America Uncanceled: President Trump has ended the Forever Wars

President Donald Trump has “driven a stake” into the heart of interventionist Neocons’ policy of perpetuating forever wars, preferring economic alliances that are mutually advantageous.

Recently on America UnCanceled, Mercedes Schlapp and KT McFarland, Former Deputy National Security Advisor of the United States under President Donald Trump and CPAC board member, had a conversation about President Trump’s recent trip to Saudi Arabia and the Middle East.

Mercedes comments on how she was surprised by the announcement by President Trump to lift US sanctions on the new government of Syria, because of their precedent for being an unstable country. She says that it was a risk for the United States, but that it could pay off since Syria has the opportunity to further develop and take on ISIS. 

“I think a lot of people were surprised. It was a risk, as you point out. The new Syrian leader, even though he was against the murderous, thuggish dictator Bashar al-Assad, he is untested…President Trump is saying, ‘I am willing to give him a chance at a future, and it's up to them to take it.’”, responds McFarland. Syria, hopefully, will take the opportunity and follow Saudi Arabia’s example of modernizing its economy and combating extremism. The new leadership has the potential to diminish Russian and Chinese influence in the region and further isolate Iran. 

McFarland adds that this effort by President Trump changes the precedent of interventionism set by “Neoconservatives”. Trump is willing to make a deal with Iran when the establishment interventionists, both on the left and the right, would consider it unthinkable. 

McFarland says that Trump wants to put America’s interests first and not drag America into “forever wars” that only cause chaos, but to promote peace and prosperity. During President Trump’s speech in Saudi Arabia, he says it is not America’s responsibility to “look into the souls” of foreign leaders: 

“In recent years, far too many American Presidents have been afflicted with the notion that it's our job to look into the souls of foreign leaders and use US policy to dispense justice for their sins…I believe it is God’s job to sit in judgment and my job to defend America and to promote the fundamental interests for stability, prosperity, and peace”, says President Trump.

Mercedes says this is probably the most important line from his speech, which demonstrates that President Trump is America first, and he also wants prosperity and stability in the region. She believes the efforts of President Trump are profitable and creating stability in the region compared to President Obama’s trip to Egypt and the Arab Spring. 

McFarland says that the Obama and Bush administrations essentially told foreign countries how to govern themselves, which led to further instability. She goes on to say Trump is changing the paradigm, especially in relation to Qatar, despite the criticism he has received for trying to broker a deal. “If you really do want peace, you have to talk to the other side…you will never get unconditional surrender”, says McFarland.