Transcript [00:00] In any negotiation, if you cannot [00:04] fundamentally trust the one you're [00:05] negotiating with, you will never come to [00:08] an agreement that lasts. [00:18] With every negotiation, with every [00:20] contract signing, or every covenant, it [00:24] all comes down to one word, [00:26] trust. [00:28] Can you trust the one that you are [00:31] getting into an agreement with? [00:34] You know, Ronald Reagan [00:36] was famous in his negotiations with the [00:39] Russians over nuclear disarmament by [00:41] saying these words, trust, but verify. [00:45] Good faith is one thing, [00:47] but how do we know you will do what you [00:49] say you will do? [00:51] Part of verifying [music] is looking at [00:53] what your history says about your word. [00:55] You know, we're in negotiations with [00:57] [music] Iran. Israel's in negotiations [01:00] with Lebanon over Hezbollah. There are [01:02] negotiations going on led by the United [01:04] States involving the international [01:06] community and Hamas. The media, [01:09] university professors, and the UN, would [01:13] actually have the world believe that the [01:15] US [music] [01:15] and Israel are the bad actors in these [01:18] negotiations. The one that you can't [01:21] trust, [music] that it is our word that [01:23] cannot be trusted over the word of [01:26] terrorist organizations and totalitarian [01:29] [music] [01:30] regimes. [01:31] The character of both the United States [01:34] and Israel is constantly in question. [01:38] The actions of the other sides are [01:40] ignored. [01:42] You know, Israel's been willing to give [01:43] up land for peace, [01:45] only have the result be attack against [01:47] its own people. [01:49] Israel's taken on thousands of rockets [01:51] and drones and missiles from its [01:53] enemies, but calls off her own attacks [01:57] against [music] legitimate targets when [02:00] the risk of civilian casualties is too [02:02] high. [02:03] Israel's been the first responder [02:05] [music] to the world even while at war [02:08] and even to surrounding nations [music] [02:10] that refuse to acknowledge her right to [02:12] exist. [02:13] And Israel has trucked in nearly 2 [02:15] million tons of food [music] into Gaza [02:17] since the ceasefire to counter the [02:19] strong-arm tactics of Hamas. [02:24] The United States, we have been the most [02:26] benevolent nation in the world. We have [02:29] worked to [02:30] set other nations free of dictators and [02:34] we have freedoms that are unparalleled [02:37] in history. [02:38] As to the nations on the other side of [02:40] the table, [02:41] some would have you believe that they're [02:43] the ones that can be trusted, [music] [02:44] that they are in fact the good faith [02:46] actors. However, [02:49] history, [02:50] even recent history, proves otherwise. [02:53] In every negotiation, Iran, Hamas, [02:57] Hezbollah have gone back on their word. [03:01] You hear in the media [music] when [03:02] Israel fires a weapon, [03:04] but it's always left out that Israel is [03:06] firing in response [music] [03:07] to an attack from their enemies. [03:10] There was a ceasefire [music] on October [03:12] 6th, [03:13] but Hamas broke the ceasefire by [03:15] attacking on October 7th. [03:17] There have been pauses in fighting by [03:19] the US in the Strait of [music] Hormuz [03:22] until Iran decides to attack a vessel [03:26] attempting to pass through [music] or [03:28] Iran fires upon surrounding nations [03:30] indiscriminately. [03:32] There is a reason. It has been said in [03:35] the Middle East, we cease, [music] [03:38] they fire. [03:39] In fact, our president has even stated [03:42] that the Iranians have been, [music] [03:44] quote, "unbelievably [03:46] duplicitous," end quote. [03:49] That is the [music] character of the [03:51] other parties in the negotiation. [03:54] Can Iran be trusted? [03:55] What does their history show? [03:58] What has their word been in the past [03:59] [music] to let us know that we can trust [04:01] their word in the present? [04:03] On the one hand, they want the world to [04:05] act as if their nuclear program is only [04:07] [music] for domestic energy purposes, [04:09] yet have a spokesman who admits their [04:12] nuclear weapon ambitions. [04:16] In fact, their word has continually [04:18] called for the death of the West and [04:21] [music] they have worked towards that [04:23] goal. [04:24] Iran is not trying to hide who they are. [04:27] Neither is Hamas, neither is Hezbollah. [04:30] Add in the Houthis, the Palestinian [04:32] Islamic Jihad, and even the new axis of [04:35] Turkey, Pakistan, and [music] the [04:36] Saudis. [04:39] To have good faith negotiations, [04:41] we must be able to trust the other side [04:43] is acting in good faith [music] as well. [04:46] Unfortunately, the other side's actions [04:48] prove otherwise. [04:50] When our enemies show you who they are, [04:53] we need to believe the history [04:55] surrounding those actions and know that [04:58] we have a lack of trust they will do [05:01] what they promised to do. [05:05] >> Thanks for checking out this episode. Be [05:07] sure to like and subscribe so you get a [05:09] notification every time a new episode [05:11] hits. And if you want to check out some [05:12] of our previous episodes, and we've got [05:14] some really good ones, click on one of [05:16] the thumbnails and that will take you [05:17] right there. And finally, if you want to [05:19] know more about CUFI and the work we do, [05:21] go to cufi.org to check out all the [05:23] resources we have available free to you.
Throughout history, nations have made promises, signed agreements, and entered into deals with the expectation that those commitments would be honored. But history also shows us what happens when promises are broken and why understanding the past matters when making decisions about the future.
In this week’s CUFI Weekly, Bob Scott examines what history reveals about trust between nations and the consequences of relying on agreements that may not last. As America considers its next steps on the world stage, we must remember the lessons history has already taught us.
