“From heavy-handed industrial policy in pursuit of an illusion of self-sufficiency, through barriers to trade and investment, to an immigration policy that treats foreign talent with suspicion, the effort to defeat the autocrats at their own game will not succeed. Rather, it will undo the foundations of what makes America—and the collective West—strong.” - Persuasion
“Trump’s confidence ratings are down significantly in eight European nations since 2025, including drops of 15 percentage points in Greece and Italy.” - Pew
“Just war tradition says we should act on a just cause, like preventing future wrongs, punishing wrongdoers, and stopping ongoing wrongdoing. Self-defense, of course, fits that category. But so does this effort towards justice. And it should happen with ‘right intention.’” - Breakpoint
(More at Bonus: Iran and Just War)
“different rationales are offered by different spokespersons, and even by the President himself. Clarity on the aims of war is a matter of legality, but also justice. Confusion and miscalculation can also be very dangerous, laying the groundwork for mission creep.” - Providence
“Asked if anything could constrain his use of power, Trump responded, ‘My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.’ For Trump, then, obedience to international law, and to one’s ‘own morality,’ are the only things that can inform decisions in matters of international relations, revealing a hole in his thinking, and likewise, a deficit in public discourse.” - Providence
“The bishops of the United Methodist Church on Wednesday (Jan. 7) issued a statement ‘condemning all acts of violence, military aggression, and violations of national sovereignty’ ….The Episcopal Church was quicker to respond.” - RNS
First, some context. I’m not writing as one who thinks he knows the answers to the questions I’m raising here. I don’t consider foreign policy opinions to rightly belong only to experts, but at the moment, I don’t have a high confidence view on this one.
I’m also coming from a place that is deeply suspicious of Donald Trump and everyone currently on his most favored people list. I’ve written a lot previously about why. Here, I’ll go with the shortest possible summary: I believe qualification for high office includes a basic level of good character, and President Trump falls well short of that standard.
“1. Franklin Graham: ‘We have a president who takes action’ ….2. Mike Huckabee: ‘Maduro’s fall weakens Hezbollah’s reach’….3. Michael Youssef: ‘Hopes raised for oppressed people’…. 4. John Amanchukwu: ‘Lives were saved by capturing Maduro the Monster’…. 5. Pastor Jack Graham: ‘Freedom for our Venezuelan congregation’ ” - CPost
“The short answer is, to my mind, as a Christian realist, yes, but not with unqualified enthusiasm. Christian Realism never embraces war enthusiastically, only from grim necessity, hopefully without illusions, knowing that even success brings more problems, and likely tragedies.” - Providence
“A tariff is a tax that is levied on goods exported by one country and imported by another. This tax is charged to the importer in the destination country and paid to that country’s government. Hence, when President Trump instituted tariffs on all goods crossing from Canada to the United States, it is American businesses that now have to pay a 25% tax and remit it to the U.S.
