By James Petras

January 02, 2019 "Information Clearing House" -     They year 2018 ended with bitter partisan conflicts over narrow issues. Over seventy percent of the federal budget was approved by both parties and another twenty-nine percent was delayed because of a conflict over ‘border security’ involving expenditures of less than one hundredth of one percent.

Multiple wars, coups, sanctions and trade disputes dominated the US political agenda.  War budgets grew, military sales increased and frictions between the US and Saudi Arabia bubbled to the surface . . . and dissipated.

We will proceed to provide a realistic assessment of the US in world politics during the past year, as a prelude to what we can expect in the coming year – 2019.

US policy followed along the lines of previous presidents and military advisers:  pursuing wars in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen and Somalia; adding military bases in Eastern Europe and the Baltics; promoting economic sanction against Iran, Russia, China and North Korea and adding minor ones against traditional allies in Europe and East Asia.

These measures did not radically alter trade relations even as divergences emerged between the President and his senior cabinet Generals, several of whom resigned.

Resignations and dismissals in the executive branch reflected the division over President Trump’s military withdrawals from Syria and Afghanistan, his efforts to lower military costs and losses in regions of no profit or progress.  Trump’s opponents objected to his long-term commitments and efforts to finance economic spending and growth at home and abroad.