Opinion / Columnist
Trump's isolationist message dangerous
27 Sep 2018 at 07:05hrs | Views
Listening to the United States President, Donald Trump's speech at the 73rd Ordinary Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), yours truly could not help but join the leaders of other nations in chuckling at his speech.
Trump's speech was jam-packed with insincerity as he blew his own horn. He told the world that America under his stewardship, accomplished significant and unparalleled achievements which no preceding administrations ever managed. He was just short of saying even the administrations that will come after him will not excel as he did. However, it's only the Americans themselves who can testify to the claims of adding $10 trillion into the economy, creation of 4 million jobs and other giant achievements that Trump talked with excessive pride.
There is a strong conviction among some economic analysts in the US that Trump is just riding on the coattails of Obama administration's economic policies. In America, incumbent presidents are re-elected on perceptions of economic performance. It is, therefore, yet to be seen if Mr Trump will be re-elected for his final term. Even the jobs that he is bragging about are not very good economic news to the workers as their wages are not growing commensurately with the job creation rate.
Mr Trump's message, which is largely xenophobic, defeats the purpose of the formation of the intergovernmental organisation, the United States. The UN was formed for the purposes of cooperation in every sphere of life. While everybody sees globalism is the way to go, Trump prefers patriotism. This is the reason why he is expending huge funds in erecting a border wall under the pretext of ensuring safety for the Americans.
In a bid to pursue its isolationist agenda, the US has already withdrawn from the UN Human Rights Council and Trump has vowed that they will never return until their preferred reforms are enacted. Trump forgets that the international body will continue to have life after his departure. He must learn from the British who are slowly regretting for hastening to vote for Brexit.
The whole global organisation cannot be held at ransom by one country that deems itself big brother just because it (UN) accommodates the US' enemies. The UN works on the principle that your enemy is not my enemy. There are countries that the US wants to be excommunicated or even punished by UN but the latter finds no case in them.
Trump's speech is also disfigured by insincerity. He says America chooses independence and cooperation over global governance, control and domination. "I honour the right of every nation in this room to pursue its own customs, beliefs and traditions. The United States will not tell you how to live or work or worship," said Trump.
Ironically, America is the very culprit in practising global dominance and control. Trump must chew the cud before throwing reckless statements that trigger laughter of derision from the world leaders. He must ask why America has many enemies that he chooses to call terrorists and Islamic extremists. In any case, one man's terrorist is another man's hero and that explains why the UN refuses to be at beck and call of America in regards to issues of terrorism. This is despite the fact that the US is the major benefactor of the UN. The US' biggest budgetary allocation goes to the military just to ensure protection from the so-called terrorists.
Contrary to what Trump said, America does not honour the rights of other nations. It does not allow other countries to pursue their own customs, beliefs and traditions that are divergent to theirs. A good case study is that of Zimbabwe which America punished for pursing its nationally agreed system of governance. It is ridiculous for world's biggest economy, as Trump brags, to sit and enact a law that punishes a tiny country like Zimbabwe just because it has decided to amend the skewed land distribution in the country. Trump himself has renewed the ZIDERA sanctions.
America torments small countries that do not accept homosexuality which according to Trump is a human right that needs to be respected. If a country does not accept that practice, let it be and forcing them to accept it is tantamount to telling them what to worship. The whole world knows that America is the world prefect that tells everybody what to worship, who to befriend and shun. It sometimes discreetly railroads poor country to tow its line by threating to withdraw funding. It uses resources it was fortunately endowed with, for selfish gains.
As he concludes his speech, Trump tells the world that, "All nations of the world should reject socialism." This does not add up with Trump's earlier claims that America does not tell anyone how to live or work or worship. Most of the poor countries are living according to the dictates of the US.
Trump's speech was jam-packed with insincerity as he blew his own horn. He told the world that America under his stewardship, accomplished significant and unparalleled achievements which no preceding administrations ever managed. He was just short of saying even the administrations that will come after him will not excel as he did. However, it's only the Americans themselves who can testify to the claims of adding $10 trillion into the economy, creation of 4 million jobs and other giant achievements that Trump talked with excessive pride.
There is a strong conviction among some economic analysts in the US that Trump is just riding on the coattails of Obama administration's economic policies. In America, incumbent presidents are re-elected on perceptions of economic performance. It is, therefore, yet to be seen if Mr Trump will be re-elected for his final term. Even the jobs that he is bragging about are not very good economic news to the workers as their wages are not growing commensurately with the job creation rate.
Mr Trump's message, which is largely xenophobic, defeats the purpose of the formation of the intergovernmental organisation, the United States. The UN was formed for the purposes of cooperation in every sphere of life. While everybody sees globalism is the way to go, Trump prefers patriotism. This is the reason why he is expending huge funds in erecting a border wall under the pretext of ensuring safety for the Americans.
In a bid to pursue its isolationist agenda, the US has already withdrawn from the UN Human Rights Council and Trump has vowed that they will never return until their preferred reforms are enacted. Trump forgets that the international body will continue to have life after his departure. He must learn from the British who are slowly regretting for hastening to vote for Brexit.
The whole global organisation cannot be held at ransom by one country that deems itself big brother just because it (UN) accommodates the US' enemies. The UN works on the principle that your enemy is not my enemy. There are countries that the US wants to be excommunicated or even punished by UN but the latter finds no case in them.
Trump's speech is also disfigured by insincerity. He says America chooses independence and cooperation over global governance, control and domination. "I honour the right of every nation in this room to pursue its own customs, beliefs and traditions. The United States will not tell you how to live or work or worship," said Trump.
Ironically, America is the very culprit in practising global dominance and control. Trump must chew the cud before throwing reckless statements that trigger laughter of derision from the world leaders. He must ask why America has many enemies that he chooses to call terrorists and Islamic extremists. In any case, one man's terrorist is another man's hero and that explains why the UN refuses to be at beck and call of America in regards to issues of terrorism. This is despite the fact that the US is the major benefactor of the UN. The US' biggest budgetary allocation goes to the military just to ensure protection from the so-called terrorists.
Contrary to what Trump said, America does not honour the rights of other nations. It does not allow other countries to pursue their own customs, beliefs and traditions that are divergent to theirs. A good case study is that of Zimbabwe which America punished for pursing its nationally agreed system of governance. It is ridiculous for world's biggest economy, as Trump brags, to sit and enact a law that punishes a tiny country like Zimbabwe just because it has decided to amend the skewed land distribution in the country. Trump himself has renewed the ZIDERA sanctions.
America torments small countries that do not accept homosexuality which according to Trump is a human right that needs to be respected. If a country does not accept that practice, let it be and forcing them to accept it is tantamount to telling them what to worship. The whole world knows that America is the world prefect that tells everybody what to worship, who to befriend and shun. It sometimes discreetly railroads poor country to tow its line by threating to withdraw funding. It uses resources it was fortunately endowed with, for selfish gains.
As he concludes his speech, Trump tells the world that, "All nations of the world should reject socialism." This does not add up with Trump's earlier claims that America does not tell anyone how to live or work or worship. Most of the poor countries are living according to the dictates of the US.
Source - Tafara Shumba
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