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Friday, May 5, 2017

Fake Punditry In Action -- One More Time

I haven't written lately about Fareed Zakaria and his self-proclaimed expertise in foreign policy.  Today, however, Zakaria has an article in the Washington Post denouncing President Trump for damaging US relations with foreign nations.  The article (and Zakaria's opinion) is such a hot mess that it requires a response.

Let's start with identifying the countries of which Zakaria speaks.  There are four.  The first country for which Zakaria says Trump destroyed America's good relationship is Iran.  That's right; it's not a type.  According to Zakaria, the USA achieved a good relationship with Iran and Trump has destroyed that with his threatening language.  Think about that.  Not long ago, during the halcyon days of the Obama administration when, according to Zakaria, relations with Iran were rosy, the Islamic state captured a US Navy ship in the Persian Gulf, arrested and interrogated the crew, photographed them is illegal ways and did so without provocation.  When then secretary of state John Kerry begged the Iranians to let the sailors go, Iran did so.  So, the good relationship with Iran consisted of having that country let go American sailors who were first illegally attacked, captured and held captive by the Islamic Republic.  Does that sound like a good relationship to you?

The second country Zakaria lists is Cuba.  It seems that Raul Castro is saying bad things about Trump, unlike all those nice things he said about Obama.  No surprise there.  Obama gave in to Castro across the board in order to reopen diplomatic relations with Cuba.  Trump won't do that, so Castro is unhappy.  Refusing to bow to Cuba's wishes in everything is not the same as creating bad relations.  At least it isn't unless you are an "expert" like Zakaria.

The third country mentioned is Mexico.  President Trump is insisting on enforcing the border and related laws.  That means that fewer illegal aliens are crossing the border.  They're staying in Mexico.  If that is destroying the relationship between the two countries, then Zakaria really has no idea what he is talking about.

The last country supposedly moving away from the USA is South Korea.  Here is where Zakaria really has lost his mind.  The South Koreans are being threatened daily by the North Koreans.  The only country that truly stands as a strong ally to South Korea is the USA.  To be sure, Japan is also an ally, but Japan does not have the military force to protect the South Koreans.  Indeed, no country other than the USA has that capability.  The South Koreans will never, NEVER, move away from an alliance with the USA while the crazies still rule in Pyongyang.

So Zakaria named four countries and got four wrong.  Three of the four are ridiculous.  You really have to wonder why the Washington Post prints this garbage.

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