Here’s what Yorktown Institute President Seth Cropsey had to tell us about the current unstable geopolitical moment.

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John,

In case you missed it, in the latest episode of No Labels Talks, I had the chance to sit down with Seth Cropsey, president of the Yorktown Institute, who recently wrote a Wall Street Journal op-ed ([link removed] ) on how the U.S. is stumbling into a trap set by Iran amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. He fears miscalculations at this critical moment have the world headed for more war.

Here are a few highlights from our conversation:

 

On the Biden administration’s foreign policy:

 

“I think the Biden administration is operating off the assumption that Iran could somehow become a stabilizing force for positive results in the Middle East. If that sounds crazy, it’s because I think it is.”

On how a Trump reelection could change how America handles the ongoing crises around the world:

 

“I wish I could answer your question [on how the Trump approach to foreign policy would fundamentally differ from the Biden approach] … You simply have to speculate what Trump means when he says that if he became President, the war in Ukraine would be over in a day? I don't know what that means ... It could mean that he would give the Ukrainians what they need to defeat Russia, or that he would simply walk away from supporting Kyiv. I can’t tell you.”

 

On Iran’s intentions in the Middle East:

 

“Iran has two primary objectives: one is the destruction of the Israeli State, and the second is the elimination of the United States from the Middle East.”

 

On today’s parallels to the 1930s:

 

“The ambitions of the of the Axis Powers then [Germany, Japan, and Italy] were fundamentally similar to the ambitions of the Axis Powers now. The initial targets differed in the 1930s, with the British being the primary target in the European theater and the United States in the Pacific theater. Today, the targets are more unified, including North Korea, Russia, Iran, and China, with their collective target being the United States.”

 

On what the Biden administration should be doing differently with Iran:

“The Biden Administration would benefit itself and the United States and the West in general by increasing our public diplomacy outreach to Iran, which currently consists of, for all intents and purposes, a couple of hours of television broadcasting a day and a budget of $17 million a year, which is woefully inadequate. This is essential to reach people who are not friendly to the clerical regime, not friendly to the radical elements and the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps], and have shown repeatedly over the years their willingness and courage to go out into the streets and demonstrate.”

On the one question he’d ask Biden and Trump in the upcoming June 27 debate:

Biden: What is he trying to do in the world today?

Trump: What does he plan to do about Ukraine, the Middle East, and Taiwan, and to what extent is a military buildup similar to the Reagan one a part of his thinking, and why?

  

These were just a few highlights of a great half-hour-long chat, and you can view the entire episode here ([link removed] ) if you’re interested in hearing more.

Be sure to tune in for more insights into the global geopolitical climate later this week, when we’ll be welcoming Dr. Kori Schake ([link removed] ) , Senior Fellow and Director of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, for the next installment of No Labels Talks. There’s still time to RSVP for that call on Friday, May 31 at 3:30 PM ET via Zoom. Simply click here to sign up and tune in ([link removed] ) .

If you’re interested in hearing Dr. Schake speak on a specific topic, there’s still time to submit a question for me to ask by clicking here ([link removed] ) . We hope to see you there!

Ryan Clancy

No Labels

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