The United States withdrawal from the
Iran deal, and the re-initiation of sanctions, coupled with the
President's “Every Nation for Itself” (otherwise titled, “America
Above All”) United
Nations speech, has greatly degraded US hegemony (supposedly,
the President's singular focus), in the form of a separate payment
system created by
the EU, China, and Russia. Perhaps the President's attempts
to pressure China are worthwhile, regardless of the cost. Perhaps,
past administrations have been too afraid of the pain, but sometimes
pain is necessary for progress.
But if the President is correct that
China
is a direct, existential threat, he is completely wrong in
the belief that the global systems are rigged against the US. The US
created and instituted the system, composed of NATO, NAFTA, the WTO,
the International Criminal Court, and the UN. Each of these
buttresses US Hegemony, and allows the United States of America to
fashion the world in its image. Each one benefits the United States
more than any other nation, because at the core, their interests are
the United States' interests.
And worst of all (aside from looking
weak, whiny, petty, and a perjurer on the global stage) is the
President's decision to attack and enrage many nations simultaneously
with trade wars. If one seeks to contain an enemy, and let's assume
China is the enemy of the United States, one doesn't succeed by
driving everyone else to the enemy's side. If the President makes
signing trade deals unpalatable, unrequited nations will sign them
with China. If the United States acts like a bully, its former
allies will abandon it.
Even if the United States decides it
doesn't believe in alliances, other nations may not dispose of
theirs. If the US convinces everyone it doesn't desire allies, those
nations will find someone else to ally with.
If the US wants to disregard the laws
of the global community, it will be that much harder to convince
rouge nations, or emerging superpowers, to follow them, and
impossible to condemn anyone based on any ideal, except the putrid
platitude of America First.
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