We Just Lost the Initiative.....

U.S. foreign policy is steeped in the elitism and continued missed opportunities. The U.S. President is hell bent to ignore facts on the ground and unilaterally disrupt international conventions. Recently, this is evident in U.S. Middle Eastern foreign policy. President Trump, in his trip to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, reaffirmed an undying loyalty and alliance with the Saudi government while demonizing Iran.   CREDIT:  SAUDI TV Our continued unadulterated loyalty to Saudi Arabia is unnerving and naive. Abdulaziz al-Saud, the founder of Saudi Arabia, consolidated power on the peninsula backed by the Wahhabi Islamic movement, an ultra-conservative branch of Islam. Today, many national security experts point to Wahhabists as the ideological source of global terrorists (as a side note  15 of the 19 September 11th hijackers  were from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia). Even with the well documented cases of terrorism perpetrated by Saudi nationals schooled in Wahhabism, our national secu

Diplomacy and military power are the most common and direct means to project American influence internationally but American economic power potentially produces the long-lasting influence and impact.  Traditionally, economic power leverages a nation’s wealth to influence the behavior of others. Our interpretation of economic power includes sanctions, tariffs/taxes, trade policies, economic coercion, and economic aid. These elements are limited means to influence allies and adversaries. With a globally connected world, "traditional" elements of economic power become less influential. Countries are more inclined to turn their backs on international norms and instead worry about bolstering their own internal economic advantages. Instead of an international community in lock step, countries are more apt to work in their singular self-interest. This is evident in how China continues to placate North Korean aggression and maintain economic ties even though there are significan

"Red lines" have been crossed and an embolden new administration itches to flex America's military muscle. Russian and Iranian actors continue to support a detestable Assad regime, allowing the Syrian leader to deploy chemical weapons against his adversaries. Over a six year time period, Syria is a messy and complicated quagmire befuddling "foreign policy experts" and the political leadership within both the Democrat and Republican parties, as seen in the current military/political reality on the ground. Since March 2011, when initial protests against the Assad regime began, American's attention to Syria has waxed and waned. Particularly, specific situations have influenced American public opinion on what our reaction should be. The chemical attacks in 2013 (on Ghouta area of Damascus) and the recent attack on Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib province, have invigorated the debate on a military response in Syria. Yet, the refugee crisis and anti-immigration senti