American Foreign Policy in the Age of Trump Discussion with David Sanger and Ricard Haas

The topical & auspicious talk at the NY Historical Society last night was "American Foreign Policy in the Age of Trump".  The two distinguished foreign affairs experts were Pulitzer Prize winning journalist & Nat'l Security Correspondent for the NYT, David Sanger and Richard Haas, Pres. of the Council on Foreign Relations.  The talk began with an acknowledgement of the terrorist attack on our city that killed 7 people earlier in the day.  Haas asked Sanger if it were possible to stop terrorist attacks.  The answer was a resounding, no.  Tactical terrorists acts, the deliberate crashing of a vehicle into a crowd or stabbings with kitchen utensils cannot be eradicated.  But a massive terrorist since 9/11 has not occurred due to heightened national security measures.  The balance between individual liberties 7 security are continuously being offset.  The indictments of Trump's former campaign mgrs. was the next subject.  Metaphor had been recognized as a person who courts autocrats.  He had dealings in the Ukraine & with Trump on the eve of his accepting his party's nomination.  The approach by Russian intelligence to interfere was said to be their typical modus operandi used since Stalin.  The US becoming an isolationist country under Trump was brought into the banter.  Valid concerns were mentioned with Trump stepping back from France, NAFTA and Iran.  Int'l successions; Brexit and Catalonia are adding to a spreading break away movement.  Both agreed matters of such utmost importance should not be left to nat'l referendums.  They believe if another vote were held today on Brexit, the UK would not pass it. The upcoming Presidential trip to Asia is of utmost concern.  North Korea is a volatile crisis.  The likelihood of a "Fail Safe" scenario with South Korean sacrificed for Los Angeles has frightening credibility.  The possibilities of the US & NK blundering into an atomic war are alarming.  Clinton & GW Bush were faulted for not having made positive inroads with NK during their presidencies.  Trump must navigate US/China strategies carefully which may prove disastrous.  There is a recent insurgence of Maoism in China.  We've seen in Afghanistan that an ungoverned global region will fall to Isis.  Most worrisome at present were said to be Yemen & Syria.  Before Q&A they noted that this was the 1st time that the Middle East was not part of the conversation.  However, Israel & Hezbollah were among the 1st questions which has no short term peaceable resolutions.  They needed the evening by warning that gerrymandering is a real threat.  A takeaway from the evening are the dangers of a centralized technology which can be  hacked & controlled.  The safety measure they ascribe is a paper trail to back-up & verify votes.  The major take away, the world is further & further away from being a safe place today.