I'll tell you why Trump's foreign policy is good for America | Opinion

If you’ve paid attention to what President Donald Trump has said on the heels of the U.S. arrest of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, you probably have heard him mention the Monroe Doctrine. You might be hearing commentators throw this term around, even if most Americans probably aren’t familiar with the foreign policy approach. 

The Monroe Doctrine refers to the policy pioneered by James Monroe, our fifth president. His rendition proclaimed that European powers no longer colonize or exert influence within the Western Hemisphere, asserting U.S. preeminence over the entire continent.

The Trump corollary takes a similar stance: that any powers outside the Western Hemisphere must not be allowed to exert influence within the Americas, namely China, Russia and Iran. Trump’s approach to policing this doctrine has been hawkish, seen most recently with his arrest of Maduro and threats against Cuba, as well as Mexican cartels. 

A revival of the Monroe Doctrine is welcome news for America and just another example of Trump’s competence in foreign policy. 

The Monroe Doctrine is sound foreign policy

For the sake of my case here, I am going to set aside the legal questions of Trump’s actions against Venezuela because, though it matters, it isn’t relevant to the merits of the foreign policy approach. 

Trump has, in jest, referred to his own rendition of the policy as the "Donroe Doctrine," in which the United States asserts preeminence in our hemisphere and blocks external threats from exerting their influence here. 

In the case of Maduro, that means that the United States should act to displace an illegitimate dictator who undermines our interests by aiding our enemies and allegedly trafficking drugs into our country.

Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven known oil reserves, and a functioning Venezuelan oil sector open to U.S. business strengthens us, while weakening Russia and China by denying access. Trump is sure to reiterate this point over and over again so he can point to a tangible American benefit from this aggressive action.

Beijing and Moscow have both financially supported Caracas over the past several decades, and Venezuela's billions in outstanding debt to China were being paid off by oil shipments. The foreign involvement has been deliberately geared toward weakening American partnerships.

Venezuela has also purchased arms from Russia and Iran, posing a real threat in our backyard.

Eliminating such a strategic threat is a good thing, and it should be the policy of America to combat such threats wherever they lie. Trump’s actions haven’t just been relegated to Venezuela. He’s spent plenty of energy driving a wedge between Panama and China, preserving the neutrality of the Panama Canal that was promised when the United States relinquished control of it.

Trump should continue looking at ways to undermine China’s trading relationship with South American countries, Russia’s influence over countries like Nicaragua, and Iranian-backed terror groups active in the region. Such forces being active in our hemisphere pose strategic and economic threats to the United States, and we should be hawkish in pushing them out of our backyard.

Preventing our enemies from gaining a foothold so close to our borders is essential in a time of high tensions with Russia, China and Iran. One of the reasons the United States is such a secure nation is that it has an ocean separating it from other great powers. Our enemies can whittle away at that advantage by increasing their presence in the south. 

America has a lot to gain from removing Maduro

Trump’s corollary to Monroe's 19th century approach is not merely about combatting external threats, but also taking action to eliminate bad actors in the region. Displacing Maduro had value outside of just a regional strategy. 

From here, now the hard work of ensuring a friendlier government takes his place.

Maduro posed an independent threat and should have been removed, even if he was a lone actor merely trafficking drugs. Stopping the flow of narcotics, which Maduro both permitted and actively participated in, from reaching the United States is a legitimate foreign policy objective. This doesn't mean that we go around starting full-fledged wars with every country that traffics drugs, but if we can orchestrate operations as clean and concise as Maduro's extraction, we should not shy away from involvement.

Eliminating Maduro also means relief from the issue of illegal immigration. The crisis created by the dictator's vile socialist regime has led to a steady flow of refugees fleeing for U.S. haven. Many of the nearly 10 million refugees who have fled Venezuela for more than a decade have ended up at our border. Maduro continuing to preside over Venezuela would mean that such a crisis would never end. 

U.S. preeminence in the region demands that we combat active threats to our nation and our influence. Trump understands that and has taken necessary actions to weaken those who want to destroy us. His approach to foreign policy is one of his best qualities as president. 

Dace Potas is an opinion columnist for USA TODAY and a graduate of DePaul University with a degree in political science.