Foreign Policy

“Just war tradition says we should act on a just cause, like preventing future wrongs, punishing wrongdoers, and stopping ongoing wrongdoing. Self-defense, of course, fits that category. But so does this effort towards justice. And it should happen with ‘right intention.’” - Breakpoint

(More at Bonus: Iran and Just War)

“different rationales are offered by different spokespersons, and even by the President himself. Clarity on the aims of war is a matter of legality, but also justice. Confusion and miscalculation can also be very dangerous, laying the groundwork for mission creep.” - Providence

“Asked if anything could constrain his use of power, Trump responded, ‘My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.’ For Trump, then, obedience to international law, and to one’s ‘own morality,’ are the only things that can inform decisions in matters of international relations, revealing a hole in his thinking, and likewise, a deficit in public discourse.” - Providence

“The bishops of the United Methodist Church on Wednesday (Jan. 7) issued a statement ‘condemning all acts of violence, military aggression, and violations of national sovereignty’ ….The Episcopal Church was quicker to respond.” - RNS

“1. Franklin Graham: ‘We have a president who takes action’ ….2. Mike Huckabee: ‘Maduro’s fall weakens Hezbollah’s reach’….3. Michael Youssef: ‘Hopes raised for oppressed people’…. 4. John Amanchukwu: ‘Lives were saved by capturing Maduro the Monster’…. 5. Pastor Jack Graham: ‘Freedom for our Venezuelan congregation’ ” - CPost

“The short answer is, to my mind, as a Christian realist, yes, but not with unqualified enthusiasm. Christian Realism never embraces war enthusiastically, only from grim necessity, hopefully without illusions, knowing that even success brings more problems, and likely tragedies.” - Providence

“A tariff is a tax that is levied on goods exported by one country and imported by another. This tax is charged to the importer in the destination country and paid to that country’s government. Hence, when President Trump instituted tariffs on all goods crossing from Canada to the United States, it is American businesses that now have to pay a 25% tax and remit it to the U.S.

“the leaders from Chernivtsi, a southwestern Ukrainian city bordering Moldovia and Romania, expressed confusion after meeting with Congressional leaders in Washington to discuss U.S. support for Ukraine … . ‘Alarmed…. We don’t understand what stage we’re at.’” - Baptist Press

“The IRF [international religious freedom] community is a loose network of activists, policy experts and religious organizations that advocate for greater attention to IRF in US foreign policy. I engaged with them when I ran the Pew Research Center Global Restrictions on Religion project” - Providence