The policy of the current government does look more like appeasement to me than de-escalation, and I believe we all know how that went for Chamberlain.
Went fine for Chamberlain, people talk unfavorably about him now but he's dead and doesn't hear nor care. How it went for millions of others is more relevant.
> does look more like appeasement to me than de-escalation
I think this is a judgement of intentions, which one is present on the staff in the WH, one would be unequipped to make any sort of accurate speculation of.