A list of both significantly positive & negative geopolitical developments since 2014
beckyromero · 36-40, F
Suggestion: North America
Add to it the failure of the U.S. to significantly increase defense spending, particularly for the navy, given all the increased threats and use of military action.
Also, negative, his threats to annex or invade Canada, Greenland and Panama and his bizarre on and off tariffs.
Middle East:
Also in the negative column the Saudi execution and dismembering in 2018 of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi while in a NATO country (Turkey) and Trump's refusal to condemn the Saudi government and, in fact, embrace them.
Europe/Eurasia
I would also add in the negative column, Trump's threats to NATO security (Russia, "do whatever the hell you want" to NATO allies).
On the positive, Biden repairing our alliances and strengthening NATO after Trump's first term and working to end the worst of the Covid pandemic.
Add to it the failure of the U.S. to significantly increase defense spending, particularly for the navy, given all the increased threats and use of military action.
Also, negative, his threats to annex or invade Canada, Greenland and Panama and his bizarre on and off tariffs.
Middle East:
Also in the negative column the Saudi execution and dismembering in 2018 of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi while in a NATO country (Turkey) and Trump's refusal to condemn the Saudi government and, in fact, embrace them.
Europe/Eurasia
I would also add in the negative column, Trump's threats to NATO security (Russia, "do whatever the hell you want" to NATO allies).
On the positive, Biden repairing our alliances and strengthening NATO after Trump's first term and working to end the worst of the Covid pandemic.
CedricH · 22-25, M
@beckyromero Good points, I thought about most of them but decided to abstract noise from substance - as best as I could. So once the noise turns into substance, I‘d immediately list something as a realized, negative development. Adding, the failure to increase defense spending should definitely be on the list. I was unsure how far to go with omissions. I mostly focused on mistakes that were actively made or things that happened, rather than what didn’t happen. By that standard I should’ve added many things that Obama should’ve done, like toppling Assad, arming Ukraine, admitting Ukraine into Nato - or Biden should‘ve dispatched an expeditionary force to deter Russia in late 2021 etc. etc.
As for Khashoggi. That’s a good point, it’s not really a geopolitical development in itself, but Trump giving MBS a carte blanche was and it certainly had negative effects on Saudi foreign policy because Riyadh felt free to hedge by getting closer to Moscow, Beijing, Tehran and Assad - before he fell.
As for Khashoggi. That’s a good point, it’s not really a geopolitical development in itself, but Trump giving MBS a carte blanche was and it certainly had negative effects on Saudi foreign policy because Riyadh felt free to hedge by getting closer to Moscow, Beijing, Tehran and Assad - before he fell.
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Cierzo · M
Hillary Clinton wrote this list, I guess.