The Donroe Doctrine

Vincent J. Curtis

2 Feb 26

Trump’s National Security Strategy is primarily about economic, and America’s primary adversary in a global economic and political struggle is China. Trump says, “The choice all countries should face is whether they want to live in an American-led world of sovereign countries and free economies or in a parallel one in which they are influenced by countries on the other side of the world.”

Readers of this space will be familiar with the Monroe Doctrine, proclaimed by President James Monroe in 1823. It warns European powers against colonialism in the Western Hemisphere, and declares the Western Hemisphere as the sphere of influence of the United States. The Trump Corollary of the Monroe Doctrine, or the ‘Donroe’ Doctrine, reaffirms the Monroe Doctrine and extends it as follows: “We will deny non-Hemispheric competitors the ability to position forces or other threatening capabilities, or to own or control strategically vital assets, in our Hemisphere.” Trump was 18 years old during the Cuban missile crisis.

“The United States must be preeminent in the Western Hemisphere as a condition of our security and prosperity.”

The Strategy emphasizes persuasion over bullying by the US for its selfish ends. “We will enlist established friends in the Hemisphere to control migration, stop drug flows, and strengthen stability and security on land and sea. We will expand by cultivating and strengthening new partners while bolstering our own nation’s appeal as the Hemisphere’s economic and security partner of choice.”

Canada might not have enlisted under the ‘Trump Corollary,’ but she volunteered seventy years ago in the NORAD agreement to partner with the United States in the defense of North America.  The “alternative defense partners” referenced applies to Cuba, Panama, and Venezuela which allied themselves with powers inimical to US interests and hostile to the Monroe Doctrine. Russia, China, Iran, and perhaps Hezbollah are the unnamed alternative defense partners. Mexico, for all its long history of animosity with the US, has mostly adhered to the Western Hemisphere concept in its disputes with the US. (e.g. rejecting the Zimmermann Note, 1917.)

Trump has in mind how the United States fought WWII. America’s supply chains and all essential war resources were practically secure from German and Japanese intervention. Extra oil came from Venezuela; coal, iron, steel, ship building, munitions, Canadian uranium, factories were all secure. Tomorrow’s war essentials, the rare earths, are being dealt with by Trump now.

“The United States will prioritize commercial diplomacy, to strengthen our own economy and industries, using tariffs and reciprocal trade agreements as powerful tools. The goal is for our partner nations to build up their domestic economies, while an economically stronger and more sophisticated Western Hemisphere becomes an increasingly attractive market for American commerce and investment.”  China’s ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ Trump sees as a direct threat to American influence. Not much in this for Canada, except perhaps to steer clear of China, and a clue to us to look to Latin America more closely for trade. (Brazil has 213 million people.)

Without saying ‘China’ explicitly, the Strategy aims to reduce China’s alarming influence in Latin America. “Non-Hemispheric competitors have made major inroads into our Hemisphere, both to disadvantage us economically in the present, and in ways that may harm us strategically in the future. Allowing these incursions without serious pushback is another great American strategic mistake of recent decades.”  Venezuela was under Chinese and Iranian influence before the seizure of Maduro, and Trump is now putting pressure on long-time Russian ally, Cuba. Trump forced China to give up control of the popular app TikTok, and has forced Panama to end Chinese control of port facilities on either end of the Panama Canal.

Canada can make peace with Trump by balancing its trade with America. One stone that kills many birds at once is to purchase lots of needed military gear from America: aircraft, both fixed and rotary-wing; ships, artillery systems, and tanks. Otherwise, Canada should increase American imports, and find alternatives to China.

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The US National Security Strategy Part 2

Vincent J. Curtis

1 Feb 26

 His first Administration, 2017-2021, confirmed President Trump in his belief that his national and foreign policies will deliver what he wants, to Make America Great Again, and to Keep America Great. His four years out of office gave him time to collect his thoughts and perfect his program.

Continuing in pedagogic exegesis, Trump asks, “1) What should the United States want? 2) What are our available means to get it? and 3) How can we connect ends and means into a viable National Security Strategy?” Trump’s answer to the first question is a lengthy and detailed essay in itself. In the overall, America should want safety as an independent republic, safety from attack by hostile foreign powers, from hostile influences, from espionage, predatory trade practices, drug and human trafficking, and cultural subversion. In these answers one can see the reason for the Golden Dome, the push for Greenland, his chasing China out of Panama and Venezuela, and his personal animosity to America’s political Left, whom he regards as culturally subversive.

Next up are Trump’s concerns for control of America’s borders and its immigration system, concerns which, along with DEI, fall under the rubric of cultural subversion.

The heart of Trump’s proximate end is this: “We want the world’s most robust industrial base. American national power depends on a strong industrial sector capable of meeting both peacetime and wartime production demands. That requires not only direct defense industrial production capacity but also defense-related production capacity. Cultivating American industrial strength must become the highest priority of national economic policy.” This is the basis for Trump’s tariff policies, and his goal of ending America’s trade deficit with the world.

The aircraft carrier USS Yorktown was badly damaged at the Battle of the Coral Sea, and she was desperately needed for the Battle of Midway. Repair was estimated to require some weeks. Upon docking at Pearl Harbor, 1400 dock workers on their own set to work for 72 straight hours patching up Yorktown, and got her ready for battle. Could America do this today? Doubtful. America’s auto industry worked miracles of productions during WWII.

Trump has seen the war by the Left on the sources of American power generation, first nuclear, then hydro, and since 1992, coal.  Alleged “climate change” is seen by Trump as meant to cripple American power. “We want the world’s most robust, productive, and innovative energy sector—one capable not just of fueling American economic growth but of being one of America’s leading export industries in its own right.” America’s exports of LNG and crude oil to Europe reduces Europe’s dependence on Russia, and every barrel of Venezuelan and Alberta crude America imports means another barrel of American crude at the service of American foreign and economic policy.

When it comes to “soft power”, Trump is not all brutality, and reveals a deftness that arises from experience in dealing with Middle Eastern potentiates, “we exercise positive influence throughout the world that furthers our interests. In doing so, we will be unapologetic about our country’s past and present while respectful of other countries’ differing religions, cultures, and governing systems.”

Trump closes his overall aim with a normative end for American culture, “Finally, we want the restoration and reinvigoration of American spiritual and cultural health, without which long-term security is impossible. We want an America that cherishes its past glories and its heroes, and that looks forward to a new golden age. We want a people who are proud, happy, and optimistic that they will leave their country to the next generation better than they found it. We want a gainfully employed citizenry—with no one sitting on the sidelines—who take satisfaction from knowing that their work is essential to the prosperity of our nation and to the well-being of individuals and families. This cannot be accomplished without growing numbers of strong, traditional families that raise healthy children.” Could Canada want less for itself?

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