Crosstalk: January 6, 2017

Alex Newman is an international freelance journalist, educator and consultant. As a freelance journalist he writes for the New American. He is the co-author of the book, 'Crimes of the Educators'.

According to Alex, the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is one of the most powerful groups in the U.S. and since the advent of the Internet, they've become more well known. They're a branch of an international network that traces its roots back to mining magnate Cecil Rhodes who wanted to create a world system based upon British values. It's sister organization in London is known as the Royal Institute for International Affairs.

The CFR began after the U.S. refused to join the League of Nations. They tried to bring in as many influential people as they could and use the organization as a tool to prepare American public opinion and Congress for global institutions. So by the the time the U.N. came along, they were much more successful in getting that through Congress.

Every presidential administration going back many years has been packed with members of the CFR, but today there are only a few Trump picks for cabinet level positions that are CFR members.

The CFR is warning that the U.N. will be 'hammered' by Trump and the GOP controlled Congress. This warning was published by CNN but goes back to Stewart Patrick, the Director of International Institutions and Global Governance. He wrote the warning and said that Trump is the new sheriff in town as opposed to Obama, who he credited with being the most multi-lateral inclined president in American history. In other words, Obama was willing to accept constraints and international rules.

Donald Trump campaigned on the opposite platform. On the campaign trail he openly denounced globalism, he communicated that the U.N. is not a friend of freedom, democracy, the U.S. or Israel, and he indicated he would tear up the Paris climate agreement.

Over the years, the U.S. has become increasingly entangled in international institutions. The result is that a lot of American policy is linked to the U.N., international treaties and conventions. This ranges from energy to the environment with much of it coming via executive orders rather than by proper ratification by the Senate.

As time has progressed, internationalists have becoming quite bold. One example that Alex cited centered around the Orlando attack. U.N Human Rights Secretary Zeid Hussein came out and said that international law requires robust gun control for the U.S. Another example is the U.N. goal to have their own planetary judicial system.

In light of this, one can understand why the CFR and globalists in general are wondering what to make of the growing Trump administration. After all, Trump's slogan has been to make America great again, not the U.N.

Can President Obama's signed agreements be undone? What about the U.N.'s attitude toward Israel? These points and more are dealt with on this vital edition of Crosstalk.