This evening I attended a presentation by former Ambassador and State Department official R. Nicholas Burns at Congregation Kehilath Israel in Brookline. The subject of Burns' discussion was President Trump's first 100 days in office (it's now been 109 days in office).
Burns was a career diplomat who served in every administration from Jimmy Carter to George W. Bush (and briefly serving John Kerry in an advisory capacity when President Obama appointed him Secretary of State). Now a professor at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, Burns argues that Trump represents a dangerous break from American foreign policy set from FDR onward especially because Trump inherits such a complicated global situation stating that Trump takes "crude, narrow view of America's responsibilities and interests." Burns cited Trump's disdain for our allies, particularly NATO characterizing it as "an ultra real estate view of the world." He also was critical of Trump's views on immigration and refugees as well as trade. Burns also expressed concern about the state of the State Department noting that during a recent visit to Foggy Bottom, the only person around was Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Trump has not seen fit to appoint any Undersecretaries apparently by design.
Although I agreed with some of Burns' critiques, his language was also a reminder of why Trump was elected in the first place. When Burns spoke of global issues he put climate change at the top of the list and proclaimed he was "a climate change accepter" adding that he believed in science. Sorry, but science is not and never been a religious belief system nor should it be. Perhaps not surprisingly he made no mention of terrorism as a global threat. Last I checked ISIS controls territory the size of the United Kingdom. Burns also went out of his way to praise the EU, particularly German Chancellor Angela Merkel whom he repeatedly praised as "the leader of the free world." No doubt Trump supporters would cast Burns as a globalist.
While I share Burns' disdain of Trump's "America first" view of the world, the foreign policy establishment of which Burns has long been a part has exercised plenty of poor judgment. He repeatedly spoke of the need to contain Iran's nuclear power. Well, such a policy would have been unnecessary if the Obama Administration hadn't insisted on a nuclear agreement with Iran. Not surprisingly, Burns supports the Iran nuclear deal. The fact Burns views Iranian President Rouhani as a "reformist" should tell one a great deal.
Although Burns is skeptical of Hamas' exercise in moderation, he said he has "trust and faith" in Mahmoud Abbas despite acknowledging the Palestinians haven't had an election in a decade. More troubling is Burns' moral equivalence of conservatives in Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet with Hamas terrorists. He characterized them as "equally insidious, equally wrong." Last I checked, Hamas throws LGBT people off roofs. No such thing happens in Israel. While Trump's foreign policy outlook and actions might not inspire confidence, the Nicholas Burns' of the world don't have much to brag about either.
Burns left the door open for Trump to be "adaptive". He praised Trump's decision to strike Syria following the chemical weapons attack last month and his willingness to stand up to North Korea. Burns also expressed confidence in Jared Kushner as a potential broker for peace between Israel and the Palestinians as well as figure of influence on other foreign policy matters. While I share Burns' assessment on Kushner, I think Burns is trying to have his cake and eat it.
Even if President Trump's Muslim immigration and travel policy is foolish and misguided, I don't think anyone who is supported Trump in November will abandon him because of that shortcoming or any other foreign policy matter unless we get ourselves into another unpopular war which results in American casualties.
The more I hear the likes of Nicholas Burns speak against Trump, the more I think Trump will be elected to a second term in 2020.
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