Over the past several weeks, Douglas Murray has been on a book tour of the United States promoting his latest neocon offering. Along the way, he has expressed a typically Etonian British superior sneer about U.S. foreign policy.
While Murray and I agree and most things, anytime you get a British intellectual to talk about foreign policy vis-a-vis American initiatives, be prepared for a pedagogical smugness that borders on the insulting.
In a recently published opinion piece, Murray observed that Trump is a failure as he did not solve the Russia-Ukraine war on day one as the president had often stated he would while campaigning.
He even went on to explain that "day one" meant 24 hours. Really?
He goes on to criticize Trump for not promptly escalating the Israel-Hamas war, having failed to "unleash hell" immediately as Hamas did not release all of its hostages. Hell in Gaza, like all good things, will come in time — only because of Trump's promise, it will surely come.
He goes on to criticize the president and Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, for a multiplicity of foreign policy crimes defined in the neocon mind: Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action-like handling of the mullahs in Iran, Qatari involvement in Gaza, and Witkoff's presumed beguilement by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ugh.
It is so much more of the same. Like your typical neocon (and all teenagers), they want what they want and they want it now — right now.
Perhaps our friend needs to take a longer view and broader look than the confines of the neocon view. American foreign policy has resolved a mineral deal in Ukraine, which has security features attached to it.
Rather than an initiative resting on some long British conference table producing a piece of paper announcing "peace in our time," the American president started with the possible and will grow to the likely then to the certain. Neither Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy nor Putin shrink at massive bloodshed, and both want something more than publicly stated.
It is sticky to unwind that which was preventable in the first place. It will take time.
Trump is on his way to success, and the mineral deal is the first step on that road.
In fact, Trump is getting there a lot faster than the Great Game the British played with the Russians for a century across Asia involving several small conflicts and that Crimean War thing. Remember, Douglas?
Interestingly, no Ukrainians were involved in that war. That's odd, considering the neocon claim that the Crimea is long-held sovereign Ukrainian territory — any reason for blood and more blood.
Trump talks of taking over Gaza to economically develop it. Hamas' foothold is borne of desperate poverty.
Solving that problem will minimize the need for a religious zeal to kill your brother. Murray should be able to get on board with this, I would think.
Murray likes to criticize Qatar because the Gulf state has helped extricate America from difficult situations that the neocons have gotten us into. Release of Americans held by Iran and the safe withdrawal of thousands from Afghanistan are but two of the examples where Qatari involvement was critical to pulling out irons that Murray's fellow partisans put in the fire, which explains their embarrassment and resentment.
As for the Houthis, we have directly dealt with them; thus, they are exempt from Murray's criticism because of the hot war there. Blood is occasionally necessary but is a reserve card to be played only in the context of no other option.
Iranian proxies like Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthi are just such targets. Our local friends can handle the matter better in the Western Mideast and free the Palestinians and Lebanese from the terrorist captors.
In Yemen, Trump has cultivated other friends to police that country from malignant influence. We are able to do this largely with trade, trust, and more trade.
Trump's game is complex, different, and built on economic activity replacing military might. Witkoff is a uniquely excellent choice for the foreign policy that Trump is pursuing — a businessman who wants the bloodless and long-lasting deal not the bloody and ham-fisted win.
There is a difference.
Trump has never flinched that his goal in foreign policy is to end war — especially wars in which we are directly involved. Blood is bad for business, and business is the once and now current cornerstone of American foreign policy.
Countries interdependent on trade and business are far less likely to go to war. Nonwarring countries will lead to prosperity for all.
Trump's goals are exciting, and his foreign policy based on bloodless trade replacing bloody military force is laudable and praiseworthy. Muscle — more to the point, the threat of muscle — is always necessary but is not the first, last, and only card to be played, as the neocons would have it.
Murray, my friend, there is a new Great Game with goals greater than Victoria would have had.
We will win, and there will be an end to bloodshed being the first and only course served. We will dine on prosperity, and it will be delicious.
Mike Flanagan represented the 5th District of Illinois in the U.S. House of Representatives. For More of his Reports — Click Here Now.