America Last?

Re: “American Empire crumbling along with long held values”, (Opinion, June 20).

It is increasingly becoming clear that the all politics may be “local” but the economies of the countries are global. Mr Krugman is right in saying that for the first time we are seeing a massive shift in American alliances. The way it is going, Mr Trump’s “America First” will soon turn into “America Last”. His government’s withdrawal from all major international treaties, including the recent withdrawal from the UN Human Rights Council is an indicative of regressive policies that will soon hit his support base — the gung-ho, gun touting, Bible thumping crowd. The recent immigration policy fiasco is also indicative of the rife between Mexico, the rest of Central and South America and the US. In the coming midterm elections in November 2018, the Hispanic population in the US will definitely teach a lesson to Mr Trump and his party. He cannot make America great again by annihilating minorities — the blacks, Hispanics and Asians. In addition, his daily tweets and insults to traditional allies in Europe will result in more tensions. Like the British Empire, the American hegemony will tumble unless the Americans wake up and put the brakes on Mr Trump’s insane policies. Mr Trump has turned governance into a daily gambit and his policies into pranks. KULDEEP NAGI Bangkok