13 May Ukraine, Tariffs, and Israel
One of the seven key leadership principles touted by Principle Based Politics is the principle of peace, as reflected throughout my website and one of my initial posts. “Give peace a chance,” I urged in that early post, noting that “we are ostensibly at peace today [, but] peace is not the absence of war.” I wrote those words more than four years ago – before Russia invaded Ukraine, before Hamas attacked Israel, and before an American president launched a tariff war against nearly every country in the world.
Today, the need for peace is obvious to almost everyone. The only real debate surrounds what the terms of peace should be. To that question, let me state right up front that, in worldly terms, there is no perfect peace. Perfect is the enemy of the good, as the adage goes. So, let us all prepare ourselves to accept a good peace (regardless of who gets credit for it and who gets the blame for any imperfections the terms of peace may include).
A Time for War, A Time for Peace
The subheading immediately above quotes verbatim Ecclesiastes 3:8, found in the Old Testament of the Bible. And I do not think anyone other than an arms dealer would deny that there is a time for everything – “and a season for every activity under the heavens” – including both war and peace.
Knowing the difference between those times, however, is wisdom. Wisely knowing both how to make war and make peace is a question of life or death.
In my view, now is the time for peace in Ukraine, in the tariff war, and between Israel and its enemies.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been killing people en masse for more than three years. The attack was unprovoked and wrong. It was evil. It was an assault on Europe, the West, sovereignty, and democracy. It had to be opposed with equal or greater force. And now it needs to end.
Peace talks this week are closer to stopping the war than at any point since the February 2022 invasion.
Wisely negotiated, those talks will allow Ukraine to remain an independent democracy closely aligned with Europe, backstopped by the United States, and not oppressed by Russia. Such terms would send the message that future Russian aggression will backfire. Significantly also, Ukraine has been defended forcefully enough to demonstrate to China that, likewise, America and the entire West will not simply allow it to invade Taiwan. Yet another benefit that President Trump seems to desire is to improve relations between the United States and Russia, thus keeping Russia away from direct alliance with China.
Sure, Ukrainians could continue indefinitely to fight and die in order to drive those points home harder, and its western supporters could continue spending money on defense of sovereignty and democracy – strengthening the messages to Russia and China. Those “solutions” obviously are flawed, too, just as is allowing an aggressor to benefit from its illegal act.
Remember, there is no perfect peace, and every past armistice likely was imperfect. The time is now.
The tariff war is a much different sort of conflict. Although no missiles, drones, tanks, or bullets are employed, economic warfare still has casualties. The world learned this quickly when America began imposing tariffs on friend and foe alike this year. “Liberation Day” on April 2 worsened a stock market collapse, allies distrusted us, other nations retaliated, and inflation (which had been getting better) was reignited. Money was lost, business operations were thrust into chaos, and consumer prices were negatively impacted.
Now, momentum is building toward an end to this war, as well. President Trump ratcheted back or delayed his tariffs, stock markets rebounded, and businesses, investors, and consumers all have begun to breathe easier. Temporary trade deals should soon become detailed and permanent.
President Trump and his supporters, rather than feeling smug about any of this (after all, little was accomplished, markets remain down 5% since he took office, and inflation will linger), should feel fortunate to be able to end this war now and limit the damage. I hope they have learned a lesson about starting wars to look strong.
Israel’s war in Gaza – more broadly the conflict against Iran and its proxies – is the most difficult of all to resolve. Everyone with a Bible, a Koran, or any sense of history knows this did not just start on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Jewish civilians and others in Israel.
By most standards, Israel has “won” this war and could declare victory right now. Hezbollah was decimated. The Houthis have agreed to back down after being bombed harshly by American missiles. Iran is struggling economically and militarily, and it badly needs a nuclear agreement with the United States more than it needs a direct fight with Israel. Moreover, Israel’s stated goal of rendering Hamas incapable of waging another serious attack seems all but reached.
It currently appears Israel and America are trying to twist the proverbial knife. The Trump Administration (and the Trump family) seems bent on negotiating business deals in the Middle East, and our president wants to make Gaza into a big, beautiful luxury resort. Israel itself seems intent on removing the Palestinian people from its borders through starvation or eviction, while letting its own people take their place. That is a forcible resettlement, not a peace settlement. Hamas, for its part, wants to retain its dwindling “power” and its mission to destroy Israel.
Enough already, all of you. Hamas, have the decency and “the courage of the white flag” to spare the lives of your own people. Israel and the United States, just declare victory and allow a willing, non-Hamas party to govern Gaza. It won’t be perfect, but it will be peace.
Peace, Please
I know peace is not as easy as I make it sound. The world really does need it, nonetheless. Now.
Written by Quentin R. Wittrock, founder of Principle Based Politics.
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Dave Glesne
Posted at 14:00h, 14 MayGood thoughts and reasoning, Quentin. Thanks!
Russell M Weaver
Posted at 14:27h, 14 MayQuentin,
I hope you are correct, that peace talks are now closer to ending the Russian-Ukraine war. If true peace is to be achieved, I would like to add a caveat: Ukraine must become whole again. This includes Crimea and all Russian occupied Ukrainian territories. Only then will there true peace.
Furthermore, Ukraine, as a sovereign nation, must have the right to enter any alliances it chooses –Including NATO.
Quentin
Posted at 14:30h, 14 MayThat would be perfect, Russ, but I don’t think perfect is one of our choices.
DKnight
Posted at 18:34h, 14 MayThere is a strain through your post that promotes “conventional wisdom” and, maybe a hint at the typical democrat position of appeasement–or being too sympathetic or gentle in foreign affairs. Being too easy in foreign policy–makes things worse. I am not sure that Ukraine is a democracy at this point–churches have been shut down and elections don’t happen there. We had elections in the middle of wars–including our Civil War. Putin is a thug who must be confronted–and Trump is either naive about Putin–or practicing realistic international affairs. Regardless, the war must stop–and, yes–Russia will get some territory it doesn’t deserve. The USA and the West should stop buying Russian oil–period. The Europeans are not models to follow in foreign policy–as history has told us. As to Gaza, Israel and the USA are not twisting any knives. Gaza is governed by thugs as well. Trump’s thought of redeveloping the area is a good idea–the Palestinians must be allowed back if/when the place is stabilized–and they can no longer be controlled by Hamas. Unfortunately, Israel must be tough and finish the conflict–the place is decimated already. Finally, as to Tariffs–again–Trump’s instincts are good–and the uncertainty he created is leveling out. We cannot and will not make all products at home–but–we must be able to do so. We must be more self-sufficient. A sea change in international trade is needed–we will be stronger in the long run. By the way, all three of these giant issues in your post, are being dealt with in better ways than under Biden and the dems. The last administration was a sad joke–and even dems recognize that now. Big problems take big solutions–and guts to get through the tough times.
Anonymous
Posted at 11:08h, 15 MayDKnight, I really could not agree more. And as far as the tariff war, I look at that like a house remodel. It seems messy when it starts, and opening up some walls reveal more underlying damage than was initially planned, but the final result is going to be MUCH better than it was…… ALL trade tariffs have improved from what they were in 2024. So in hypothetical terms tell your spouse to relax and calm down, the remodel will be completed soon………. Well, telling your spouse that may not be the best thing to say……… just keep your mouth shut and get the work done is probably a better method………but it is clearly working…… unless you watch more than 1 hour of news media per day……….