US Urged to ‘Reassert Its Role’ as Energy, Political ‘Power Broker’

Fred Zeidman, director and co-chair of Council for a Safe America, says the U.S. should “reassert its position as each an power and a political energy dealer.”

“It’s vital for the way forward for mankind. We now have a capability to destroy the earth, and you’ve got a number of of us that don’t actually care if we do it or don’t do it operating round with or getting near having these weapons of mass destruction,” he says. “So, for the sake of our youngsters, our grandchildren, and the way forward for civilization, we’ve bought to get a grip on this factor.”

“And we’ve bought to rein within the rogue nations which are attempting to destroy Western civilization and the best nation within the historical past of the world, the US of America,” says Zeidman, whose New York Metropolis-based group focuses on U.S. power independence as “the underpinning for U.S. safety” and on a “strategic alliance with Israel [to] strengthen America’s mutual safety and international standing.”

Zeidman joins at present’s episode of “The Day by day Sign Podcast” to debate how the U.S. can helps its allies, notably Taiwan and Ukraine; how the Biden administration’s power insurance policies particularly have affected U.S. nationwide safety; and the way he would grade these power insurance policies.

Take heed to the podcast beneath or learn the evenly edited transcript:

Samantha Aschieris: Becoming a member of at present’s present is Fred Zeidman, director and co-chair of Council for a Safe America. Fred, thanks a lot for becoming a member of us.

Fred Zeidman: Sam, it’s an incredible pleasure. I believe that the place we’re proper now, our group, which, clearly, is in a constructing section, is so vital to the place we’re on this planet proper now, given the objects notably that we talked about in our op-ed, that it’s a pleasure to have the ability to speak to you and to any viewers to attempt to get us again on observe. So thanks. Thanks for having me.

Aschieris: Sure, in fact. Thanks a lot for that. I wish to simply dive proper in and speak extra about your op-ed that you just not too long ago co-authored for RealClearPolitics. And one of many themes that you just talked about was U.S. power. And with that, I wished to get your ideas on the Biden administration’s strategy to it. Before everything, how would you grade the Biden administration’s power insurance policies?

Zeidman: Nicely, my goodness. I imply, perhaps he’s gone from a two to a 3, however I don’t even understand how I may give him credit score for a two.

The very very first thing he did, as you nicely know, when he bought into workplace was cancel the Keystone pipeline. Had he not canceled the Keystone pipeline, we might’ve remained energy-independent all by itself.

After which when he stopped federal leasing, he stopped all these others, it was apparent that, No. 1, he had no understanding in anyway of the necessity for fossil fuels and the position that fossil gas really performed in any various power resolution, and that he was going to do no matter he may do to wreck the fossil gas trade.

We knew from that minute that we had been as soon as once more going to see an incredible improve in costs. There have been going to be main provide points. We had one blip when the Saudi Arabians determined, nicely, and I assume, and Russia determined to reassert themselves and reduce oil costs to $20 a barrel, which, once more, was all geared toward shutting down the trade right here as a result of no person may afford to drill for $20 oil.

In order that they reasserted themselves at that time, the Biden administration having no actual understanding. The very first thing they did was attempt to drain our reserves. And as you nicely know, reserves have to get replaced. So what are we going to do? We’re going to purchase Saudi Arabian oil to exchange our reserves. That made no sense.

So it has been horribly, horribly detrimental to power independence and to American exceptionalism. All of the issues that made America an incredible nation have been broken tremendously by the Biden administration.

There have been a pair very, very lame makes an attempt at attempting to deliver it again, however nothing of any type of consequence and nothing that it actually issues. So I really couldn’t be extra disenchanted in what has occurred within the trade for the reason that Biden administration has are available in.

Aschieris: Sure, just a bit greater than two years in the past, the Biden administration got here into workplace and since then I wished to get your ideas on how their power insurance policies particularly have impacted U.S. nationwide safety and from a world perspective, its position on the worldwide stage.

Zeidman: Nicely, to start with, it’s simply considered one of many causes. Once more, this world labored due to American exceptionalism. There was just one nation on this planet that might hold their finger within the dike to guard the type of issues that we’ve seen earlier than.

And for those who take a look at the strategy to international coverage, to start with, our dependence on international oil, as you nicely know, with out power, nothing strikes, nothing runs. And the truth that he was attempting to close down, if you’ll, the fossil gas trade of the US, needed to trigger large inflation in the US, which resulted in these large giveaways that we’ve needed to attempt to compensate for that.

So that you begin with that. You begin with our, once more, dependence on international oil, which, one of many issues that the Trump administration had accomplished exceptionally nicely was reinforce the US’ place on the world scene.

You mix that with our pullout from Afghanistan and what has occurred to an incredible extent is it created this chance for China to step in the midst of this and turn into who the US has all the time been, which is, I wish to say the peacekeeper to the world.

However for those who take a look at the nations within the Center East, there was an incredible worry that the US would do within the Center East what that they had accomplished with the Afghanistan pullout.

And the entire nations that joined the Abraham Accords, who’re all the first oil producers, Saudi Arabia couldn’t be a named participant as a result of, because the crown prince really mentioned to me after I met with him—I met with him with a gaggle of about 10 folks. He mentioned, “We dwell in a fairly tough neighborhood. We are able to’t actually be part of the Abraham Accords. However check out what we do and check out what we do with Israel.”

However hastily there turned a worry within the Center East that the US wouldn’t help them the way in which that it had been agreed upon throughout the Trump days and the creation of the Abraham Accords.

And all of those nations who had self-preservation as their main motivation began doing enterprise as soon as once more with Iran and China, who’s—and I apologize, I’m unsure of this for a truth—however who has just about no oil manufacturing, however arguably is, if not the biggest client of oil on this planet, actually one of many one or two.

We begin reducing Russia off after the Ukraine invasion, and China, who can take the entire oil that Russia can produce, turns into their largest market. They usually take that and it manifests itself into China coming again onto the world stage as a dealer, however they’re a dealer amongst our enemies earlier than they’ll dealer with the US, which might not be to our profit, I don’t assume, by way of what sort of offers we will make.

So hastily you see China bringing again collectively this three-legged stool who, arguably, are our enemies, Iran, and everybody begins to make offers with Iran for self-preservation once more, proper? They usually’ve bought a buyer base for something they’ll produce. Russia, who has arguably been reduce off to an incredible extent from promoting into Western Europe, now they’ve bought a marketplace for all the pieces they’ll produce simply by going the opposite method.

So the mixture is there was a standard purpose amongst these three. And, for those who take a look at the oil-producing nations, they see that there’s an financial purpose as soon as once more to attempt to do enterprise.

So hastily you bought in all probability the world’s two biggest enemies, if you’ll, Iran and Iraq, for non secular causes. Dan Yergin as soon as wrote that each conflict within the historical past of the world has been fought over oil. I took challenge with him a bit bit. I mentioned, “I assumed, maybe a few of these wars have been fought for non secular causes.” OK? So there have been non secular causes, but it surely was all based mostly on oil manufacturing, based on him. However hastily there was an financial purpose for these folks to affix forces towards, and eventually, they might struggle towards the evils that had been United States exceptionalism.

And we’ve to an incredible extent gotten into that place now and we don’t know the place it’s going. No one is aware of the way it’s going. I imply, it self-corrected earlier than, however for those who take a look at the place that Israel is in with the US not being as supportive, if you’ll, because it has been traditionally—and the Abraham Accords have stalled to an incredible extent.

There may be nonetheless an excessive amount of commerce happening between the Abraham Accord nations and Israel. However the identical nations at the moment are doing enterprise with Iran once more and that’s for self-preservation. They don’t have any means to defend themselves. They had been relying on the US and so they now have this worry that they’ve had earlier than.

We bailed in Afghanistan, we bailed in Iran, we mainly bailed in Iraq after the Iraqi conflict. The US has not maintained its place because the bully on the block, the massive largest bully on the block within the Center East. And there’s fears in these nations and their financial energy permits them to make offers to purchase security.

So, I’m sorry, I have to allow you to ask me questions, however you pushed the button, the beginning button, Sam.

Aschieris: No worries in any respect.

Zeidman: That is one thing that I spent a lot of my life dedicated to due to my devotion to the state of Israel and the security and safety of the Jewish neighborhood, which is how I fell into this place to start with.

So when requested to turn into Harold Hamm’s co-chairman, I mentioned, “Even in my superior age and never eager to take nationwide management positions anymore, how may I conceivably cross up a possibility to companion with Harold Hamm in speaking about power safety and the state of Israel?”

So with all due apologies, let me flip it again to you.

Aschieris: No worries in any respect. That was actually attention-grabbing. I wished to segue into what we had been speaking about earlier with this op-ed that you just co-authored for RealClearPolitics. Within the op-ed, you wrote, “We should stand robust with our allies in Taiwan and Ukraine as nations like China and Russia threaten their proper to self-determination.” Out of your perspective, what does standing robust with our allies appear like?

Zeidman: Nicely, I’ll let you know that the world has modified. So I believe that maybe placing ft on the bottom is one thing that America must be hesitant in doing.

However I believe that contemplating—I laughingly mentioned, I believe the rationale that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin went to China, for those who keep in mind the photographs of him on the Olympics, is that they had been flipping a coin to see whether or not he would invade Ukraine or China would invade Taiwan first. However that mixture was meant to weaken the US and maybe to take Taiwan and to take Ukraine. And I believe that Putin gained the flip having no thought in any respect the protection that Ukraine would put up.

However I believe we’ve been tremendously remiss in not offering Ukraine with no matter they want. Look, this isn’t, and I don’t wish to get into the politics, Republican main politics, however this isn’t a regional skirmish on a border dispute. It is a battle of main world powers, of Russia and whoever their allies are and the West as a result of we’re getting very near NATO nations.

So I believe no matter we’ve to do, in need of placing boots on the bottom—however in some unspecified time in the future we’d have to try this as nicely, we have to do. We now have to guard Taiwan as a result of for those who take a look at the quantity of our manufacturing that’s going down in Taiwan and the impact that it might have on the American economic system—and I believe that defending Ukraine.

As a result of for those who assume, and once more, I don’t wish to be naive, however for those who assume for one second that this might cease Putin, I believe that’s a grave, grave, grave mistake. I believe he’s certain and decided to recreate the Soviet Union. And for those who take a look at it, there are a number of of these nations that at the moment are NATO nations, which might pressure us underneath—I imply, neglect the Budapest Memorandum, which we’ve already violated, however we’ve an obligation to NATO to guard them.

So if we permit him to take Ukraine, then subsequent comes a few of these different nations that at the moment are a part of NATO, and we’ve an obligation to guard them.

In order that does imply the beginning of arguably a 3rd world conflict. What does that imply about mutual destruction? I don’t know. I don’t know what which means, however I can’t think about that we might abandon NATO, and we actually can’t abandon Taiwan. And I believe a number of the issues that China is doing now are there solely to embarrass the US.

I’ll let you know, flying this balloon over the US, a spy balloon over the US of America, slowly over a interval about 5 – 6 days, arguably may very well be the only most embarrassing second in American historical past.

I believe buzzing Taiwan the way in which they’ve accomplished, they’re simply letting the remainder of the world know that they’re within the throes of this being the Chinese language century, because the final century was the American, the U.S. century.

So I believe it’s extremely vital that we do, in need of placing boots on the bottom, that we do all the pieces we presumably can to permit Ukraine and to permit Taiwan to defend themselves.

And as you see, Martin [Frost], for all intents and functions, even agrees with most of that. Clearly, he’s very supportive of the Biden administration, which he must be, however I couldn’t have been extra pleased with him for understanding our wants, an American protection, and stretching so far as he did as an extension of the place the Biden administration is now.

Aschieris: Fred, I wished to speak extra about this text titled “It’s Time for America to Reassert Its Role as Both an Energy and Political Powerbroker.”

Zeidman: Right.

Aschieris: Whenever you take a look at the 2 that you just discuss there, each power and political energy dealer, how can the U.S. work to realize each elements of that, each within the power and political sectors?

Zeidman: Nicely, mockingly, I believe there’s a really, quite simple reply to that. And God bless Harold Hamm, my companion, as a result of the day that we turned energy-independent and not dependent in any respect on Mid East oil, hastily it modified our entire place with regard to the Center East, Russia, and everybody else.

We didn’t have to fret any extra about having to put on a sweater and set the temperature at 65 levels, Jimmy Carter. Being not depending on them—we had been very, very depending on their power to maintain our economic system rolling. And being energy-independent, and I imply, my God, look how this has manifested itself.

However being energy-independent, power being the, I don’t wish to use a foul pun, the bedrock or the inspiration, of all financial exercise gave us the last word flexibility. There was nobody that might problem us militarily. We had been a lot extra of an influence than another nation.

You take a look at Russia, there’s an previous joke about Russia being a fuel station with a nuclear bomb. However Russia was broke, proper? Russia was broke. No one needed to cope with them. They couldn’t help their army and there was no risk from Russia.

Nicely, hastily, we lose our power independence, which implies we now can’t management the value of power. Costs go to a $100 a barrel or no matter and fuel costs go to $6, no matter they went to at one time limit. And hastily, we at the moment are—Iran, identical challenge with Iran. We at the moment are, once more, I hate to make use of a foul pun, however we’re fueling their economic system.

And as soon as we fueled their economic system, that they had the power to help army once more. And we’ve now seen, once more, the manifestation of that with their changing into an offensive energy and taking over Ukraine.

They couldn’t have accomplished this three years in the past, 4 years in the past, 5 years in the past. They’d no means to try this as a result of they had been a broke nation. Iran was at a fairly incapacity to promote to anyone. They’d a a lot smaller market. They had been being sanctioned by us and we had completely bankrupted their economic system.

And each of those had been on the verge of absolute collapse when hastily our power trade will get shut down, costs undergo the roof, and now we, once more, are giving them the monetary functionality. Iran, notably, is and we began to take away sanctions from them. Do I worry their nuclear functionality? It’s a must to. Are they going to bomb anyone? We don’t know.

I grew up throughout the early days of the Chilly Warfare, and Russia actually understood the idea of mutual destruction. I even keep in mind as an 8- or 9-year-old after they had been operating adverts all day lengthy on tv for bomb shelters.

And I mentioned to my father, who’s a World Warfare II veteran, a part of the D-Day invasion, and I mentioned, “Dad, why don’t we purchase a fallout shelter?” And he mentioned, “As a result of Russia understands mutual destruction, and they’ll by no means drop a nuclear bomb on America as a result of they perceive it.”

Nicely, I’m unsure that Iran doesn’t additionally perceive mutual destruction, however you bought a number of satellite tv for pc nations that will be glorious clients of Iran that both don’t care about impartial destruction or don’t perceive it. So their being able to create a weapon of mass destruction can be a disaster for the remainder of the world. So our means to police all that’s damaged.

Look, it broke when [President Joe] Biden despatched them or whoever—I don’t know. I don’t know. I neglect if it was Biden or [President Barack] Obama. I’m shedding observe of time. Their money again and what they’ve accomplished now with eradicating sanctions and permitting them to proceed and placing them within the biggest place they’ve ever been in by the adjoining POA to disintegrate, if you’ll.

Iran’s now ready the place there’s no settlement and so they have little interest in reentering an settlement as a result of so long as there’s no settlement, they’ll produce something they need. And that’s occurred with this administration.

So we aren’t asserting. We don’t actually have the power due to the way in which this sport is enjoying out to say. However we’re selecting to not assert diplomatic energy to be the ability dealer and we’re not the power energy dealer as a result of we’ve allowed these rogue nations to promote into different markets.

Aschieris: Nicely, Fred, thanks a lot for becoming a member of us. Simply earlier than we go, I wished to provide the alternative for any remaining ideas.

Zeidman: Nicely, all I can say is I fervently hope that the Republican Occasion, if you’ll, or if not the Republican Occasion, somebody apart from the progressive finish of the Democratic Occasion can take energy in ’24. I’ve a number of confidence in our social gathering. I don’t have that degree of confidence within the Democratic Occasion, however we’ve bought to reassert ourselves.

And once more, as a result of Martin was my co-author, however I believe this headline, Sam, actually says all of it. America has bought to reassert its position as each an power and a political energy dealer. It’s vital for the way forward for mankind.

We now have a capability to destroy the earth, and you’ve got a number of of us that don’t actually care if we do it or don’t do it operating round with or getting near having these weapons of mass destruction.

So for the sake of our youngsters, our grandchildren, and the way forward for civilization, we’ve bought to get a grip on this factor. And we’ve bought to rein within the rogue nations which are attempting to destroy Western civilization and the best nation within the historical past of the world, the US of America. And I can’t thanks sufficient for letting me vent, if you’ll, and I recognize all the pieces you’re attempting to perform.

Aschieris: Nicely, Fred Zeidman, thanks a lot once more for becoming a member of us. I actually recognize it and sit up for having you again on sooner or later.

Zeidman: I’ll do that seven days per week. I put my uniform again on and I’m again within the ballgame.

Aschieris: Nicely, nice. Thanks a lot.

Zeidman: Thanks. Thanks, Sam.

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