians more than the governments of the countries being targeted.
This approach has been the norm in Washington DC and has, frankly, yielded little to no results. In fact, it has only fiscally burdened the U.S. and turned into an overstretched empire.
Sadly, the DC political class doesn’t get it. The John Bolton’s of the world are constantly derailing negotiations like the current North Korean summit or encouraging US-sponsored regime change in Venezuela, and old habits die hard.
Unlike the political hacks who have been running U.S. foreign policy for decades, President Trump has decades of hands-on-experience negotiating with people. Negotiation is no walk in the park. It’s a taxing process that requires time and patience.
In his book, The Art of the Deal, Trump was correct in his view that any negotiator worth his salt should be willing to walk away from the negotiating table at any given moment. So, commentators are jumping the gun when they say that Trump’s negotiations are “now doomed.” Sitting at the negotiation table is just part one of a larger strategy
The U.S. needs to open up a dialogue with all nations, regardless of their status as free or oppressed countries. Say what you want about President Trump, but his negotiating skills are rare among politicians. It’s best that the U.S. puts them to good use.
By doing so, the U.S. can break free from the neocon foreign policy cycle and pursue a more peaceful and rational foreign policy that spreads freedom while maintaining military restraint.
Sign in with Email