Ted Snider

US foreign policy for Europe and Asia since the Second World War can be captured in one sentence: Keep Europe from Russia and Russia from China. Trump and the Republicans damaged the first part; Biden, Clinton, and the Democrats damaged the second. In so doing, the two parties have inadvertently collaborated in accomplishing the very … Continue reading “Trump-Biden and the Foreign Policy Establishment’s Nightmare”

What’s changed in Venezuela and Cuba since Biden became President? Nothing. But as US foreign policy on those two great threats to America continues seamlessly on from the Trump presidency to the Biden presidency, there’s something the White House and the media don’t want you to know. Venezuela Though you’d barely know it from the … Continue reading “What You’re Not Supposed to Know About Cuba and Venezuela”

If it didn’t contribute to a second cold war, it would be comical. He may not have meant it. But that would require an abysmal ignorance of history. Sounding more like a stand-up comic than a Secretary of State, Antony Blinken finished his Africa tour with a verbal assault on China. There’s nothing new there … Continue reading “Blinken Attacks China in African Speech”

I haven’t seen the movie Top Gun, and I won’t bother seeing the much anticipated sequel, Top Gun: Maverick. Why should I? If I wanted to see a movie produced by the Pentagon or the CIA, I would just watch Animal Farm. Seriously. In perhaps the most ironic moment in the history of literature, the … Continue reading “A CIA and Pentagon Production”

On Friday, November 19, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivered a scolding and patronizing lecture to Africa. Blinken blamed increasing extremism and authoritarianism for endangering democracy and human rights on the continent. He seemed to make American military aid to Africa contingent on improved behavior. Left unsaid was that returning under America’s wing is … Continue reading “US Lectures Africa, Ignoring History and Hiding Purpose”

Though their long histories of wishing America would leave them alone and of trying to assert their own democratic voice are uniquely their own, the recent story of American interference in Haiti and Ecuador seem to be following the same plot. Act I: The Coup In Haiti, this act has been reprised a number of … Continue reading “Haiti and Ecuador: Two Plays, One Plot”

On November 15, US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met for a three and a half hour virtual discussion. Though little of real significance was accomplished, for talks held with a hope of cooling a second cold war, that both sides simply described the talk as cordial is significant. But there were … Continue reading “The Difference Between US and Chinese Foreign Policy in a Word”

President Biden says that America is "opening a new era of relentless diplomacy." Apparently, that does not include Latin America. Recently, the US has unleashed a number of aggressive moves across the region. Venezuela American aggression against Venezuela has not lessened under the Biden administration. "There hasn’t been a single positive sign," Venezuelan President Nicolas … Continue reading “Latin America: New Aggression in America’s Backyard”

Sunday marked one year since Americans elected Joe Biden president. And on his first year report card, Americans give him a failing grade. Only 42% of Americans approve of Biden’s performance. Biden may have received a failing grade, in part, because on several key foreign policy issues, he has done nothing. And on the few … Continue reading “Electing Biden: One Year Later”

In recent weeks, Saudi Arabia has made a number of subtle moves that are intriguing from both a regional and a broader Second Cold War perspective. Long a reliable friend of the US and, in recent years, an increasingly reliable friend of Israel, Saudi Arabia has recently made several exploratory moves beyond the boundaries of … Continue reading “Saudi Arabia: Shifting Alliances?”