Family squabble over money threatens stability of global alliance
Different families have different ways of transferring wealth and culture from one generation to the next.
In some families, wealth and culture is easily shared with the younger generation, according to need and opportunity. Sharing is a form of love for these families. Senior family members tend to bear a bigger load of family costs. In other families, transfer of wealth and culture is strictly a business matter. If the kids need money for a downpayment in a house, they borrow it and repay with interest.
If the kids want to buy the family farm or business, they pay market price and arrange their own financing.
The western countries after the Second World War became like family, united in efforts to re-build war-torn European economies, thwart the spread of Communism and build democratic traditions.
The United States, by default, became head of the NATO family merely from its military power and burgeoning industrial economy.
As the head of this family, the United States paid more than its share; be it the billions in the Marshall Plan to re-build a tattered European economy, the cost of NATO defences, cost of the United Nations, the cost of the World Trade Organization.
Given the fear of the Communist Empire and the need to preclude another Hitler from rising, the United States was only too happy to assume the role of father and global police chief. That was over 70 years ago.
The world is a much different place now. Europe has become a rich and powerful bloc with an economy to match. The constant threat of a Communist Russian Empire has been reduced considerably.
The Chinese free enterprise/state Communist empire is the biggest eco- nomic/military threat to other countries today.
In these circumstances, an increasingly frustrated America sees a loss of economic power and the immense cost of maintaining global military clout. The solution for the business-minded President Trump is to cut costs. Make the other rich countries pay a fair share of defence costs of the United Nations, the World Trade Organization.
The United States spends most on defence — 3.5 per cent of national income compared with 1.2 per cent by Canada.
In his single-minded cost-cutting approach, Trump cares not at all that “family relationships” are damaged, even irreparably broken. Following through on his outrageous bargaining demands, his threatening and bullying tactics, Trump throws his weight around like the proverbial bull in a china shop. He isn’t sensitive to the future impacts of his demands on others’ feelings or America’s already shoddy reputation. Only his TV ratings matter. Under slightly different circumstances 75 years ago other nations might have united to defeat this character.
His successors will need a generation to undo the harm Trump has dome to America’s diplomatic relationships. Meanwhile the global family is left wondering just what significance Trump’s connections with Russia have in terms of Russia’s desire to once more be a big world power again. The question arises: Is Trump working for his own glory, America’s glory or Russia’s glory?
The curse by Confucius — may you live in interesting times — seems to have been cast on us.