Former Governor Jim Douglas: Foreign Policy, the Midterms, and the Future of American Self-Government
Wednesday, September 23, 2026, on Common Sense Radio with Bill Sayre, weekdays, 11 o’clock till Noon.
Former Governor Jim Douglas joins Bill to discuss how we can apply the lessons of history, economics, and political science to help us understand and address current issues in public policy — Vermont, National, and International — with special emphasis on the effect of foreign policy on the midterm elections.
Potential Questions and Issues
The President has proposed removing access to the White House Press Room for 3 media outlets, whose coverage of the President generally has been unfavorable. CNN, MS Now and Politico. Other networks in the News Pool, which interviews the President directly, including Fox News, have decided to support the three excluded, by not participating in the Pool. What Constitutional issues are at stake? And what is historical precedent, including Franklin Roosevelt’s relationship with unfriendly Press? The Dunce Cap, and sitt in the Corner. How did Calvin Coolidge handle the Press? What does the First Amendment provide, and what does it not provide? How has the President, who has interacted with the Pess more than any in history, reacted to the unified action of the Press Pool — starting a You-Tube Channel? Will there be no more impromptu interviews on Air Force One, at least for now?
What are the major factors that will affect the midterm elections? What is the general history of how the electorate votes in a midterm? A referendum on the Party in power? When the President says, “vote as if I am on the ballot,” does that motivate his detractors, as it does his supporters?
Is there a risk that some of the strongest supporters in 2024, are demotivated in 2026, for various reasons — the effect of what seems like beginning of another “forever war.”, tariff wars hurting agriculture and heavy manufacturing — and not so much voting for the opposition party, but simply, not voting for either candidate. How does the immigration issue affect Independent voters who vote for the President in 2024 — going beyond deporting the most violent undocumented immigrants? How does this illustrate the mistaken assumption, about moderate supporters, that both parties make when they win a Presidential election?
What does it seem likely that we will learn about Texas redistricting, which we discussed a couple of months ago, and which defeat the purpose of the redistricting?
How have the wars between Russia and Ukraine affected the oil market in unexpected ways? For example, diesel and agriculture, forestry, trucking, and construction? Also, home heating oil, the composition of which is quite similar to diesel. As some drones, including large drones, can now travel up to 2,000 miles, what are the implications for the risk of escalation? Or, at the same time, draw Western European nations, and NATO into greater support of Ukraine.
Does it appear that an agreement with Denmark, Greenland, and the United States, seems to have de-escalated earlier tensions and affronts, and provides the United States with greater latitude in defending Greenland, and reduced latitude for foreign adversaries?
What will be discussed when the Presidents of the United States and of China meet this week? Fentanyl, Artificial Intelligence (now, perhaps, Super Intelligence), and the Wars in Iran and Ukraine. How and how much of Iran’s oil production does China buy?
What factors should we consider in whether, how, and to what extent, limitations should be imposed on the future of Artificial Intelligence?
What are some of the US Senate races that are closer than might have been suspected earlier this year? Maine, Michigan, Texas, Iowa, Ohio, Minnesota, others?
Will the reductions in staffing at the UVM Medical Center, and at Dartmouth Hitchcock, affect quality as well as cost of Vermont’s health care, and health insurance?
How might Proposition 3 affect the cost of health care and health insurance? What is Proposition 3? Likely could prohibits right-to-work legislation, and other legislation that would limit practices that unfairly promote unionization? As well as forcing an employee to join a union, and/or pay union dues, as a condition of employment. What has been the experience of Illinois, the only other State to adopt a Constitutional Amendment of this kind? What will be the effect of Vermont’s attractiveness to manufacturers considering whether or not to expand in Vermont, or to locate in Vermont?
What have we learned about the causes of the high cost in Vermont of health care and Vermont health insurance. And the implications for policy? What reforms proposed in the Governor’s Executive Order may be helpful? Higher deductibles. Health Savings Accounts. Association Plans.
How about expanding the opportunity for small employers, and even individuals, to participate in Flexible Spending Account, in which a large range of employee benefits would qualify for the same tax treatment as is the case for benefits provided at larger companies?
What factors should we consider in evaluating the benefits and burdens of Data Centers?
What should we consider about the apparent appeal Socialism to our young people, in particular? Idealism vs. Reality. Seeing the world as you might hope it would be, rather than as it is. Paying taxes. Questions for young people — do you want, eventually, to own your own home? Should someone who doesn’t work as hard as you in school, get the same grade as you? What happens to incentives to work hard, to save, and to invest. A government big enough to give you everything you want, also will big enough to take everything you have. What can we learn from history? And what can we learn from the experience of other nations?
Why is it important to have balance in the composition of our Legislature and of our State government? How has it affected legislation on taxes, land use regulation, energy, education, health care, and housing?
Why it is importanct for government, like families and businesses to live within its means, and to keep tax rates competitive. And to growing government revenue not by raising tax rates, but by growing the economy.
Why is it difficult for a self-governing republic, such as we have in America, to sustain a lengthy foreign war, psrticularly against guerrilla warfare? How did this principle affect the British government in the war with the Colonies in America’s war for Independence? And the American government, in the Civil War? Does this help explain the reasons for Sherman’s March to the Sea? And by contrast, Russia’s war in the Ukraine? How does Russia sustain 30,000 casualties, likely deaths, per month.
With our polity deeply divided, and firmly entrenched, what might be some ideas about how to reach a reasonable compromise on controversial issues? For example, on immigration, on use of Executive Orders. And on the exercise of prosecutors powers in a way that seems and feels like persecution and revenge to those, formerly in power, but now not so? Why is it so difficult to distinguish Revenge from Accountability?
Has any self-governing nation, a Republic, endured for 250 years? Any as large — in geography or in population — as the United States of America? What are the similarities and differences between American government and the Roman Empire? Roman Empire endured for more 1000 years, four times the 250 that America just celebrated. I can remember when some attempted to convince those who listened that America was not an empire. In effect, we were merely protecting the sovereignty of other nations, or the freedoms of their citizens, or the security of our own nation.
What are the greatest risks, and likelihood, that the American experiment in self-government will long endure? What can we learn from the experience of the Roman Empire, and of other empires through history? Over-extended military. Over-extended spending — excessive debt. Concentrations of power — Lord Acton. What did our founders strive to learn to address and to avoid tyranny. James Madison — faction against faction. Did the Founders anticipate concentrations of power in the private sector — perhaps an imbalance resulting of successful exercise of economic liberty. And the result, some would say, was the undue concentration of political power. Intended to offset the undue concentration of economic power, but nonetheless, a concentrated political power, which carries its own downside. Government ownership of stock in private companies — chip company, rare earth company, steel company, in addition to tariffs, and various other exercises of political power that many consider excessive. Why is it inevitable, as our Founders understood, that power in the hands of one person, results in corruption? How what are we to make of the income earned by the President from cryptocurrency?
What should know about the birthright citizenship controversy? Tourist births — what proportion of total births? Are there ways to create a more tolerant work permits, that, after a period of time, could be converted into citizenship? How have native Americans been affected by the birthright citizenship issue?
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