Hot on the heels of two substantial foreign policy successes (between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, and between Serbia and Kosovo), a member of the Norwegian Parliament has nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.

If you were unaware of those bits of foreign policy news, you’re likely not alone. With the Presidential election a mere two months away, and with the press rather clearly choosing sides in this contest, putting forth reporting that paints Trump in a positive light isn’t high on the mainstream media’s priority list. Far more important to spin the domestic chaos in major (largely blue-governed) cities into preferred narratives, lest the Democrats’ fecklessness regarding the first job of government (protecting citizens) cost them in November.

Indeed, reporting that Trump has advanced international peace runs directly contrary to the unhinged, trigger-happy wild man narrative that was presented to us prior to the 2016 election. That narrative has run so hard aground on the reefs of reality, however, that even many Trump skeptics are nodding their heads, at more than just these two deals.

Do you recall the caterwauling regarding Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and his promise to move the American Embassy there? We were told that this ‘provocation’ would light the Arab world on fire, just as we were told that Trump breaking from the decades-long Israel-Palestine narrative would be a disaster. Nearly three years later, not only is there no such fire and no such disaster, we see a normalizing of relations between Israel and a member of the Arab League, and two Muslim-majority European nations, agreeing to move their embassies to Jerusalem.

A year ago, Trump fired John Bolton, who served him as national security advisor for about a year and a half. Or, Bolton quit, depending on who you believe. Either way, Bolton, a full-on neocon warmonger, failed to sway Trump to his world view, and they parted ways. Those of us skeptical of America’s militarism and foreign adventures were, or should have been at least, quite pleased by this separation. As Jack Shafer at Politico points out, Trump has rattled a lot of sabers, but he hasn’t marched us into war, against the predictions (and quite probably to the dismay) of his critics during the 2016 election.

Heck, we’re closing in on the end of Trump’s first term, and North Korea has gone from a first-headline global threat to a “who’s in charge” and “what’s Kim Jong Un wearing today” sideshow. We were all warned that Trump was likely to nuke the Norks, because he’s out of control and unstable. Didn’t happen.

In the meanwhile, Trump has been echoing one of my own long-running complaints: that the Europeans have been funding their welfare states at America’s expense by skimping on their own defense, failing to fulfill their NATO obligations, and relying on Pax Americana to keep foreign threats at bay. He’s even bringing home several thousand troops stationed in Europe, while moving more out of Germany. Again, to the dismay of the “experts” whose wisdom has offered little but permanent war footing and trillions in debt.

This is all in keeping with Trump’s “America First” mindset – one that has served him and the nation poorly when it comes to matters economic (tariffs and trade wars aren’t solving anything) and regarding immigration (robust immigration is not only beneficial to the nation, but a necessity given the combination of the native fertility rate and the Ponzi structure of our social safety nets), but is of great benefit when it comes to the distinction between national defense and globocop. And, indeed, it feels as if the traditional hot spots in the other hemisphere aren’t quite as hot as they were a few years ago.

I’ve long found Trump’s tenure to be a mixed bag. There’s much to criticize, especially in his behavior and rhetorical style, but also in policy (I’ve already mentioned trade and immigration, and I can add more), but there are also things I like and support, such as deregulation, tax cuts, energy, and in government’s relationship with the economy. His Pax Trumpicana lands solidly on the list of positives, in my book, and libertarians should appreciate it.

Yahoo news made sure we knew the Peace Prize nominator was “right-wing,” a datum that I’d bet would not be offered were it a left-winger nominating a Democratic president, and I’d not be surprised if the writer still holds to the premise that the Republicans are the party of war and the Democrats are the party of peace, despite a vast body of history that tells a different story. It’d be worth the price of admission just to witness the collectiv(ist) meltdown on the Left should the Nobel committee give Trump a prize that he deserves far more than his Presidential predecessor did, but even without that giant slice of schadenfreude, I’d applaud Nobel-ing Trump for his successes.

• About the Author

About Peter Venetoklis

I am twice-retired, a former rocket engineer and a former small business owner. At the very least, it makes for interesting party conversation. I'm also a life-long libertarian, I engage in an expanse of entertainments, and I squabble for sport.

Nowadays, I spend a good bit of my time arguing politics and editing this website.

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