Fine line between allies, enemies
Government leaders and staff should observe the fine line between transparency and secrecy. Trump is chastised for being too open and vulnerable with his smartphone; and yet, he is criticized when he refuses to reveal his plans for reining in ISIS and North Korea.
Governments want to show off successes achieved on behalf of the electorate, but they must guard the secrets of the country, too, for the sake of citizens. An even more delicate situation arises when a country shares secrets with allied leaders (as in the Second World War) without sharing those secrets with the public, fearing such information may be misused by the enemy.
Who are our allies anyway? In the Second World War, Russia was an ally. Now, it’s considered a potential enemy. If Russia helps America to destroy ISIS, Russia becomes an ally. If they invade other countries (like Ukraine), they become enemies. International loyalties toward semifriends may change rapidly, but decades-old treaties, like NATO, are treasured and protected.
China is America’s greatest economic rival, proved by the huge trade deficit in China’s favour. However, if China can help to quench the fire in North Korea, bringing stability to that region, then China becomes a welcome political ally.
Trump’s outreach to Russia and China should be judged in this context. On grounds of longstanding ties with Britain and Europe, Trump’s temporary draw-back from these allies does not comprise a real threat. Moreover, it may nudge them to carry their fair share of NATO operations and expenses.
Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate deal is more disturbing. His motive is to create jobs for coal miners, as promised in the election, but Mother Nature may enforce hefty penalties in the form of natural disasters. Wind and solar energy projects also create jobs. Coal mining may not last long.
A transitional period, consisting of the phasing-out of fossil fuels and the development of renewable energy sources, would be more in sync with science, public interest and the environment. It resembles the Paris agreement, but is less threatening to the economy. This maybe part of Trump’s plan to reformulate its position on environmental issues.
Jacob Van Zyl
Lethbridge