America First, but at what cost?

It’s not unusual for US President Donald Trump to write his own script on the world stage. And why a global forum like the UN General Assembly when he has Twitter? In a sense he’s making America mind its business. Friends, allies and foes appear distraught that the US is putting its house in order. America First comes at a cost for the rest of the world. Another UN speech makes no difference when the US is showing a propensity to walk away from multilateral agreements and a connected world order that had noble ideals in mind. Take a look at some agreements from which Washington has withdrawn. The Paris climate accord, the Global Compact on migration and the Iran nuclear deal exits came as a shock. The Trump administration has stunned by reducing funding to the agency that supports Palestinian refugees, it walked away from the International Criminal Court and the UN Commission on Human Rights. On the trade front, it has given the cold shoulder to the Trans Pacific Partnership, or Nafta, while threatening to sever ties with the World Trade Organisation.

Trump continues to rail against the G7 and Nato who he believes are living off America’s largesse since World War II. Part of what the president says is true, but the world is a less safer place as America continues to disengage from its “traditional duties” to safeguard free markets and capital, freedom of expression, and free people from the yoke of tyranny of despotic leaders by promoting democratic values. America previously was criticised for being the world’s policeman, which former administrations took in their stride or wore as a badge of honour. Now the same countries are pleading with Washington to lead the liberal order and rescue them from oppressive regimes and ideologies, while others like China, which is emerging as Washington’s main rival — with pseudo capitalistic-despotic tendencies — is not averse to branding the US a bully. A case of the pot calling the kettle black, because protectionism at home while being liberal in open markets is what China benefits from. Trump’s speech trumpets this reality. Perhaps it’s time for other countries to set their houses in order, without US help. America has shunned the role of a benefactorguarantor in a hands-off approach to peace which rankles many as China and Russia emerge as poles of power, albeit of the authoritarian kind. Trump’s speech was an expression of sovereign national interest. The world must respect that.