BRATTLEBORO-The Windham World Affairs Council (WWAC) will host a talk by John Feffer on Friday, April 17, 6:30 p.m. at 118 Elliot in Brattleboro.
Feffer, director of the think tank Foreign Policy In Focus at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C., will examine whether the Trump administration is resurrecting a long-standing American ambition to serve as the world’s policeman.
After bombing Iran last summer and capturing Venezuela’s president this January, the United States is currently waging a war of choice on Iran with no clear objective, time frame, or legal justification. These actions contrast sharply with the earlier promises of President Donald Trump that verged on isolationism.
When he was running for a second term, Trump pledged to avoid costly wars and focus on U.S. domestic problems. With these military actions as well as his much-hyped peace deals, is the president resurrecting an earlier U.S. aspiration, which began with Teddy Roosevelt, to become the “world’s policeman?”
The answer, Feffer argues, lies in the definition of “policeman.” There are good cops and bad cops, and he believes Trump has long had an affinity for the latter, for police officers who break the law rather than uphold it and profit from their positions of power.
What impact is Trump’s version of “globocop” having on international law and the rules-based order? Are there any effective global responses? And once Trump leaves office, will an international reset be possible?
Feffer is the author of a number of books, including Crusade 2.0, The Pandemic Pivot, and Right Across the World. His articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Foreign Policy, Forbes, Newsweek, The Nation, and many other publications.
Entry is free with a suggested donation of $10 gratefully accepted. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Seats can be reserved at Eventbrite. Tickets will also be available at the door. For further information, visit windhamworldaffairscouncil.org.
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