Editor’s note: This commentary is by Deborah Bucknam, a St. Johnsbury-based attorney and the vice chair of the Vermont Republican Party.
One of President Trump’s overlooked achievements is his spectacular foreign success. The statistics are stunning.
The Center for Systemic Peace, an organization that is no friend of President Trump, has gathered statistics on deaths from political violence — civil wars, international wars, terrorist attacks — from 1946 to 2019. According to its calculations, during the eight years of the Obama administration deaths from political violence totaled 1,388, 650. Conflicts in Syria, Iraq, South Sudan, Yemen, Libya and Nigeria topped the charts. On average, there were 173,581 annual deaths from political violence during the Obama years. That number was a reduction from the previous 30 years, where deaths from political violence averaged 262,760 per year.
During the first three years of the Trump administration, according to the Center for Systemic Peace, worldwide deaths from political violence totaled 6,790, averaging 2263 deaths per year.
St. Johnsbury Attorney Deborah Bucknam
This is likely the lowest number of worldwide deaths from political violence—as a percentage of the world population — in world history. It is not an exaggeration to conclude that world peace has been achieved during the Trump administration.
This is no coincidence.
The Middle East and Northern Africa have been hotspots of conflicts for decades, if not centuries. In an event ignored by the main stream media because it did not fit into their narrative of the president’s alleged Islamophobia, President Trump’s administration worked with Arab and Islamic countries to organize a summit in May 2017. The two day Arab Islamic American Summit, was attended by 54 Arab and Islamic nations. On his first foreign policy trip, Trump spoke to the delegates, outlining his vision for world peace. In a remarkable speech that combined a celebration of Arab and Islamic culture with a strong message against extremism, Trump said: “I stand before you as a representative of the American People, to deliver a message of friendship and hope. … The United States is eager to form closer bonds of friendship, security, culture and commerce. … Our vision is one of peace, security, and prosperity — in this region and the world.”
Trump achieved concrete success at that summit as well, just four months after his inauguration. He reached agreements on defense cooperation with Saudi Arabia, and opened a new Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology located in Saudi Arabia.
This began behind the scenes diplomatic work by the Trump Administration which culminated in recognition of Israel by the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, and now Sudan, this fall.
This Middle East diplomacy has been made more effective by the Trump administration’s policies which resulted in our energy independence for the first time in 75 years. No longer is the United States beholden to Middle East oil—and that has provided enormous leverage in negotiating with Arab and Islamic states.
The olive branch to Islamic countries was combined with tough military actions which destroyed the ISIS caliphate, whose members were was torturing and murdering thousands, including women and children, and the assassination of terrorist masterminds Soleimani and Al Baghdadi. Trump’s tough sanctions against Iran have declawed that terrorist sponsoring nation.
This year, the Trump administration achieved another breakthrough in another centuries old conflict between the Christian Serbs and the Muslims of Kosovo, where only 20 years ago the Serbs were engaged in the chilling practice of “ethnic cleansing”. Serbia and Kosovo agreed to normalize relations, and Kosovo has agreed to place their embassies in Jerusalem — a first for a Muslim nation. The agreements also contain provisions where both Serbia and Kosovo designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization and support the decriminalization of homosexuality around the world, all thanks to the diplomacy of the Trump administration.
Trump’s policies have contained Russia’s malign influence, resulting in fewer worldwide conflicts. Here, Trump’s energy polices have helped by providing European nations with the option to purchase gas from the United States instead of totally depending on Russia. According to the Washington Examiner, by 2019, natural gas sales to Europe from the U.S. surged 300%. And just two days ago, the U.S. announced an agreement with coal and gas dependent Poland to provide funds for development of nuclear energy, so that it will not remain dependent on Russian energy.
Ukraine’s sovereignty was violated by a Russian invasion of its territory during the Obama years, with continued Russian aggression throughout eastern Ukraine by Russian backed “rebels” and “volunteers”. Ukraine has staved off further aggression with the help of the Trump administration’s policy of providing lethal defensive weapons to the country. President Trump’s insistence on NATO members’ payment of contributions to the organization has strengthened NATO, and the administration’s military and economic support for Eastern Europe has reduced Russia’s ability to act.
Just before President Trump was inaugurated, President Obama, told him North Korea was the top national security issue, with its increasingly aggressive nuclear weapons program. With President Trump’s personal diplomacy, North Korea’s threats have been reduced, and North Korea’s saber rattling with long range ballistic missile tests has ceased.
Finally, Trump has been bringing American troops home. As Australian law professor David Flint said when he nominated President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, “What he has done with the Trump Doctrine is that he has decided he would no longer have America in endless wars, wars which achieve nothing but the killing of thousands of young Americans.”
World Peace is a fragile thing. Human conflict is the norm. But, at least for a time, the dream of world peace has been achieved, thanks in large part to the foreign policy successes of the Trump administration.
Most bonkers headline of the week. Trump-Peace!! He put the Doomsday Clock next to midnight after Paris and Iran!
Got a link Mike – or just another member of the TNR-troll club – sh****ng on one conservative poster at a time? Shame on you all.
Perhaps it is because I have some of my younger relatives in the military ( including one currently in the navy on a ship off the coast of the Middle East and another in the air force in Kuwait) that I feel Ms. Buckham may be overstating the case that “World peace has been achieved”.
There is currently fighting in the Nargorno – Karabakh, Syria and Yemen. Tension between China and the United States centered around the China Sea is the highest it has been in decades with military forces on both sides currently engaged in dangerous games of chicken on the land and sea. North Korea has not been deterred in their nuclear program and this month exhibited their latest long range missile developed in the last four years that when deployed has the capability of reaching U.S. territory.
If creating a peaceful world means appeasing Iran by pulling out of Iraq and leaving them in a dominate position in that country or by letting the Taliban, who offered safe haven to the 911 terrorists, take over Afghanistan once again, we may need to consider the costs and consequences down the road. Clearly we need to make strategic adjustments, but simply capitulating after spending billions of dollars and losing thousands of American lives in these countries to achieve a “peace in our times” may not be the best policy.
We should not kid ourselves, we live in a very dangerous world. Our foreign policy, relying primarily on skilled diplomacy and seeking when we can common ground with allies, needs to be active, robust and realistic. Thinking that “world peace has been achieved” is unfortunately an illusion.
Simply amazing that a “moderate” would make a veiled case for continuing wars. But then, it’s about denigrating President Trump’s actions & accomplishments, isn’t, Freitag?
More muddy machinations much – obfuscation a specialty? Soo – s/he’s off which coast of the Middle East pray tell.
https://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/me.htm
Some things you say may be “true” – but not “the truth” – we all need to remember that most lies ride on the backs of this perverse form of ‘truth’ and now a textbook example – golf-clap.
US has had military posted and bases throughout the world forever – where ya been. Doesn’t mean there’s “war” everywhere they’re posted – so calling bull****t on your deceptive comment and attempt to take down premise of story – epic fail Freitag! Because Democrat-controlled cities and states allow criminals, murderous drug gangs, other assorted terrorists and sleepers under “sanctuary” lie, encourage rioting as well as killing of citizens and even police – inaccurate to call it “war” – just as other conflicts which continue.
There is no telling whether what you post is true – consistantly employ subjective experiences which cannot be proven as basis for your falsely-framed factoids as relationship with truth a sordid history sir.
Will take Ms. Buckman’s reliable and well-sourced and searchable info which are consistant before I’ll listen to your typical refrain. Pls note: lest you forget I am nonfeminist cis female sir! 😀
To claim ‘fighting’ is war grossly inaccurate. There is conflict which does not qualify as war – after all – what’s a few bombings among friends lol 😉
Wiki:
— Armed conflicts consists in the use of armed force between two or more organized armed groups, governmental or non-governmental alike.[1] Interstate, intrastate and non-state armed conflicts are listed.
— This is not a list of countries by intentional homicide rate, and criminal gang violence is generally not included, unless there is also significant military or paramilitary involvement.
“““““““““““““““““
— Major wars (10,000 or more combat related deaths in current or past year)
— Wars (1,000–9,999 battle related deaths in current or past year)
— Minor conflicts (100–999 battle related deaths in current or past year)
— Skirmishes and clashes (Fewer than 100 deaths in current or past year)
Wrong *again* – try to keep up sir lol. Tho China remains a threat to our world and destabilizing force in the region – none of your claims invalidate this story:
Wednesday, October 21, 2020
Turkey: Turkish forces withdraw from largest base in northeast Syria
https://www.warsintheworld.com/index.php/2020/10/21/turkey-turkish-forces-withdraw-from-largest-base-in-northeast-syria/
— Killing ‘dozens’ of insurgents is not ‘war’:
Tuesday, October 27, 2020
Syria: Russian air strikes kill dozens of Turkey-backed rebels in Idlib
https://www.warsintheworld.com/index.php/2020/10/27/syria-russian-air-strikes-kill-dozens-of-turkey-backed-rebels-in-idlib/
CFR:
emphasis added
In late September 2020, fighting broke out between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. Although
*****Russia has since brokered a cease-fire, *****
the situation remains very tense and volatile.
https://www.cfr.org/nagorno-karabakh
Sunday, September 27, 2020
Yemen: Government and Houthi rebels agree to exchange over 1,000 prisoners
Yemen’s internationally recognised government and the Houthi rebels agreed to exchange about 1,000 detainees and prisoners, including 15 Saudis, as part of trust-building steps aimed at reviving a stalled peace process, the United Nations said.
https://www.warsintheworld.com/index.php/2020/09/27/yemen-government-and-houthi-rebels-agree-to-exchange-over-1000-prisoners/
Really great article, few have spelled this all out like this.
I think that Donald Trump really just wants the world to all just function in much more of a common sense fashion.
Monetizing everything under the sun, creating and fueling local economies around the world by creating wars and the need for paid soldiers- that just work killing people for whoever will pay them.. I see this as winding down.
It seems like no one has the stomach for life like this anymore.
It feels like we are in this perfect storm now of having lived long enough to have seen all of this, see that it’s not been good.. and we all, as a people all over the world are just done with this mentality, this battle. Life in a never ending battle. The world is tired of this now.
Donald Trump has tapped into this frame of mind and with his knowledge and power, he’s been able to create pathways and plant seeds to teach people of new ways of doing things and thinking about it.
And as the article says, I think this is all working out well for the world, this new attitude and thirst for the knowledge, the open mindedness that he brings to the world stage.
He welcomes and celebrates out of the box thinking, that ‘lets just get this done’ outlook on things and this is new and needed.
As they say: “You can bring a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink”
Well, millions and millions of people are now at the point around the world where they are ready to drink, and want to drink.
It would be so nice if all these radical Democrats could just calm down, see the light and walk towards it with the rest of us behind this man that is leading the way.
Looking at everything there is through this paradigm of Politics and what works for me and my party.. this is really getting to be old news today I feel like for normal thinking people.
Can we all just please calm down and simply do what works and makes sense again?
All of us parents raising kids sure would like this.
All true Laura! To a hammer everything looks like a nail, to a builder everything is a project, businessman; everything looks like a deal. Clearly sees the waste in its toll upon humanity when in its place above are accomplished – all stand to prosper.
Democrat is the party of racism, sexism, gender confusion leading to surgery abuse and sexual exploitation of our children, abortion past 3rd trimester and including live birth aka babykilling, and victimhood for all. Along with Marxist wing start all the trouble, then posterchild its victims.
Resounding speechifying amid claims we need to stop endless war while financing and supporting the warmongers – think McCain. Trump got rid of corrupt military leaders and advisors – and prospered even his enemies as they’re now inking their butthurt in books *sigh*