Ted Snider

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?”

The US is growing impatient waiting for Iran to return to the JCPOA nuclear talks, which is odd since they’re the ones who left the agreement, and they’re the ones who have done nothing to return to it, including returning the required sanction relief. Secretary of State Antony Blinken admonished Iran and said that "time … Continue reading “The Iran Nuclear Deal: The US Is Losing Patience; Iran Is Not”

"Sanctions," Iran’s new president, Ebrahim Raisi, told the UN General Assembly, "are the US’s new way of war with the nations of the world." At least nineteen countries are currently besieged by the economic warfare of US sanctions. As when they wage military war, the US is willing to accept the high civilian cost of … Continue reading “Sanctioning Yourself in the Foot”

The United States, the President swore, is "not seeking a new Cold War." But he is, and it didn’t have to be that way. The end of the Cold War could have been the end of the Cold War. Russia really didn’t want a new Cold War and has only been reluctantly drawn into it. … Continue reading “If It’s Not a Cold War, Why Does It Look So Much Like a Cold War?”

The Middle East was a crucial arena in the Cold War. It was then that Israel first acquired its value to the US as a bulwark against perceived Soviet penetration into the Middle East. The Soviet Union perceived US activity in the Middle East as encircling them on their southern border. Nations chose blocks, and … Continue reading “The Middle East and the Second Cold War”

President Biden’s words were hollow. The content had been cored because the words were empty of any real world content. On September 21, 2021, he told the UN General Assembly that the US is "not seeking a new Cold War or a world divided into rigid blocks." UN Secretary-General Antonio Gueterres disagreed, warning against the … Continue reading “If We Fight a New Cold War, Who Are We Fighting It With?”