Saturday, August 6, 2016

Trump & Putin

Can Trump Usher in New Era of Cooperation Between U.S. and Russia?

There are a lot of things to consider this election. Policies on education, foreign relations, gun control, economics and more have been spouted and refuted. Candidates make promises and tear each other down every day, but there is one topic that is being surprisingly overlooked.

Many decry Donald Trump’s attitude toward Russia, but it might actually be a golden opportunity. He just might be able to do what no other president could, and bridge the torn relationship between the two countries that has lasted for so long.

What it would Mean - The relationship between the U.S. and Russia has been frosty since before the end of WWII. In the better part of a century, trade has opened between the two countries and they have partnered on a few specific endeavors, but in general they remain at odds in every international affair.

Establishing genuine, pre-Stalin levels of cooperation between the nations would herald an unprecedented partnership that would shift the globe, both geopolitically and economically.

Let’s look at politics first. A closer partnership between the U.S. and Russia could lead to an alliance of the two most powerful militaries the world has ever known. That brings levels of security to both nations that are otherwise impossible.

A united front between the two against foes like ISIS would be unstoppable, and we would see dramatic improvement on the jihadist’s movement meant to decimate both of our civilizations.

It would also generate hesitation among similar groups upon seeing such overwhelming force. The key to defeating global terrorism is in fact an unwavering and aggressive cooperation between the U.S. and Russia.

The changes don’t end with terrorism. With the United States dominant position in NATO, all of Europe would be inevitably dragged into this hypothetical relationship. Right now, NATO-Russian tensions are by far the biggest security threat throughout the continent, and Donald Trump just may be the key to resolving it, but security changes extend farther still.

While the U.S. can drag NATO into a more cooperative state, Russia can do the same with North Korea, China and Syria. Without the powerhouse backing them, these other states lose the confidence to continue to defy American policy. A Russian-American alliance could bring every nuclear power in the world into a first-time state of compliance and cooperation.

The politics is promising, but what about economics?
Right now, Russia has one of the largest economies in the world, in spite of severe sanctions from most of the developed countries in the world.

Relieving those sanctions and dramatically increasing trade between the U.S. and Russia would push them back to being a top five economy in a few short years.

While improved trade relationships further foster the hope of extended peace, they also open large market opportunities for U.S. investors. The biggest is oil. Increasing oil trade between the countries would sharply reduce U.S. dependency on Middle East oil, making the market more competitive and helping the currently struggling industry to recover.

Can it Actually Happen? All of these benefits sound wonderful, but are they really just a pipe dream? Actually, no. They’re quite achievable. Trump has a long history of fostering positive relationships with Russia. He was successfully investing and trading in Moscow before the Berlin wall fell, and this year he has made huge progress toward having a Trump Tower in Russia’s capital city. He has been quoted saying that “a disproportionate cross-section” of investors and assets are tied to Russia.

In his decades of doing business in Russia, Trump has fostered personal relationships with a swath of the nation’s politicians and aristocracy. He is widely loved and largely appreciated, and frankly, his positive relationships with the country can be seen as a major and surprising success.

While tensions continue to rise between Russia and the west, Trump has overcome expectations and propaganda to remember that Russians are people too. This has certainly been an important part to developing the one relationship that truly makes cooperation attainable.

Trumps relationship with Putin can almost be described as a bromance. The two have traded compliments regularly all year, and while it might feel like and act or superficial, you can look below the surface for better understanding. Putin won’t officially endorse a presidential candidate because of his position, but he has made it abundantly clear that he wouldn’t just prefer a Trump presidency, he welcomes it.

The two have already established a better relationship than any presidents of the two countries in history, and it would be quite easy for them to use that personal relationship to push their countries toward productive compromise and herald the golden age of cooperation that we have all wanted for so long.

Regards, Ethan Warrick Editor Wealth Authority


Comments

After the collapse of the Soviet economy in 1989, the USSR was dissolved, allowing the Ukraine and the former USSR satellite countries to become independent sovereign countries.  Russia reset its boundaries but pulled back too far and allowed the Ukraine to become an independent country.  The Ukraine had always been part of Russia. The Crimea in Eastern Ukraine remained close to Russia and the Western part of the Ukraine identified with the West and the Europeans.

Like all countries, Russia needs to grow its Private Economy.  Crimea was important to Russia because it gave access to warm weather ports and pipelines.  Russia also kept a Military base in the Crimea.

Many former satellite countries have established strong private sectors, have little government debt and are doing better than most of Europe.  Others haven’t fared as well because they elected socialist politicians.

Most countries on the planet are ‘one-party’ Socialist dictatorships and they are cash poor.  Even these countries can increase the size of their productive economies because they all need cash.  Look at China; the government owns their manufacturing companies.  But after Trump lowers the US corporate tax, those jobs will come back to the US, so China’s low wage advantage would disappear.   

Trump has more respect for the sovereignty of nations. He respects Putin’s right to put Russia first, but insists on voter support and the rule of law.   He believes that the citizens living in Crimea should be able to decide whether or not to join Russia.  He understands the trade relations Russia has with all countries that border them.  He understands trade better than anybody in the US government; he travels the world and talks to ordinary people.

Trump’s acceptance of Russian sovereignty and voter choice make US neocons crazy; they want to continue the “cold war”.  Democrats just want chaos. They are the “establishment”, both RINOS and the Dems.  Their funding comes from those who will fight to keep our abysmal, corrupt status quo.  The Communists have partnered with the corporate criminals and the Muslims and the UN to elect Hillary to silence US voters.

The Russians are not the enemy, Communism is the enemy.  It kills economies and it’s killing ours, because it sucks resources out of the private sector and redistributes cash to its cronies.  Communism is alive and well in the US in the Obama Administration and the Democrat Party. 

Communists will not fit in to a Trump Administration.  They will go “underground” again, like they did in 1980 when Reagan took over.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader


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