Editorial by Elad Hakim |
Ronald Reagan once said, “If history teaches us anything, it teaches that simple-minded appeasement or wishful thinking about our adversaries is folly.”
Along these same lines, Reagan also stated, “A broader reading of history shows that appeasement, no matter how it is labeled, never fulfills the hopes of the appeasers.”
While Reagan was not specifically speaking about former President Joe Biden, his words demonstrate the dangers of appeasement, which defined the Biden presidency. Fortunately, President Donald J. Trump recognizes the many risks associated with this approach.
Under Trump, the days of appeasement are over.
Appeasement portrays weakness and is rarely, if ever, successful. Rather, history is replete with examples where appeasement has miserably failed, as discussed here and here.
Notwithstanding, Biden’s failed presidency relied on this approach.
When Biden was president, he promoted policies that appeased and emboldened the nation’s enemies, made the nation less safe, and made America look weak and timid on the world stage.
For example, Biden’s weak approach toward Iran led to instability and eventual war in the Middle East. His weakness also led to war between Russia and Ukraine. Biden’s immigration policies endangered the lives of American citizens and allowed millions of unvetted people to enter the country illegally.
Oftentimes, Biden’s policies put these people ahead of American citizens. Crime increased in various cities, schools lacked resources for those who were there illegally, various cities faced a housing crisis due to increasing populations, and American taxpayers helped immigrants pay for housing.
Biden also failed to stand up to China, implemented a “green agenda” and destroyed America’s energy sector in the name of fighting climate change and decarbonization (this hurt Americans due to rising costs), and was not respected or feared by any foreign leader, whether ally or adversary.
As a result of Biden’s weak policies (this list is by no means exhaustive), his continued efforts to appease, and his America-last approach, Americans suffered, as did much of the world.
Fortunately, with Trump’s re-election, the days of appeasement are over. Unlike his predecessor, whose administration was defined, in part, on bowing down to America’s adversaries and putting America last, Trump will put America first by reestablishing America’s toughness, greatness, respect, and dominance on the world stage.
As a matter of fact, Trump has already done so.
Specifically, Trump recently decided to impose tough tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada, and China due to their unwillingness to stop the flow of illegal aliens and drugs entering the United States from the northern and southern borders.
While some attacked Trump for this drastic move (fearing a trade war), Mexico and Canada both buckled before Trump’s tariffs were actually implemented. While China retaliated by imposing tariffs on various U.S. imports, Fox News reports that, according to the White House, “Trump plans to speak to Chinese President Xi Jinping as early as later in the day on Tuesday.”
Unlike his predecessor, Trump has also implemented the largest deportation operation in American history, as discussed here. Tangentially, Trump also signed an executive order ending birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants.
The legality of this order has already been challenged on the 14th Amendment and other grounds and could ultimately end up in front of the Supreme Court.
Notwithstanding, Trump’s executive order and his deportation operation put America first and reflect a level of toughness and commitment to America that the nation has not seen in four years.
Unlike the Biden administration, Trump refuses to lead by way of appeasement and weakness. Rather, he is tough, smart, highly calculated, and always puts America first. Americans re-elected Trump and issued a mandate to fix the country.
Specifically, Americans expect Trump to fix the economy, close the border and make America safe again, reduce the price of goods, increase energy production at home which will decrease prices and create more jobs, protect the homeland, avoid unnecessary wars, defend America’s allies abroad, including Israel, and reestablish America’s dominance and respect around the world.
To succeed, Trump cannot follow Biden’s lead, bow down to America’s adversaries, and put America last.
The results of the past four years provide a very painful and grim reminder of what can happen under this failed approach. Rather, Trump will succeed by using smart and tough diplomacy (as opposed to appeasement and weakness), establishing America’s deterrence when needed, reestablishing America’s dominance and respect around the world, and, once again, putting America first.
Photo: Adobe Stock
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