Should America go soft on China? According to the Toronto based foreign affairs writer Diane Francis, the United States ought to consider Xi Jinping’s China a competitor, rather than a enemy. In contrast, Francis views Vladimir Putin’s Russia as not just an enemy, but an existential threat to Europe, North America and free world. Putin Won’t Stop, Francis’ latest Substack post argues. Unless, perhaps, he’s locked in a room with the redoubtable Diane Francis.
1. Francis Views American "Isolationism" as Reasonable and Justified
"Isolationism is reasonable, I think it is. I mean, traipsing all over the world, thinking you're the policeman and you have the answer and you pick the right side all the time and you're gonna squander the wealth and the tax dollars of your population is to me an ego trip to a certain extent." Francis sees Trump's America First approach as a logical response to failed interventions like Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
2. She Distinguishes China as Competitor, Russia as Malevolent Enemy
"I see Russia as an enemy, as a malevolent force that wants to recreate the Soviet Union, imprison people, ignore rights and then take over other countries and commit genocide when necessary... China, on the other hand, is not an imperial power. It's never been a conquering country... China to me is not an enemy. China is a competitor, and it can be a ruthless competitor." This forms the core of her geopolitical framework.
3. Francis Sees Trump as Effective but Lacks Statesmanlike Qualities
"There is some logic to what he's doing, but he's really not, in my opinion, he's not capable of really statesman-like leadership. He just isn't. He's a fish out of water. He's are a developer of slum apartment buildings in Queens. This guy looks at everything as though it was just about dollars and cents." She appreciates his tough negotiating approach while criticizing his limitations.
4. She Takes Canada's Merger Threat from Trump Seriously
"Absolutely. I'll just give you a quick background. In 2013, my 10th book... was Merger of the Century, Why Canada and the United States Should Become One Country, and I wasn't endorsing the merger, but I was warning Canadians that if they didn't get their acts together... America will get fed up and gobble them up." Francis views Trump's threats as realistic given Canada's economic and military dependence.
5. Francis Makes Controversial Claims About Russia's Global Reach
"They started the war in Sudan. And they were behind the October 7th attack of Israel... according to Ukrainian intelligence, first of all, October 7th is Putin's birthday. Secondly, the Hamas terrorists were trained in Syria on Russian bases by Russian mercenaries called the Wagner troop." She presents Russia as orchestrating conflicts worldwide, though these claims are highly disputed and lack mainstream corroboration.
