To mediate disputes between two countries, the mediator has to be trusted and respected. If you lie, on average, 10 times a day, change your mind and make 180 degree turns so often, and withdraw from international treaties and agreements your country had signed, why should anybody trust you and ask you to be mediator? The US foreign policy under Trump has been confusing and chaotic to the rest of the world. No one knows what the policy is. Is it what Trump states in his tweets or is it what his government officials and close advisors state?
3
All Trump cares about is his ego. He is out of his depth. His world view boils down to how everything effects him personally. He is dangerous because of his ignorance. The dictators he admires are laughing at him behind his back. "A useful idiot" indeed.
4
Abe is as bad as Trump. Incompetent and divisive. While Trump faces, on a daily basis, a ton of criticism over what he does (says and tweets), Abe gets away with a lot (and gets re-elected time and again). Journalism is weak in Japan.
3
Japan is attempting to release 1.1 Million Tons of Nuclear-Contaminated water, currently in Fukushima Japan, into the Ocean.
This will kill marine lives, it will spread to the neighboring countries including China, Korea, Taiwan and the Southeast Asian countries.
This is another serious threat of Japan to the neighbors and lives in general.
Japan the war criminal country, the country that committed crimes against humanity, the country that never apologized for their past crimes and travesties, is at it again.
2
Stop harping on Trump getting out of TPP already. Don't forget Hilary Clinton and everyone else took the same position against TPP during the last election.
Obviously the lessons of Korean War, Vietnamese War, Iraq & Afghanistan invasions have never been learned by American pundits. Interference in South American countries never stopped.
Trump didn't exactly keep his nose out of other country's business, like Xi's "Made in China 2025" plan. But holding back the guns on conflicts around the world can be a refreshing change.
Come to think of it, four more years of Trump might not be the end of the world.
3
@Observer Thank you for offering a balanced comment. Why there is no more attention paid to China’s stated intent to dominate every facet of manufacturing as well as IT is mind boggling. Someone has to do something and as a lifelong Democrat Im ashamed to say we haven’t helped stop the Chinese juggernaut, now that the Uber educated are facing a dismal future in the light of Chinese competition perhaps things will change, it will be interesting to see if the consumer is still the number one consideration when all the jobs have left save for a few service jobs the techies can’t automate.
2
Far from increasing American influence anywhere, Trump has been systemically (intentionally or not) reducing American influence across the globe. He has created trade wars and alienated our allies while isolating America. He sells arms to Saudi Arabia while those arms are being used to starve little Yemeni children. He is losing the trade war with China while Americans lose billions of their savings due to his whims and lack of competency.
2
Unfortunately commenting on very important matters has come down to mud slinging at whomever is in office, when President Obama held the highest office many on the right criticized him and little of a constructive nature was accomplished the wars continued, the rich got richer, now Trump is in office he promised change but its more of the same only worse with the tax cut for the rich, who are getting even richer, as the wars continue. When will people understand that it’s both parties to blame and until they are all held accountable we will continue our slide to third world status. The centrists Democrats have not delivered for forty years, it’s really time to give the left a chance. In the meantime it’s really a waste of time when people are only interested in trash talking rather than constructive dialogue.
2
Gee, maybe we should have some kind of trans-Pacific trade agreement, or something.
Oh, heck! That would probably just restrict America's sovereign right to engage in an easily winnable tariff war.
This way, we won't lose any jobs to those greedy foreigners.
1
If we intervene … we are the ugly monster of this world, ready to topple governments and democracies to expand our evil empire.
Even the moniker Gringo was born from this evilness, when Mexicans in Veracruz would scream: ‘Green! Go home!’, which became ‘Green, Go!’ and then ‘Gringo’
And …
If we do not intervene … we are the irresponsible leaders who would not get in between two children fighting at the park.
Since our history if intervention is so successful (VietNam, Iraq, etc), my vote is for staying on the side.
Want to be a big grown up player in the world stage? Learn to fix your own differences with others. Or carry on being unruly children and we can step in, just don’t then turn around and demand we go home.
1
Article forgot to mentioned the Persian Gulf: Trump creates an absolute mess by pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal. He then brings all these assets to the Persian Gulf creating an explosive situation for many countries. Then he backs off telling other countries they’re on their own to guarantee safe passage of their ships. He engineered total chaos out of shear stupidity and disdain toward Obama.
1
Funny that the Tweeter in Chief would accuse the Obama Administration of "leading from behind" at every turn. Projection, projection!
1
Trump is effectively destroying America. Because of Trump the US is fast becoming irrelevant on the world stage and your days are numbered. Sitting helpless watching Trump and his Republican lackeys destroy you on a daily basis. Unless you act now you are done
1
America has had no moral and intellectual leadership in international relations since January 20, 2017, and the evidence is too vast to list.
But, a short run down:
Putin said Russia didn't interfere in the 2016 election
Withdrawal from Paris Climate Accord, Iran nuclear deal framework, and Trans Pacific Partnership, Denigrating NATO and the UN, market-rocking tweets and tariffs
Jamal Kashoggi
Kim loves me and he is a great guy
Departure of Rex Tillerson, James Mattis, HR McMaster, Dan Coats, John Kelly, Nicki Haley (?) John Huntsman and the installation and proposed installation of unqualified sycophants like Heather Nauert
Muslim Ban, ending DACA, the WALL, support for white nationalists and neo Nazis, breaking up immigrant families, etc.
Believe it or not, there’s a vast territory between isolationism and serving as the world’s policeman. Until this administration, presidents attempted to balance strength and diplomacy to achieve as much stability as possible in a world fraught with danger. It was thought that stability best served this nation’s interests. Enter a nationalist know-nothing whose personal interests are now paramount. He requires chaos so he can claim he alone can fix problems, and obviously allies are useless. We can’t afford 4 more years of ego-driven foreign policy, but sadly not enough voters are aware of the dangers of foreign policy run by a “moron”.
2
Trump our "leader" is in over his head and so we are drowning.
1
Has the Republican leadership no shame? Are they proud of what they have done to America's reputation in the world? Trump is the face of ignorance and incompetence and the poster boy for the Republican Party. Throw them all out!
2
I am grateful he hasn't sent sanctions or the marines . Is that what the author wants/ Please calm you inner the inner world policeman
1
America First was always a stupid idea. It was stupid because every American who remembers what happened between 1918 and 1950 knows better. America is part of a world that is not only America. Trying to ignore and shut out the parts of the world that are not America can’t happen. All that happens is that some people go crazy in some part of the world and the effects affect us without our being able to stop them.
2
But....but....trump said to stay calm and stuff! Why aren't they doing that? He said there are fine, fine people on all sides, depending on his real estate options in the region, but some of the fine people keep pounding on other maybe kind of fine people! As president, he's got to project some kind of leadership, in front of a microphone, preferably with a loud helicopter directly behind him to make it difficult to hear, and make it seem like he's soooooo busy he just stopped to chat quickly on his very important schedule. There's no way to step out a different door for a quieter, less windy area, I guess.
America's influence is down there with Lil' Kim's NK and Putin's sneaky Russia, cuz those are the people trump likes. trump cult members, stop being surprised when the stock market is unimpressed with trump's continued boast-based decisions. Don't be surprised that Iran starts doing their bad-act thing, and our 11 partners in the now-destroyed Iran treaty are left hanging out there, foolish believers in America.
I'll go so far as to say that Stephen Miller is actually our president. He whispers his evil into the happy idiot, flatters him, and conspires with Putie to make America great again.
trump followers have chosen a road of gleeful playground behavior, where it's OK to poke others and call it policy, as long as the white people win.
1
So the 'Republic of India' which is the largest and most diverse democracy in the whole world should be lectured by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the White, Christian Fundamentalist Government of the USA?? This article reeks of smugness, White man's burden and overall superciliousness.
4
I'm all for a receding US role worldwide. The American role of international cop is a pretext to have an imperial finger or more in the affairs of foreign nations. Needless to say, US imperialism serves the interests of US corporations, in particular of the U.S. military and industrial complex. It has been and still is an agent of tremendous suffering, violence, and death throughout the world. The US should butt out and attend to affairs at home. The capital spent on corrupting foreign governments and on wars should be invested instead where it is truly needed for the well-being of the folks of this country: on rebuilding the American infrastructure, on national education, on health care, and on creating greater legal and economic equity among all.
3
With Trump's ability, he can only make things worse in mediating any of the disputes described in the article.
Trump is toxic, everything he touches burns or dies.
Instead of unifying the country, he divides by fomenting racial schism and creating chaos on the southern borders. He bromance his soul mates- the rocket man and gets nowhere in Korea peninsula. By getting out TPP, arms truce with Russia and withdrawal nuclear deal with Iran, he further destabilizes the fraught and precarious pease around the world.
American power has been waning since we got involved in Iraq. Trump's part has just been to accelerate it exponentially by systematically cutting off our ties to allies and annoying our enemies. Step one was dismantling the TPP which would have expanded the economic recovery and strengthened ties and offered an alternative to China in the Asian market. Step two was just failure, plain and simple, when it came to properly filling positions in a State Department, which was not helped by the mass exodus of highly qualified employees who knew it'd be foolish to stick around with Trump in charge. Step three was starting a trade war with China without defining an end goal of any sort and just sort of wishing China would give Trump everything he asked for (very foolish). Step four was to make the US look small and powerless by meeting face to face with the insane dictator of tiny North Korea right after said dictator escalated tensions to the point of nuclear war. Step five was a to insult or malign most of our important allies because they have liberal-democratic governments at odds with Trump's vision for an autocratic America.
American soft power is done for. The way things are going, it looks like the American economy may be next on Trump's hit list. Hold on to your hats folks, we're in for it.
I was worried about the fate of the US if the current White House occupant gets reelected next year. Now, given 24/7 consistency of his catastrophic "leadership", I'm beginning to wonder if we'll even make it that far.
Influence is negotiable when you play the Chinese hand. The USA should focus on a balanced infrastructure reform package. Utilize our assets and our production capacity to maximize the efficiency of our steel and aluminum manufacturers. In a military operation our focus should be on our borders first. We need to secure our borders and define the vision of how the USA develops its inner cities. Asia and Germany need to solve their internal issues and we need to start rebuilding our homefront. International politics is an expensive game. Put the money into USA asset development at home.
We should be hands-of militarily, but there is no reason to be hands-off diplomatically.
1
An obviously malevolent piece. The author is using the events that are clearly totally uncorrelated with US to accuse Trump that he is making those events worse. What is US supposed to do? To act on every problem there is in the world? To negotiate on behalf of HK protesters? To persuade India to abandon their action in Kashmir?
Why do we really care? Since we are the "world leaders"?
The bottom line, the author shamelessly assumes that the parties involved in current issues are juveniles and need an adult, which is US, to show them the way and manners.
3
As long as Donald Trump occupies the White House there will be no moral leadership coming from the presidency.
Leadership and morality are two things (among many) that Trump is incapable of providing.
It's as if the United States has disappeared from the diplomatic world stage. MAGA: Make America Go Away- that's what his master Putin wants.
1
Faux-Emperor Trump will be removed by the same Disguised Global Crony Capitalist Empire that installed him — the only question, IMHO, is whether, as Ike and Tina Turner sang, “it can be done the easy way, or the ‘hard way’”.
1
Complete hogwash. What he is doing is protecting American interests and steering our economy back to prominence. Why would he interfere with the issues in Hong Kong, India or Japan? If he did then you would write that he is butting in where he has no business.
You have an article at the top of your home page that states that his tariffs are working. China and Germany are feeling the pinch. I say keep it up and increase the pressure. It is long overdue that someone protects the US citizens interests!
1
How long has it been since Britannia ruled the waves?
@Jethro Pen
And how long did the Thousand Year Reich last?
We have a one man rule in this country and that man falls in love with dictators, autocrats, his ignorant base. His party is only interested in defeating Democrats even if it means destroying the country.
This man has no intellectual capacity to think, doesn’t know history, doesn’t even know the basics of business which he claims as his expertise. He is on a wrecking mission and we are helping him to wreck. What do you expect from a man who has declared multiple bankruptcies and now is in charge of world economy.? Do I blame him? No, I blame us because his past was no secrete and even after 3 years of his erratic behavior his party is happy with him.
It’s amazing that people keep throwing money at this administration with pockets open and ears and mouths closed.
One day it will be you...
Waning of American Power? Trump Struggles With an Asia in Crisis
[ What arrogant nonsense. The United States needs to take a hands-off approach to the domestic affairs of other countries. We do not need to dictate domestic policy to India and Japan and Korea and China and we cannot.
As for Kashmir and Hong Kong especially, these are India's and China's affairs exclusively. ]
2
The USA has been minding others’ business since the Korean War. Then Vietnam. Central America. Gulf war. Iraq again. Afghanistan. Etc etc etc.
What has it gotten us? We sent good boys from the industrial and farming heartland to risk death and dismemberment while our economic elite off-shored the factory jobs and hired illegal immigrants for the farm and construction work.
Meanwhile, the leftists who comprise the core of this paper’s noisy readership, endlessly criticized such “hegemonic imperialism.” For decades the left has painted our own boys as the evil invading army.
Fine. So now Trump wants to pull back and focus attention on our own people for once. Let the rest of the world take care of their own affairs. Maybe let a few of them duke it out for a while, remember what it’s like when it’s their boys doing the fighting. Let them spend their GDP on murder and mayhem instead of free college and good infrastructure.
Nothing wrong with that. We’ve spent enough of our money chasing the security of others. A lot of gratitude we got for it! It’s about time they spent their own money. And blood too, perhaps.
1
Let history shows that the rapid erosion of American credibility, prestige and influence began under the George W. Bush administration's deceit of WMD in the rush to the disastrous war in Iraq. Obama added to the erosion by not opposing China's actions in the South China Sea, was too arrogant to plan for the aftermath of the topple of the Libyan government, and too timid to intervene in Syria. Trump is an opportunist, demagogue and too ignorant and incompetent to reverse the decline of American credibility. His crude trade wars on allies are just adding fuel to the increasing inability of the US to exert influence. The Democrats are no better seemingly disappearing under the barrage of Trump's tweets.
Mr Wong:
Why do you bash Trump for things that he didn't cause and are out of his control?
1
@James
Mr. Wong:
What would have Trump do about Kashmir? It belongs to India, doesn't it? Same with Hong Kong,which belongs to China. Do you expect Trump to encourage revolution?
2
Vote Trump! "What have you got to lose?" (A quote from him during his campaign.)
This is what happens when we have a leader who has become a laughingstock around the world. When he dithers between being gullible and inappropriately pugnacious, nobody can take him seriously.
Why is Ivanka Trump, while serving the administration, getting preferential treatment from the Chinese Communist government for trademarks? Why is Don Jr doing business with partners partly financed by a Chinese state owned company? Why would Trump stand up to China under these circumstances?
2
The roots of waning American power abroad are at home.
The crocus blooms. For the last quarter century we’ve been living a lie, in false prosperity, in no small part because we were led to believe that we could “borrow our way to prosperity”. Sustained massive increases in fiat money created a false boom. But like all economic cycles that one has peaked here and abroad, why we see growing conflict and international instability. Now that we owe ourselves and the rest of the world $22.5 trillion dollars the question becomes “how do we repay it?”
Trump would have us default on our obligations, repudiate it.
Assuming that he doesn’t destroy everything by defaulting, the entire burden of paying down that enormous debt will fall to whom? Not to the wealthy and powerful who benefitted most by its creation. No, it will fall to the middle class and, especially, the poor. “Reduced circumstances” euphemistically describes their future — which is ours — and not for years but generations.
This debacle can be laid at the feet of Republican politicians who promised us fiscal responsibility but delivered profligacy, a “Deplorables” list that includes Reagan, Bush, Ryan, Cheney, Gingrich, Hastert, Armey, McConnell, Graham, Cruz, Collins, Romney, Thune and all the other faceless jackals who voted us into penury and war. If we now find ourselves shorn of strength abroad as well as at each others’ throats at home that, too, is part of their legacy, their gift to many generations yet unborn.
As a commentator once said, diplomacy is not architecture, it is horticulture; you have to keep attending and watering and weeding and attending again---so your own national interests can thrive while others are minimized.
But Trump does not understand or even recognize the differences in national interests. He thinks it is all about beautiful relationships between him and whomever. So Trump is fundamentally incapable of forging a foreign policy strategy based on national interests.
Foreign ministries around the world recognize this. They know that the entire senior level of the State Department has resigned. The only ones remaining are one dimensional hawks like Bolton who could not even get senate confirmation as ambassador to the UN.
Hence foreign ministries are ignoring US interests and focused on playing Trump. He is simply being played.
1
I think a lot of people are missing the point in Trump's diplomacy and negotiations.
American security has been a linchpin in global affairs for 80 years almost after WWII. It's the first country to "volunteer" its military to protect everyone. Europe, allies in Asia.
The military has done bad things but overall, the number of people who die in conflict is small compared to before and as % of global population. Syria is nothing compared to before.
Trump knows this. American security benefits Russia and China as it provides their trading partners security and stability. China admittted this privately that American military helps China trade and sell to everyone. America is indispensable to world security and affairs but he feels a lot of countries (Germany, Korea, Japan) take it for granted and wants better deals for American people (in his eyes, right/wrong, debatable)
Trump wants everyone know how important American support is by withdrawing it and see how it is without America. US also help stoke flames in HK, Taiwan to pressure China. Now Pakistan (hating US) now running back to US. They are realizing how important America is and to support American military alliance. Japan tanker hit in Hormuz. Tells Japan hey we need your help to police the world more. America cannot contain China alone and maintain global security, everyone needs to help more, especially cause those countries are rich now.
1
Well, America is still in Afghanistan and has been for eighteen years- a full generation of Americans have now lived through this. So, the U.S. is still a presence in the world.
Hard for a second world country to financially commit to all these conflicts in Asia with U.S. finances and cannon fodder when it just isn't there and the American deficit is now staggering.
Unless America imposes a draft again similar to the LBJ/Vietnam War years. America to the rescue, eh?
1
Actually the US influence has increased since the time that Obama thought that everything could be solved by empty words with no real backing, when all opponents knew that he could be easily pushed around. The result of his policies was 5 new wars and over half a million dead civilians, while North Korea got nuclear weapons and Russia's and China's power and influence increased dramatically.
1
Given the abysmal and tragic results of American intervention in Iraq it’s probable that the phrase “We’re Americans and we’re here to help” is not particularly missed in capitals around the world.
With Republicans unwilling to contest the president's isolationist tendencies and Democrats continuing their decades-long focus on redistribution and other internal realignments, the outside world is more and more on its own. As a group, the world's autocrats certainly must feel freer than they have in a very long time.
It is Trump’s total lack of knowledge and will to learn anything about foreign affairs that causes the decline of America’s influence in the world. He seems to think that his voters are not interested in international matters and he fuels their apathy with his America First rhetoric.
It’s only when they realize that the world economy affects them directly that they’ll start questioning his empty promises to them.
Hopefully this will happen before he’s given a chance to continue his reckless conduct as a world leader for a second term.
If all America did was broker peace and trade deals that would be fine. But it doesn't. Instead our military and government have ruined many countries and countless lives. Why anyone would trust the US at this point is beyond me.
Drumpf knows nothing about how the current world order was shaped and maintained by the US since the end of the second World War. And he has no interest, or possibly intellect, to understand it. His notions of diplomacy are based on his business interests and his ego. He likes to associate with dictators because he perceives them to be powerful people, but he isn't intelligent enough to see that power comes at the expense of the well-being of the people who live under their rule.
His lack of understanding of how and why diplomacy works has led to a world vacuum of leadership that China and Russia are rapidly trying to fill. In China's case with US dollars spread around the world and in Russia-s case with increased meddling and intervention to create disharmony in democracies and bolster small dictatorships.
In two years, Drumpf ignorance has lead to the rapid decline in US influence around the world, even amongst our strongest allies. The war mongering neo-cons and amaturers he has surrounded himself will lead to increasing international rivalries, greater economic and military conflict and likely another significant worldwide conflict. Which, fortunately, won't last long because Drumpf's denial environmental policies will bring about a climate collapse before we can inihilate ourselves.
Trump, and the US as an extension, is in a no-win situation. If we as a country take an official position on any international situation, we are "sticking our nose where it doesn't belong" or Imperialists. If we take a hands-off approach we are "doing nothing" and the world is "seething". The world can't have it both ways but as usual the US is an easy scapegoat.
1
The US defense budget is $700 billion. Yet provides its citizens with no protections of a Russian cyber-invasions of our electoral system.
But when have jet fighter dog fights with N. Korea, watch out.
1
China has been undermining the good faith of American leadership in free trade for the past several decades. This conflict was inevitable, and would have been worse down the line after China had succeeded in eroding more of America's share of the global economy and increasing our dependence on them for production, and on companies controlled by the Communist Party. But that was a problem for the future, and people kept telling themselves China could be brought around to the neo liberal world order, eventually they'd change their ways and stop with the corporate espionage and authoritarianism.
Trump, being an outsider to the clique that architected the current China situation, simply bulldozed those plans with his typical bullheadedness and disregard for other's ideas. And for once he might've done good by doing so. If there is a single positive outcome of Trump's rolling disaster of a presidency it is accelerating the inevitable conflict with China, because at least now we have a position of relative strength instead of being further sapped by this parasitic relationship with China.
Trump did not "ruin" our relationship with China. China was trading in bad faith, it was something that was ignored because the relationship was still profitable in the short term and starry eyed globalists thought China could be reformed and were willing to let it slide. Trump was wrong about the trade war being "easy", but it's apparent now it was necessary. China must be brought to heel.
No one is mentioning a potential primary role for the U,K. in attempting diplomatic intervention in the Kashmir and Hong Kong crises. It was the U.K., not the U.S. that founded Hong Kong and ceded it to China and which created the countries of India and Pakistan. If western diplomacy is called for, the U.K. should take the lead with the U.S. in support.
The Japan-South Korea trade spat seems to me to fall well below the category of international crisis.
North Korea is another matter and it's worrisome. Trump seems to strike all the wrong notes, but no past president can claim success with that country.
People for years have been complaining that the US has intervened where it did not belong.
Iraq etc.
Which in some cases they were right, case in point Vietnam.
Trump may be doing this for the wrong reasons, but it's quite ironic that the same people who complain about the us intervention in the past, are now complaining that the us does not step up now.
Most of the citizens of the world only want us intervention when it suits their purposes nothing more.
Trump may not be the right person for the presidency, but as much as I like Obama as a person I don't know what his international policies really gained the us, especially that apology tour he went on near the end.
1
Although I have been critical of many actions, particularly his rhetorics in Tweeter, I must agree that America can't meddle in other's conflicts as a big daddy. Moreover, the US is not trusted globally as impartial. Moreover, although we make big issues about freedom, equality etc. we know how hollow we have been. This has been exemplified in recent events. Trump is particularly well advised to stay clear of India, though it has funded Pakistani jihadis to run proxy wars with India for a long time. If foreign powers stay clear, perhaps that will motivate the parties resolve the conflicts on their own.
3
Trump’s offer of intervention in the world’s vexing problems, if at all, is often prompted by Trump’s need to burnish his personal image and not what is best for the US. Sadly, what is good for the US national interest is often at odds with what Trump needs to bolster his own ego. Even if Trump were to intervene he lacks the intellectual heft and patience required to comprehend the history, details and nuances of each situation. The US State Department’s Foreign Service experts with long careers have left or not being listened too. For example, Trump’s offer to mediate in India and Pakistan during his brief meeting with Pakistan’s Prime Minister was spurred by Trump’s habit of impromptu blurting to show his own importance, which Trump is prone to do, rather than any request from India. Anyone who has spent anytime time studying Kashmir issue knows that for decades India has assiduously rejected any third party mediation.
The gist of this NYT article is unmistakable; under Trump US has lost its world leadership position and ability to influence world events. Main reason is Trump’s lips say “American First” but his acts and tweets always say Trump First.
4
Well, as history marches on, there has to be somebody or something to blame, right? Never mind the industrialization of a country of over a billion people, or the nascent power of another country of similar size. Never mind the overpopulation in parts of Africa and Asia, exacerbated by climate change. Never mind the impending implosion of the Franco-German Empire.
No, it's our fault. "The fault is not in our stars, but in ourselves" said Brutus. Except that right now the stars are out of joint, and may be for decades to come.
4
Yes! So leave the current White House occupant alone to enjoy his serial buckets of KFC, endless cable news binging, and deranged copycat tweeting and re-tweeting.
This country, and by extension the world, will not suffer the most from the headline grabbing stories. Rather it is the day to day decline in areas that are vitally important to functioning democracies. The diminution of our diplomats and intelligence operations, appeals to the basest levels of society for political gain. The changes will be slow, almost imperceptible, but the corrosive effect deep and long lasting.
5
Trump doesn't know what to do.He can't blame immigrants for problems in Hong Kong ,North Korea or Kashmir.If he can't control the narrative he folds his hand and leaves the table.'Go Fish" is more his game.....where, like any 3 year old, he can cheat and loudly declare himself the winner.As a result of his bluster, global political alliances are changing.Sooner or later he has to realize that the US is not the only player at the table.This time China may hold the winning hand.Hopefully, if Trump is defeated in 2020,next time...we can get back into the game.
4
So there was no "American Power" before Trump? And these issues ("the internal battles in India and Hong Kong or the rivalry between two American allies, Japan and South Korea") didn't exist before Trump? US getting involved in India's "internal battles"? What ?
8
Trump has no foreign policy other than to disengage
Frankly, he does not have the intellectual capacity to
deal with foreign relations. That is why you see him
doing his "my way or the highway" type of policy making.
Also, anyone who does have the capacity would not
work for the Trump administration. Frankly, when he is
gone those who have worked for him might only find a job on Fox news.
4
As a long ago Foreign Service Japan hand, I have concluded that despite Prime Minister Abe's best effort to keep our President flattered and content, Trump will go through with his threats to get rid of the Asian alliances which kept us safe through the Cold War and beyond, perhaps even before the 2020 election should the President go totally mad.
For quite some time, it has been clear that Trump's most dangerous game has been Asia. President Obama spent years keeping Japan and the Republic of Korea from each others throats over disputes related to Japan's long and harsh occupation of Korea. It is only lately (perhaps too late) that SecState Mike Pompeo has taken an interest.
Could it be that Pompeo's flirting with running for the Senate is related to a growing recognition that Trump's foreign policy has become a sinking ship, particularly in Asia. He seems to have adopted Kim Jong Un's view of joint ROK-U.S. military exercises, necessary to ensure that the two, as planned, can effectively fight together if the North attacks, are a bad thing.
1
I can’t stand Trump, but this is one issue I can agree with him on. America has no right to meddle in the affairs of other countries unless there is a direct and present threat to the U.S. or if there is genocide taking place. This article goes on about America having reduced influence, as if that were a bad thing. It’s not. If American aggression and imperialism has declined, that’s a very good thing for the world at large.
7
I agree in theory. It's the reality that's the problem. The US definitely needs to pick its battles, but withdrawing will have major consequences as well. Both China and Russia seek to spread their influence and power. China especially is working hard to bring nations in Asia, Africa, and even Europe in line with its plans for the future. They are using soft power like loans and the Belt and Road Initiative to control trade up to and into Europe. India is their major foil in the area, so anything weakening India strengthens them. And let's not forget China's bullying tactics to control major international shipping lanes in the South China Sea. Don't doubt that if we become isolationist there are other, more regressive regimes eager to fill the power vacuum.
@Terry Fan Spot on!
3
“Analysts said those comments would be interpreted by Chinese officials as a green light to take whatever action necessary to quell the protests.”
Do you think China is some sort of vassal state that needs the US’s green light before it handles its own city?
You’ve got to be kidding me.
Nothing Trump says is going to change how China decides for itself how it is going to handle HK. Trump is smart enough to realize that. You only make yourself look foolish by asking for something you won’t get.
Plus, any Trump call for restraint will just be used by China as propaganda that the protests are foreign incited.
7
Both the current Hong Kong/China situation and the India/Kashmir/Pakistan situation are the result of the diplomatic folly and ineptitude of the British Government. And today, funnily enough...there is a deafening silence from Her Majesty's Government . The Empire is no more.........
4
Typical American response. We either do too much and intervene and start a war or worsen the status quo. Or we withdrawal, and do or say nothing.
We never were much on nuance and subtlety.
2
He is way out of his depth, he has no idea what to do either at home or abroad. What a disaster for the whole country and the world.
2
With the BJPs unilateral ending of Kashmir's status Modi is playing with two strands one the Hindu nationalist one and the other joining in Trump's attempts to harm China. Pakistan is controlled by the financial power of the US. So Trump's misguided anti Islam anti China policy is in place. Unless, like Saudi Arabia you have a super wealthy clique that wants to destroy Iran's gov't. China certainly is ratcheting up the harsh rhetoric against Hong Kong's protests as Trump's interference in China. Russia is held to be anti-Western because they don't follow the USs lead. Neo Cons have control on the politics in the US. Russia is considered by the neo cons as a illegitimate power that wants to demoralize the liberal democracies of the world through an as yet unproven internet/social media strategy. Which the liberal democracies have blamed the sea change in politics not on events themselves but on Russia's ambitions.
Trump is a dangerous dilatant that blindly meanders through his term like a destructive right wing nationalistic wrecking ball.
All this instability sure is great for arms dealers.
1
@James
And even better news for China and Russia who can't wait to fill the vacuum.
Leading from behind are we?? Hmmmm, echos of Republican criticism. Although I’m sure nuances are now ok.
Foreign diplomacy is a chess game. You use strategy to checkmate your opponent. You don’t take sides when there are disputes, as this article suggests. Rather, you are in fact one of the sides. One of the major pieces China had was its “rook,” as one might call its economic power. With it China dominated the board. When Obama was in power we behaved like a bishop moving diagonally but never able to take the rook which boldly moved back and forth before the bishop could get in the right position to take it. Trump proved it takes a rook to take a rook. Notice I said rook not crook but the same rationale might apply. Now Trump has taken China’s rook with his tariffs, and now he can start moving all his little pawns, e.g. Hong Kong and North Korea, against the king.
5
How can this possibly be "America First" when Trump's unrelenting tariffs and sanctions are starting have a negative effect on the U.S. economy and he's managed to alienate what few allies we might still have left?
Especially now, as Hong-Kong is at the mercy of a pending Chinese military crackdown, India and Pakistan (both nuclear powers!) are at it again in Kashmir, Japan and South Korea have fallen out over territory and trade, while "Rocket Man" continues to send up missiles in an effort to get more attention, and Russian flyovers escalate over Baltic airspace.
For a president who claims to know everything better than everyone else, he's not doing a good job of defusing the very situations which in some ways, he has brought about himself.
We are living in "interesting times" -- and on borrowed time.
2
Trump is continuing to prove his incompetence. He wants to be loved by Kim Jong Un. He wants to be a mediator in the Kashmir dispute but that is only to get recognition as the 'the great mediator'. He doesn't have a clue about what is involved. John Sullivan, the deputy secretary of state has no guidance on what to say when he gets to India.
Mr. Trump has also stood back during the intensifying feud between South Korea and Japan. On Friday, Mr. Trump said, “South Korea and Japan have to sit down and get along with each other.” South Korean and Japanese officials are ignoring the Americans.
The entire senior level of management officials have resigned from the State Department. Trump, oblivious to this, believes he can handle everything by himself. Combine this with his blatant 'America first' thoughts, and nothing is being accomplished except for the degradation of America in the eyes of the world.
139
@Carol Ring And he is standing by while a new generation of Hong Kong citizens sees their human rights eroded.
3
@Carol Ring
Sorry, no one but Japan and Korea can make them decide to get along. We can't make them do it. The US has been trying to manage their animosity since WW2. Stop bashing Trump for things he didn't cause and are beyond his control.
1
@Patty
So what do you think Trump should do? You want him to invade and annex Hong Kong? Maybe he should give them all amnesty? Seriously.
The Nationalism wave sweeping the globe is creating a multi-lateral political landscape that is, historically, the system most prone to the catastrophes of war.
I suspect nothing makes Trump, the GOP, and their corporate owners more happy than the prospects of endless war and bloated military spending that goes along with it.
137
And thus the Pax Americana ends - not by weakness, but by suicide as greed, petulance and racism replace the American ideals of truth, justice and freedom.
148
@John - historic records of this era will definitely broaden the description of events unfolding, but it will be "Pax Americana ends - not by weakness, but by Trumps fixation on winning; on winning re-election by propping-up the economy. He does not know enough, or have the mind or character for planning strategies beyond the world of the golden dirt-pimp.
(note: with true alarm, assuming the economy is not strong enough, the DT re-election playbook also no doubt includes..starting a war. Please, someone constrain the patient-45...)
It’s inconceivable that the US is taking a hands-off approach to the dispute between Japan and South Korea, two long-term and reliable allies in the Far East, when their alliance against America’s must serious threat, China, should be treated with great importance.
Beijing would like nothing better to see a fall-out between these two countries and a weakening of America’s alliance in the hemisphere. Wake up, Trump!
195
@YesIKnowtheMuffinMan:As for your message to Trump, Get Lost might be more appropriate. But re other matters: Please explain to me in just which way China represents a threat to the US. I am unaware of any Chinese invasion fleet preparing to land troops on US soil. I am unaware of any Chinese armed forces stationed in Mexico as ours are in Korea. I am aware of no Chinese Navy arrogantly laying claim to dominance in The Gulf of Mexico or in the waters between San Francisco and Honolulu as our does in The South China Sea. What threat?
5
We depend on them to supply out country with products that run the economy. There are not many options other than them and we generally can’t or can’t afford to make and sell the products anymore. Add intellectual property theft in and the trade imbalance and they are a threat. It’s mostly economic, but the results can be catastrophic.
6
@YesIKnowtheMuffinMan The last I heard, and this may have changed, the US does not even have an Ambassador for Japan. How can the US use diplomacy without the tools (diplomats) to do that?
5
For decades the United States has dominated the International diplomatic initiatives. The doctrine of America First can be equated with “‘my way or the highway”.
Sensing American decline, many foreign governments have decided to take to the highway. Trump is full of rhetoric, but is fundamentally weak, ill informed, impetuous, and ultimately indecisive . His judgements are often at odds with reality , and on the diplomatic scene he is considered an ignoramus.
301
@Robert
You are absolutely correct, but I might add that Trump is considered an ignoramus on just about any scene. He's also a known liar with a well-documented record of violating written agreements, so there's really no point in dealing with him.
35
The biggest issue is that there is no strategy. The US has five percent of the world’s population and less than 20 percent of the worlds GDP. We will need to reduce our military commitments but increase our moral and economic leadership. The TPP was a step in that direction. It put the US at the head of an Asian trade group that would serve as an economic check to China and promote free trade and labor protections and standards. As with the Iran deal, Trump disliked it because it was from the Obama administration. He is a petty, ignorant and unstable man and has done incalculable damage. Putin spent wisely.
413
Let’s not blame all of this on Trump, though. Let us not forget that significant opposition to TPP came from Obama’s left.
9
@Southwest 1965
One could also argue that "outsider" Trump was elected because many Americans did not trust the bipartisan powers-that-be to negotiate the TPP in a way that would benefit non-billionaires here in the US.
The Investor State Dispute Settlement portion of the TPP was anathema to environmentalists in particular, and was a key issue in the loss of progressive support for Hillary Clinton, particularly when she chose Mr. TPP himself as her running mate.
6
@Frank F Right, and the solution to those concerns was to make an actual billionaire president. Makes perfect sense.
3
When America again has an appropriate president, someone similar to any one of the people who has served in that office since FDR, and wishes to resume its role in world affairs, it will be welcomed back into the international community with open arms, possibly having more influence than ever before.
What right do have getting between India and Pakistan? When they've gone at before we didn't interfere.
5
They have nukes.
How can it really be America First if the Senate Majority leader helps the Russians buy American companies?
2
America First echoes a hundred years of isolationist sentiment - which in the past has coincided with cataclysm and holocaust.
China came to understand the follies of isolationism under Ming emperors more than 500 years ago, and today will eagerly fill the vacuum left by our absence. Chinese investment has been flooding into Africa for decades; creating and revitalizing infrastructure on a massive scale.
Meanwhile, America Firsters, like the Mings, are determined to build walls and ignore the rest of world. All civilizations fall eventually, but nationalist isolationism increases the pace exponentially.
1
On the issue of recent developments in Kashmir the Pakistan's Foreign Minister had this to say,
"Giving vent to emotions is easy and raising objections is much easier. However it is difficult to understand the issue and move forward. They are not waiting for you with garlands in their hands to support Islamabad's contentions regarding India's decision to end Jammu and Kashmir's special status. Any members out of the P-5 nations can be a hurdle... Do not live in a fool’s paradise," said Pakistan Foreign Minister Mr. Shah Mehmood Qureshi during a press conference aired on PTV on Sunday.
(https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/un-security-council-not-waiting-with-garlands-says-pakistan-foreign-minister-shah-mehmood-qureshi-on-2084254)
“ India seems unfazed by any American concerns over the potential for escalation.” That is a very accurate statement whether we like it or not.
US should keep out of this, however much Pakistan wants US mediation as a quid pro quo for Taliban cooperating with the US in Afghanistan.
Look for no Nobel peace prize here.
2
Worthwhile piece of punditry I heard:
"America First becomes America Alone."
Individual 1? If you take your ball and go home—you aren't playing the game.
2
Previous U.S. presidents weren't afraid to meddle in Asian affairs. That's how I ended up in Vietnam.
5
USA need to severe all ties and fundings in Billions of $$$s to Pakistan because 50%of that amount goes to funding terror trading camps run by terrorists/Mullahs families,its army and ISI wing. Rest 50%are used in funding terrorism in India using Indian Muslim seperatalist elements like Gilani families in Kashmir region. Corruption is rampant on both sides of 50% funds used and quite a big chunk of such expenses incurred ends up in pockets of Pakistani political leaders,Army top notch members and ISI agents. Nothing perhaps is allowed for public well-being except some funds for Madrasas teachings for kids starting @ 3 yers of age. Never forget what once said by Indian foreign minister Susmaji in UN assembly what India gave to the world and what Pakistan has given in sharp contrast. Those who don’t want to accept and realise anything from their committed mistakes are unchangeable humans. Hate they love,peace they hate. Phytoist.
South Korea has been assaulted by Japan in sex crimes (hundreds thousands young girls have been forcefully raped thousands of times each), in forced labor (again hundreds of thousands of Korean men were subjected to forced labor by the war criminal Japan during WW2), the SKorean land was occupied and brutalized by Japan for 36 years, and the illegal 36 year long occupation led to the division of the country. Were it not for the Japanese colonial occupation or the Japan's war crimes in WW2, SKorea would never have been divided into North and South. The War criminal country Japan would have been occupied and divided by the Allied forces and the Soviet forces.
2
"Never get involved in a land war in Asia"
- Vizzini.
1
Trump has all the diplomatic skills of a spoiled child. He has surrounded himself with equally ignorant and incompetent staff. The USA is a now a global laughing stock thanks to Trump and the Republicans. Helping to resolve world problem is not an option.
1
Who could have predicted this for America? Everyone who didn't vote for a president who cared only for himself. Guessing, New Yorkers knew this in spades?!
Far from being a supporter of the Trump administrator, I support the disengagement of US 'diplomacy' from other sovereign countries affairs.
US has a bitter history and bad reputation in the rest of the world, particularly developing countries, for 'helping'.
Because of that, the US in particular should abstain from interfering and intervening in any way. They would be blamed in either case, it's a Catch-22, but at least if they don't interfere, that's saving a lot of money for the American taxpayer. Of course, less conflict is not good news for the US arms industry but I doubt anyone is going to shed a tear for these big cats.
4
Another day, another grievance. If Trump was more assertive vis a vis these issues, ‘progressives’ would accuse him of meddling.
3
This is where President Trump's ego gets in the way again. There is no glory or adulation from his supporters for keeping up the status quo with our allies, no good tweet opportunities to fire them up with.
If he is somehow able to mediate and fix the problems that have been going on for decades in Kashmir, the Korean Peninsula, etc he will get the accolades he so craves and get to tell us what a great negotiator he is.
So Obama was for the US trying to influence the actions of foreign governments? Obama took a hands off approach more than Trump. Sorry, the truth hurts.
2
Agreed we all have seen what Obama's red line with regard to Syria did .This assumption that America should intervene in other countries internal affairs is a colonial mindset
At a certain level I am glad the US is not intervening in Kashmir, China/Hong Kong, Korea/Japan. We have stuck our noses in other people's business and the results have not been stellar.
I sympathize with the Kashmiri and the Hong Kong demonstrators, but I fail to see what the US can bring to the table that would help that much.
3
Under Trump the words "foreign policy" are meaningless. If it is not about business it does not exist. The only person in this administration who wanted to be involved was the first Secretary of State, named Rex Tillerson. Trump does not do anything that he has no experience at, which means nothing cultural, educational or diplomatic.
2
So is there anyone out there who still think Trump understands policy, or has any strategy whatsoever? The man doesn't read. We all know he's not inquisitive or curious, or empathetic. Yet someone in a red hat out there will read this and impose a strategy on Trump. Then again, that's why Fox and Friends exits: to make he's bumbling random actions and inactions look like strategy. Very stable genius indeed
4
"The inability or unwillingness of Washington to help defuse the flash points is one of the clearest signs yet of the erosion of American power and global influence under Mr. Trump..."
Putin's plan is working better than he ever expected.
2
It is about time that we review history with focus on truth.
Rarely, if ever, the United States has actively intervened in any external conflict without a self serving agenda (oil, threat to its own export markets, potential to sell weapons and defence systems, etc).
Absent self serving agenda, US has tried to play a big brotherly role and asked both sides to calm down and work out a win-win solution, etc. etc.
Thanks to incompetent and fake showman in the WH, US has lost that diplomatic touch and capability. No intervention necessary.
3
On some level Trump knows he's incapable of the kind of thoughtful action that might help in these complex situations. Thank goodness for that. If he wants to dress it up as some kind of ideological isolationism -- in other words, something for him to boast about -- let him. It's better than one more ham-handed intrusion into foreign politics and cultures we have little understanding of (George Bush and Dick Cheney, I'm thinking of you!).
Leftists have always criticized the country for meddling in other nations politics. In Iran during the 1953 deposing of the prime minister was one case that is often cited. Latin America has numerous other examples of 'so-called' U.S. interference in local affairs that are often used by ant-Americans on the left. Now it is rather predictable that the same crowd flips their argument and boldly claims that we need to do the exact opposite.
2
@derek America has also had numerous international successes that didn't involve blowing anything up. Iran,the Good Friday Agreement, NATO and sanctions against North Korea. Even Cold warrior Reagan managed to negotiate arm agreements with the Kremlin. Obama's sanctions against Russia are slowly grinding it apart. For all the sabre rattling of the Cold war, American leadership broke down the Soviet Union and freed several nations. Can you see tRump accomplishing anything like these?
@derek
"Leftists" Tuned you out right there.
Making a public statement costs us nothing and sends a message. It’s really that simple. We’re not asking for punishment of China just a line saying hey back off you have an agreement adhere to it.
2
This article loudly calls for America to be the worlds policeperson and blames Donald Trump for allowing the world to be in bad shape. What did President Obama do when Russia actually invaded Crimea? He did absolutely nothing as did the rest of the world. What did Obama do when China annexed South Sea Islands that did not belong to them and built military bases on them threatening our allies? He did nothing as did the rest of the world. Mr Obama knew that North Korea was building atomic weapons but the only thing he did was so inform Donald Trump of the danger rather than taking it on himself on behalf of us all. Laying these items at Mr. Trumps feet is on the one hand very short sighted and on the other disingenuous.
4
How is it that not interfering in every single international problem represents "waning American power"? Remember Vietnam? Korea? Remember how Barack Obama stayed out of Syria and also sent only lame remonstrations that the Assads paid absolutely no attention to? Remember how George Bush kept muttering how "we are losing patience" over Darfur to which Khartoum paid absolutely no attention?
This isn't about Trump weakening American "power". It's very little different from the tack Obama took, and that Clinton took in Rwanda and Bosnia until late in the day.
When Bush finally did send blood and treasure out, it was to invade Iraq, a folly of massive proportions.
Remember the CIA and Chile? The CIA and Iran?
Maybe it's time to stop blaming Trump for the same kinds of things other Presidents didn't do.
Remember that old sardonic song about Vietnam from the 1960s, "For We're the Cops of the World, boys, We're the cops of the world!"?
The "stesady centripetal force of American . . ." is mostly a myth held dear by think tanks and the Department of State.
I don't see that the world is so much a better place for it than it was 50 years ago.
Remember the Hungarian uprising 1956 and how the West across the Board left Hungary to its fate?
Please. This isn't new or news, but seeing as it's Trump in the Oval Office we have to pretend that "waning American power" is all his fault and every other president has nobly kept the side up.
4
It is not just Trump who has lost influence, it is the Republican Party who elected and empower him daily who have as well; Trump's their man. Republicans wanted a President who uses crude language, scorns international allies and cozies up to butchers like Putin and Saudi Arabia, and doesn's know where Kashmir is, let alone what is at stake there, and who doesn't care about the United Nations, created to keep the peace. Trump's ignorance and bluster was part of his appeal. They do not support the kind of education that might anticipate world conflicts and avoid them; South Dakota recently voted down college scholarships for its poorer students calling it "socialism" and a "Democrat idea." They scorn liberal arts education in topics like history, religion, sociology, anthropology and religion, all the types of study needed to understand Kashmir and respond appropriately. They have allowed the State Department to deteriorate while the military, which knows nothing except how to follow orders, flourishes. The number of Republicans who view Russia as an ally has doubled since Trump was elected. This absence of understanding of world affairs and ignorance how to deal with them is a feature of the Republican party; it's why we foolishly invaded Iraq. Republicans care only making money, and making war. There's no money in peace. How will America be trusted again?
https://thehill.com/hilltv/what-americas-thinking/397239-polling-editor-increased-support-for-russia-among-republicans
2
Why does America have to meditate in these affairs that will only cause America to be blamed for interference?
2
America is not the Policeman for the World. Its not possible for 5% of population to control and influence 95% of the populace.
1
@Rajendra I beg to differ and point to the 1/10 of 1% in America where the overwhelming majority of the American people favor both availability of abortion services and the banning of assault rifles, yet yet yet we struggle against an unseen shadow crushing the liberal advance America craves.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure — this is what happens when you gut the State Department.
2
I do not think that Trump has the awareness to feel any stress about any crisis foreign or domestic, except to the extent that his "ratings" are impacted. The issues and tensions driving events, and the real world impact on the stability of the USA do not register in his tiny brain. Asia will erupt and Trump will conduct twitter diplomacy and figure out a way to blame Clinton, Biden, and any other Democrat he saw on FOX that day. What a mess.
3
Hmmm...maybe a steady hand and a stable mind is useful when it comes to running a country. Just a thought.
2
No body in Kashmir, India or Pakistan took Trump's mediation offer seriously. In Kashmir because of the total oppression by BJP's fascist polices , the situation is grim. Only a war can settle the issue for good. India is not serious to talk to Pakistan and has hegemonic agenda to dominate S. Asia. This cannot stand .
I strongly suspect that US diplomats are working diligently to defuse the various crises outlines in this article. (They also are attempting to explain to the host nations they reside in why the President's remarks should not be viewed as a deviation from standing US policy.) The NYT would not know the details because they are not shared with the media.
Will our efforts succeed? I do not know, but what I do know is that the Kashmir and Hong Kong crises have simply been waiting to happen, regardless of the US administration in power, and have far less to do with what the President says or does than with internal political forces well beyond the control of the US or any other external actor.
I am a little surprised that William Burns does not provide a more nuanced depiction of this problem.
3
The economic parity between United States and those Asian countries mentioned is reduced. As a result, these countries begin to assert to defend their national interests. Adding to that, the lack of trustworthiness in Trump administration make it hard to make any kind of agreement for these countries that are based on Trump’s assurances. On the other hand, keeping handoffs may turn out to be the right decision. Trump is not strong on spreading democracy. He himself wishes to be a dictator. What Trump is doing now is not that important. What is more important is whom we elect in 2020. If Trump gets re-elected, then there is a fundamental change in our country on the value of democracy.
1
@Kodali Democracy occurs from within. Spreading democracy is a canard. It creates an environment of masses wanting to join "you". Not as an assistance tool for people to achieve goal of democracy within their own nation.
3
IMO many of the world's problems arise from a lack of engagement from the U.S. and Europe. Yes, you can only lead a horse to water. However, problems in the middle east, africa and South America drive people to seek safety, food and better opportunities. Those seekers tend to migrate to Europe and the U.S. and Canada. The influx of immigrants puts pressure on the host countries and leads to a rise of anti-immigrant moods and burdens on the budgets. We all save money and headaches if we engage the world from the start rather than after the fact.
2
I am not sure why most people commenting here thinks that American dominance means military influence. The real power America has its dollar, the currency used for most international trade and America could influence a country by restricting its currency. With Trumps erratic behavior and total disrespect towards our allies we are losing this influence, already many countries are using other currencies and sort of barter system to circumvent Trump’s unreasonable demands. At the moment this is still a very small percentage but will definitely change if this administration continues the way it’s going.
As so often, I recommend reading up on the Greater Co-East Prosperity Sphere, and how WW2 started in the Pacific.
I’ll give you a hint: our isolations, trade tariffs, and blithe indifference to China’s sufferings were involved.
4
@Robert At sometime, somewhere, the Western Pacific Rim has to be responsible for the consequences of its members' actions. After seventy years, now is as good a moment in time as any other for it to begin.
3
@Robert
So you want Trump to stick his nose into the China/Hong kong affair ?
What do you expect China to do next ?
What about the trade deal negotiations ?
What about the tariffs particularly put in place to force China to the table ?
Should the administration just wing their foreign and trade policies ?
You Democrats make absolutely no sense.
1
Every generation must confront and learn how to cope with the same human experiences and inclinations of each other and the same world. Lose a lot of people and force two generations of children to mostly just know themselves only due to some catastrophe and our civilizations collapse.
Reading these comments helped me realize how the U.S. stood on the sidelines in the 1930s. Well meaning people said 'America shouldn't be the world's policeman,' 'let them work out their problems,' 'we should use resources at home,' and, of course, 'America first.'
We learned our lesson in WWII. But history lessons get forgotten in time. The TPP wasn't just about trade. No trade policy is. They build alliances. Alliances aren't free, they take work.
Our giant military budget is a function of being a $17 trillion economy, a continent spanning country, and 1/3 billion population. If we can afford universal health care ($2-3 trillion,) we can afford the world's biggest military ($650 billion.)
7
@Brian, your final paragraph is weak. Universal healthcare is a benefit to all-- it's cheaper, it lowers the extreme profits out of the current system, a healthier population is going to be more productive and better educated, and dare I say, happy? The obscene military industrial complex-- warned of by Eisenhower, a great general and a good GOP president-- is only good for enriching the corporate behemoths, their largest share holders and a few government and military workers at the top of the bloated heap. Nothing good accrues to us that could not be done at say, a 30% smaller budget.
2
In how many countries, from Indonesia to China to Russia and elsewhere, does President Trump have a business interest?
What's more important to Mr. Trump, his many business interests? accelerating global warming? a healthy economy?
How much more time will Americans wait to find out?
13
@M You mean half of Americans, the other half are with you and understand that just one issue, their job or the economy (which is now starting to downturn), forget the air we breath, the environment which heats us to a toast, and the way we deal with our neighbors unless Trump's businesses do not profit are forgotten issues. Sadly we are controlled by gun owners and the less educated who are in the lowest level economically, and do not understand why that often is.
@M
Put a lifetime investigation on the President of the United States. No barriers, no nothing. A straight up open warrant CIA /FBI style investigation into the POTUS.
Trump is like some little fish eating little things clinging to a huge leviathan. He is just a low class opportunist with a lot of money he’s dumb lucky to have.
When you have a paper-tiger president who has two dictionaries, one with insulting words for his countrymen and allies, one with enchanting words for dictators, what do you expect? America's credibility on the world stage versus vote count, re-election, a four-more-year objective, what is more important to him?
18
Obama stated to the Russian state ( cought on hot mic) that he would have way more flexibility to deal after the 2012 election.
2014 comes along and the Russians annex Crimea from the Ukraine, a strong NATO ally. Obama didn't say, do, or act on anything. He folded like a cheap suit. The MSM covered for the administration, like they always did. If something similar happened under Trump ? Forget about it, the MSM and the talking heads would be gnashing their teeth and calling for war, and the over throw of Putin. Their anti-war stance would change in an instant. All in the name of American chaos.
2
@NguyenSJC:Are you serious or are you not satisfied we are in like 10 crazy undeclared wars globally from Iraq to Libya to Yemen to Afghanistan etc. We are almost totally blockading Venezuela with Cuba and Nicaragua not far behind not satisfied with that how about almost war with Iran. Paper tiger? we should applaud him for trying to withdraw from these wars.
2
No doubt many citizens of Asian nations share the feeling of my friends and clients in Europe that, given the outsized effect that the US government's actions have on their body politic, their economies, and their lives, they ought to have a vote in US Presidential elections.
5
@Frank F
Your global interest in breaking US constitutional sovereignty is the biggest issue of our time.
You obviously do not know that yet.
That's not an insult. It's a warning.
1
Trump's personal behavior and the behavior of his foreign relations ambassadors across the globe have made America less influential in helping to resolve foreign conflicts which do not immediately affect American interests (like Japan v. Korea and India vs.Pakistan). It would be fine if America were able to act as a mediator in foreign conflicts like these. But almost every country, with the exception of a few like Israel, see this Trump administration as a Ship of Fools, led by the most preposterous imposter in the history of American diplomacy. Non-intervention is a good thing. But loss of international credibility and respect is not.
13
I hope the protesters in Hong Kong are aware that the USA is not going to support them or marshal allies to support them. It is America First and ruthless dictators are fine with the USA.
3
Our country should focus on issues in our country first; the next priority should be to deter aggression by adversarial countries like Russia, China and N Korea ( all Trump favorites) against our many allies.
We should allow space for other squabbles to sort themselves out. We are not the world police and in fact our meddling IS THE CAUSE of half the worlds problems. Overthrowing Iran's democracy in the 50s, destabilizing the middle east with the Iraq misadventure in 2000s, interfering in Indonesia, Vietnam and other Asian countries has been costly and counterproductive.
While our diplomats can play a mediation role if requested by both sides of a dispute or help nudge parties to negotiations, we should steer clear of acting like daddy to the world. Only if we contribute aid money should we demand accountability. Otherwise live and let live.
10
@Rudran
This hands-off approach is a false sense of security. Los Angeles would never be safe if it’s surrounding mountains were on fire. Your reasoning is unbelievably short-sighted.
@Rudran
Hear! hear!
Before jumping on the bash Trump bandwagon, again, we should acknowledge the challenges and limitations of applying American influence throughout the world. Obama, too, never found his foreign policy footing, either, leading from behind in Iraq, Afghanistan, Arab Spring, the Syria tragedy, Crimea. Not to mention 0 progress on North Korea. His two successes (whether one agrees with them or not), Iran nuclear deal and Pan Asian trade agreements, were abandoned by Trump. I’m not sure any recent American President beside Reagan (also with a few misfires), has found the right balance between American influence, limits and the appetite of the American people to be the globe’s police force.
At minimum, however, every President should be measured by: 1.) Clarity standing for liberty and human rights and 2.) Serving the tangible interests of the American people and 3.) Being a reliable partner and ally.
C’s for everyone.
9
@Alberto Abrizzi good post but your measuring criteria frequently conflict with each other. Any reasonable observer realizes human rights, American interests and faithful ally is a complicated balancing act.
1
Trump has unwittingly demonstrated the power of the U.S. presidency. His sociopathy has unleashed the worst impulses of leaders around the globe.
3
No waning here, that implies neglectful decline. Trump is burying us with both hands.
3
We'll just have to wait and see if trump's foreign policy of 'we'll just have to wait and see' works.
4
President Obama, and pretty much every President before him, knew that America's moral authority and the invaluable soft power it brought were what made US Great.
Trump only understands the "corrupt exercise of the powers of office" that Mueller hinted were grounds for impeachment. And he wasn't just referring to "obstruction of justice."
Trump is no president. He just plays one on TV. And the world needs him to be brought to justice.
16
@D.A.Oh
How about the Russians annexing Crimea on Obama's watch ?
You probably dont know that Crimea was part of the Ukraine. The Ukraine are strong NATO ally's.
Obama did nothing. He was a wet noodle and everyone walked all over him.
1
Mr. Trump thinks that it is time for meditation. According to him, conflicts are good as long as defense contractors get the contract. Do you think he really cares about Hong Kong or Kashmir?
6
And don't forget about what's happening in Russia....for the U.S. not to weigh in as democracy and attempts at democracy are threatened in so many places right now does not bode well for our country -- and the world.
3
I find it shortsighted and somewhat shocking at the comments agreeing with the administration’s isolationist stand. Not supporting our allies makes us weaker, not stronger. Had we remained isolationist during WWII, for example, the world would be a very different place. Unfortunately, we have lost our moral authority and the world will remain wary of the US long after this administration is gone.
11
@AT
Isn’t that the key problem? Who is our ally to side with? In each of those situations, we are allies in different ways, no?
6
@AT
"we have lost our moral authority and the world will remain wary of the US long after this administration is gone."
Moral authority?!
Overthrowing Mosadeq in Iran,
Vietnam war,
Supporting Batista in Cuba,
Instigating the Greek colonels junta coup,
Operation Condor supporting state terrorism in Argentina,
Military coup in Chile, death of Allende, Pinochet dictatorship,
Iran-Contra affair,
Iraq invasion falsely claimed on WMDs,
Funding extreme Islamist factions in Syria to overthrow Assad.
Moral authority...
1
Should we go back to being the world's police force?
9
Negotiating with other nations doesn’t make us a “police force”, it makes us a stronger, more influential nation.
1
Edward Wong is absolutely on target here. Trump is utterly, almost inhumanly, indifferent to ethical concerns. He does not support democracy and freedom abroad. Let's face it, he doesn't even support democracy in the United States. He is systematically eroding every benchmark of democracy, including civil rights and the rule of law, in the United States, and our only recourse seems to be to vote him out of office. Seeing as he lost by three million votes last time around and still managed to wiggle his way into the office of president, we can only hope that the vote against him is so overwhelming that blatant voter suppression won't be enough to extend his reign.
One troubling aspect of Trump's international presence is the clear sense that he can be bought. Any project that will enrich his family fortune is now part and parcel of our nation's foreign policy.
To the people of Hong Kong, it is surely obvious that China's timing is not accidental. China is aware that our president is asleep at the wheel, and that the United States is not likely to step in. I have worried for Hong Kong's future ever since they were returned to Chinese oversight, based on an archaic political agreement. Hong Kong deserves autonomy and independence. I hope they achieve that goal. I also feel for the desperate people of Kashmir, and I hope some reasonable solution unfolds. Perhaps in 2020 we will have a real president again, and a real democracy, and then the United States can help.
28
Our power is derived from economic and moral strengths. Military power can’t be used effectively unless the other two are present.
It has been clear that we don’t have any moral power left - at least since the WMD fiasco if not before. Our economic power is being squandered as we speak. Instead of strategically picking our economic fights, we picked fights with everyone. We’re seen as unreliable. Part of our economic power comes from a perception of stability and incrementalism. That’s been eroded too.
Once the policeman is gone, old conflicts will surface even more often.
Rebuilding moral power will take a long time, if at all possible in the current geo-political environment.
15
Every day Mr. Trump is in office he is a danger to this country and the world at large.
13
@Sidewalk Sam although I'm actually relieved that he isn't getting too involved because he doesn't even understand how the US economy and tariffs work, let alone international diplomacy. The man thinks everything is a real estate deal - and he actually isn't very good at those, either.
18
Look first our "help" in Iraq, Afghanistan, and remember Vietnam. I am glad that now US is not "helping" other places.
14
No one is talking about American military intervention. For decades American soft power has worked behind the scenes keeping the peace among regional rivals who were our allies. Withdrawing American leadership is resulting in growing disorder which directly benefits China, Russia and North Korea to our detriment and makes the world a far more dangerous place.
12
@Sneeral
"For decades American soft power has worked behind the scenes keeping the peace among regional rivals who were our allies."
I can assure you that the rest of the world does not share this point of view. And they have ample historical evidence to support the contrary.
1
@Elena M. Of course not. No one likes to have their impulses stymied.
But 70+ years of relative peace in Europe and prosperity in Japan and S. Korea are testament to the truth of what I said.
1
I can’t believe Trump is being criticized for not forcefully sticking our nose in where we don’t belong. Perhaps he appreciates the complexity of these situations and - OMG - the fact that they are the internal affairs of sovereign nations. And, duh, the imperial west created these situations in the first place - now we should meddle in completely different culture and political systems!!!
19
Our adversaries detect weakness . Their attacks will be asymmetrical like 9/11. Putin’s interference in the election is a recent example.
But there may no greater vulnerability and in turn threat than the rot of the Republican Party . It is available to the highest bidders .
23
While Donald Trump is no diplomat or a world leader, he said during the 2016 campaign that he wanted to take the US out of the business of nation building and end the senseless and destructive foreign military interventions that have led to the militarization of US foreign policy.
After WWII the Marshall Plan was an unqualified success and the US was at the height of its power and influence. But as emerging nations in the developing world faced the challenge of modernization, the US evolved into the most ideological country on the planet. It saw a Manichean world divided between Communism and Democracy in which its aim was to spread the latter and its flip side, American Capitalism, to every corner of the globe and defeat Communism by whatever means. In doing so it ignored the force of nationalism, a much more important factor in the ruthless and cold blooded enterprise of international relations.
The US engineered the overthrow of the elected leader of Iran, replacing him with the Shah whose brutal reign in the name of modernity led to a Revolution and its current theocratic state. We overthrew the elected President of Chile who was replaced by the murderous Augusto Pinochet, We waged an unnecessary and brutal war initiated by the terminally ignorant Lyndon Johnson against North Vietnam, continued in barbaric fashion by the Nixon/Kissinger team . We even invaded mighty Grenada under President Reagan. Now its Afghanistan and Iraq. Trump could do no worse .
14
Hopefully the next administration can find a Secretary of State who is as tireless and capable as Hillary was when she repaired the dozens of bridges that the last Republican president broke.
Then again, why step up when you see how America thanked Her for that remarkable achievement?
9
It is probably appropriate to analyze this article very carefully. The Globalist Agenda wants the US involved in Asia. (Specifically, at this moment, Hong Kong.) And with little degree of doubt, negotiation will fail. But our participation will be the stimulus for the next article. Due to our involvement, aforementioned, America now has a duty to insure security and immigration capability for those wishing to emigrate from the area in question. This is the timetable in the Global Calendar, and one of the reasons for the publication of the Article at this time.
3
@The Wizard Values for one's life?? The first is to be steeped in self-reliance. And expect others to follow likewise. The worst event of American recent history was Viet Nam. Americans, forced to serve, against their will, in a foreign land in which the American nation wasn't threatened. And then, upon the failure, watch an immense portion of the host population flee to yours.
“'Somebody said that at some point they’re going to want to stop that,' he added. 'But that’s between Hong Kong and that’s between China, because Hong Kong is a part of China.'”
No. A real American president would state publicly that, in accepting Hong Kong back into China, the Communist government signed a treaty ensuring "One Country, Two Systems," and that the United States demands for China to meet all treaty obligations. This is not an internal issue for China to settle, but an international issue about China's ability to honor commitments, to be trustworthy in negotiating its role in the world. A real American president would also voice that the right of peaceful protest strengthens nations, so that China should meet, rather than suppress, legitimate grievances. Of course, with Mr. Chump in office, the United States has itself become erratic and unreliable, so no one is listening.
11
This is the right thing to do. These are all internal affairs in other countries. The USA has no obligations and should not interfere period.
13
Someone from another post compared diplomacy to a game of Chess.
But, Trump's approach is closer to that of Checkers; with its jumps and infrequent multiple jumps.
"KING ME!"
5
Reminds me of Mr. Stephen Jobs, who many said had an alternate reality field around him. And just as the Trump administration has introduced the concept of alternative facts into political discourse, we have the reality, alternate from that of tbe White House, that MAGA is doing no such thing. Rather it is taking America to a less great place than it has been in decades...
5
The trump administration is taking the U. S. back to the 1920s. The Harding, Coolidge and Hoover administrations cutoff immigration from Eastern and Southern Europe and slanted it toward Northern Europe. They isolated the U. S. from the rest of the world. They made the business of the U. S. Business - the unregulated quest for ever more money. They tried to protect American agriculture and manufacturing with tariffs and as history shows, the tariffs of the 1920s failed to protect America from the slide into the Great Depression. Right Wing governments around the world went on the rise and World War II eventually erupted. Conservative Republicanism failed the U. S. then. The present remake 100 years later is not looking so well either.
22
donald is starting a depression from with in the heartland this time.
Do the math. 3.60$ wheat in today's dollars is equal to around .30 cents a bushel back in 1965. Farmers sold wheat for more than 4.00$ in 1965. Tractors were 20K in 1965. Today you ask? 350K and up.
donald's trade wars will destroy the economy of the U.S.A. but potentially the world as well. donald has a great history of financial destruction. We're all next. Thanks, GOP.
29
As America acts in its interests so do China, India, Japan and Koreas. America may be able to influence Japan and South Korea. China is in a league of its own and India is also strong enough that no other country will be able to pressure it in its internal affairs. This is a multipolar world. There's not much the Trump or any other U.S. administration can do in much of Asia. No surprise!
14
We can't solve our own problems, yet we're expected to solve entrenched Asian problems?
How successful has our influence been in the Middle East? Or in Vietnam? We made things much, much worse.
Many of us are panicking that we don't even want a seat at the table, but many outside the US are glad that we're staying out of it.
Granted, our help was needed in WWII and Korea, but we've botched up more world situations than we've helped. Our record is abysmal.
War is certainly not the answer. And it seems that foreign countries are happy only if we pay them somehow to resolve their issues or fight their battles for them.
Once bitten, twice shy.
The U.S. is not a good problem-solver; it just adds gasoline to the fire usually.
These other nations must resolve their own conflicts. Yes, we may offer ideas and work diplomatically, but we are outsiders. If the main participants refuse to compromise and solve their problems rationally, we can't make them. They aren't children and we aren't their parents.
Sometimes the best response is no response. We need to dust our own doorstep first. We don't have all the answers.
16
I agree. Unfortunately American intervention has helped create most of the current crisis in the world today
And if not, at least left most in a worse place than before
9
@Justin
Yes, and as an American, I must add that most of us truly want to help. We just muck it up. It's frustrating and perhaps dangerous to avoid trying to help, but we Americans just seem to be all-thumbs with two left feet on the world's stage.
(Oddly, or perhaps not, I seem to play that role in my personal life, too. Maybe something in the water?)
1
Why would anyone much less a sovereign nation trust Donald Trump if you know what he says or promises is only one more lie?
21
As soon as America is less of a “policeman to the world”, people press the case that they should be - not generally, mind you, just for the specific situations they want addressed.
7
Maybe this is the art of the deal. Sorry, I thought for a second that was actually a thing.
Now back to tweeting.
7
Former president George W Bush set
the stage for the decline of American
influence with lot of help from Mr. Cheney.Invasion of Iraq on lies of WMDs, prisoners abuse at Abu Gharaib, detention and torture of jihadis at Guantanamo without trial eroded America's moral position on human rights. Mr. Trump, with his sole
focus on money, has accelerated the
decline. Japan is a close ally and
India a strategic partner. Mr. Trump
should have used influence of this
relationship to soften their extremist
position. India has imprisoned the
entire population of Kashmir, cut off
from rest of the world. It seems historical forces are at work changing the world order in which west is not
at the center. Multi-polar world is
taking shape- America has become
just one pole.
7
@s.khan Stop worrying about Kashmir,the integral part of India and let it be ruled as per Indian penal codes instead subjecting it to be as per Pakistani supported separatists groups within Indian Kashmiri territory. Instead look about atrocities committed by Pakistani rulers in POK and Baluchistan parts which never said yes to join with Pakistan either through their king’s decision ya assembly’s bill passings as per British charter provisions declared then. Pakistan can only improve economically just by stop wasting money on terror fundings within and outside of boarders and use it for its developmental problems. Phytoist.
1
@s.khan
Japan and India are democracies. We should focus our attention on adversaries like Russia, China and N Korea. Our allies should be allowed space to sort out internal issues.
1
President Trump is running the whole foreign policy 'show' for us now. How or why would we expect him to formulate international policy initiatives that he fundamentally does not understand?
16
American influence should be used first at home, where we have a government every bit as dangerous as that of Modi, Putin, Duterte, Bolsonaro and others that are run by power-mad alpha males.
Clean up your own house before you tell others how dirty their house is.
It would be nice if we had a UN ambassador with some ethics and intelligence, but that won't happen while Trump is president.
In the meantime, it's time for the USA to fix itself and things over which it has direct control.
And remember, our power and influence is primarily as a garrison state, with our military based in almost every country in the world, wreaking havoc in sovereign nations worldwide, and our economic sanctions harming the citizens of Venezuela, Iran, Cuba and other countries.
America has too much power, and we use it badly.
13
Trump is president of the United States. To say the least, he is not an effective one; but it is the United Stares he’s president of and not the world. The same for any other president. Indeed, peace and accommodation among nations of the world is rooted in enlightened self-interest, if not morality. And there is a role for every nation, through diplomacy, in ministry to that end. For this, the UN as agency ought to come immediately to mind ... but certainly not the United States as world empire. Our losing influence in the world based what we in particular want, may be less our failure and more the success in growing-up to independence in other nations; and that always seems to involve out-of-hand struggle because change is unsettling for the establishment. Nothing new here. Nationalism of Trump, of course, perverts responsible involvement for the sake of world peace and accommodation. And so does the dominating effect of empire-like act and threat.
2
Ask yourself. Would you listen to Trump? Of course not. He’s a joke.
37
Isn’t it possible that it’s better Trump is staying out of it? His inferior leadership qualities, lack of business and diplomatic acumen and ignorance of world affairs would likely compel him to make everything worse.
16
George Washington advised his fellow American citizens to "avoid entangling foreign alliances". This is an admonition that has been honored in the breach.
2
Anyone thinking that Trump is some magic curator of greatness for countries that are already 1000 times greater than he can grasp are in for a shock. Why? Because this would-be 'leader' is systematically degrading the US position.
This is no laughing matter, especially for those MAGA who fall back on "but the economy is sooo good!". The more the US falters as a leader in the world, so goes its currency. When the currency loses luster, governments like ours (under Trump) that depend heavily on deficit spending are in ... hot water.
9
The Trump administration is a clown show. The U.K. ambassidor to the U.S., Kim Darroch, spoke for the planet when he described Trump as “insecure” and his administration as “inept” and “dysfunctional.”
How did we go from the good guys to this? "America First" and the loss of trust in government are the direct result of two stupid wars -- Vietnam and Iraq. We continue spending $1.2 trillion a year on our military-industrial complex, while too many of our children go to crumbling schools, water systems crumble, roads crumble, bridges crumble.
Is it really a surprise our influence abroad has crumbled?
34
It's not that the R's don't care about the loss of America's status in the world or the lack of respect foreigners now have for America or it citizens; that is all simply a side effect of stripping the wealth out of this country and placing it in the hands of the already rich.
After all, how many Russian oligarchs and Chines billionaires send their women (and families) to have babies in the U.S., in order to guarantee the child has citizenship? They are trying to get out of their home countries to the western world, which they perceive as having more benefits and less oversight of their unscrupulous business practices. They all know that once here, their fortunes will multiply exponentially with the Republicans stripping government oversight and slashing taxes on the rich.
We are becoming a third world feudal society, and most of us are serfs. Trump and his buddies aim to keep it that way, for they consider themselves to the the top of the pile. American influence, morality, justice, etc., mean little to them as long as they can keep the pendulum, swinging their way.
12
Trump pushes America first, but if you think about it the best marriages work and last when each spouse puts the other one first and yes international pacts are a marriage.
This country is at it's best when we are helping others, that's how you lead by example, something Trump will never understand and why he's on his 3rd marriage.
7
“Waning of power”, Mr. Wong, more like common sense, it’s about time we let other people take care of their own problems, in case you haven’t noticed we have more than enough of our own: every time I see an article encouraging our racing to another country or for that matter to encourage the worlds population to show up at our doorstep seeking aide I look at the millions of Americans living on the streets and wonder what are we thinking.
4
@Ted
The US did exactly what you advise now and the result was World War II
4
@FilmMD
Super simplified history.
1
@Ted
The level of poverty in America is a policy decision. Nothing more, nothing less. The poverty rate in other countries is way less than ours. It isn't that we have to decide between suffering Americans and helping those abroad, it is that we view the poor as having done something wrong (or being someone who is inferior or troubled), and thus do not create policies to help them. Please do some research on poverty in America. Your argument here shows that you don't know the issue. Most homeless are temporarily so (and working), huge percentages of bankruptcies are medical bill-related, programs to provide education to those in jail or prison are opposed left and right, we cut social welfare programs all the time, we don't provide renters with lawyers to prevent their landlords from abusing them/kicking them out unfairly, allow banks and other businesses to take advantage of/lie to people etc etc etc.
Obama was on the verge of a massive international giveaway. (A continuation of the history of preceding Administrations.) TPP being the most notable example on the list. America has been involved way too long in international situations. Note a quote in the column. 'The United States is perhaps the only country that can make a difference'. Yes, at almost a complete disregard of internal social and economic distress. Pull forward deployment back to the mid-Pacific and mid-Atlantic. Discontinue the incessant entanglements in confrontations in foreign lands. It has went on way too long.
5
10 years ago the left was complaining that America stuck it's nose in everyone else's business. Their motto was "USA Go Home!" Today, the left complains that America is increasingly isolationist. Well, you can't have it both ways.
8
Actually you can have it both ways—it’s called middle ground, happy medium or strategizing. All or nothing thinking is immature and toxic. But finding the middle ground requires skills and savvy lacking in the Trump administration and its followers.
15
@Oakwood
Your willingness to make this issue left or right is part of what is wrong here at home. Let's drop the political infighting and get something done here at home.
2
Team Trump (Donald, Ivanka, Jared, Tucker, Kim & Kanye) need to go to HK and make the biggest and most beautiful deal.
10
The State Department has been dangerously hollowed out under Trump because he never understood what it does. Without skilled diplomats around the world understanding what is happening on the ground we are not only weaker as nation but more ignorant to the realities of the world.
9
What would you have him do state a war over Hong Kong or the Kashmir two place should that have never been under US influence. The left screams when the US tries to intervene that’s we are pushing ourselves on others then complain when he does nothing. When half the population would fail to back the President and want him to fail no matter the cost to the country how can any solution be allowed to flourish. The best course for America is to look after our own and let other people solve their own problems.
6
With his reckless handling of foreign policy and diplomacy not only Trump has squandered the gains of his predecessors but has in reality come to preside over the liquidation of the US preeminence in world affairs, whatever the "America First" rhetoric.
3
The United States was the first to use the atom bomb and that event forever changed our role on the stage of international diplomacy. We have a responsibility to continue to contain the nuclear genie we let out of the bottle whether we like it or not. It makes no sense to try return to the days of isolationism. Doing so is at our own peril since the destruction from such a war knows no boundaries. Only those with significant world power can wield the influence necessary to avoid nuclear conflict.
Better it is to make America great in the world of diplomacy and build upon our previous skills. We are shooting ourselves in the foot with the willy-nilly and incoherent foreign policy we have now.
5
Trump's central theme of foreign policy seems to be concentrated to money and money alone. And that too for those big corporations and his millionaire & billionaire donors who are handsomely rewarded by his tax and so many other policies like weakening governmental oversight in areas like consumer protection, financial regulation for banks, environmental, protection and so on. For rest of us, for Trump's own die-hard supporters, there is plenty of rhetoric and that eternal promise of making American great (not sure if American achieved Trump's promised greatness yet.)
Now those rich folks & big companies are being hurt by very childish policy decisions of Trump as the golden goose of American middle class prosperity, global influence of USA is slipping away. Cheap Chinese goods basically helped Western companies benefiting immensely while hardly benefited Western consumers much even though they were the main target to sell those products produced by slave-like labor with almost no labor/environment protection laws etc. But increasingly poor western consumers got more dependent on cheap Chinese products and now even that is slipping away.
3
Countries are taking action that’s in their self interest - be it India or South Korea or China. Their self interest, like America First, doesn’t mean they will be in sync with regional or global interests. This is the consequence of US withdrawal from the global stage. We are entering a new normal. It will be interesting to see where this will lead.
4
The President: a former show host, failed casino owner, 5 time seeker of bankruptcy protection who managed to lose $1 billion over a decade, and seriously emotionally damaged narcissist. Why would you expect anything but laughter and a “let’s get what we want done before someone who knows what they are doing is back in the White House” strategy from Putin and other world leaders?
20
A 'hands off' approach to Kashmir is the right thing to do.
4
The closest the world has ever been to another nuclear bomb deployment since WW2 was when Musharraf almost gave the order against India. History has a funny way of interfering with the talking points .
Who would ever had thought that the once,great America would be ignored by the rest of the world.
4
@Donniebrook Then why does a huge percentage of certain populations want to immigrate here?
It's about time someone reported on this very important subject. Trump's focus is the next election. Nothing else seems to matter, so China is free to repeat the Tiananmen Square Massacre, Russia is free to invade Ukraine, N. Korea lobs missiles with impunity, and Climate Change continues its inexorable march towards making the planet uninhabitable for humans. All of this happens while Trump issues nonsensical Tweets at 3am.
I submit that Trump is a national emergency and he needs to be removed from office immediately. IMHO, he is a very sick individual who should not be in command. Given that congress and justice has been neutered by Trump's cabal, it's up to us to emulate Hong Kong and demand his immediate removal.
7
No matter the issue—foreign or domestic—this president has botched it. Our withdrawal from any kind of coherent foreign policy will have very dangerous implications for our own security.
So here we sit, between Asia and Europe, without influence one way or another, isolated from both, respected by neither, echoing meaningless phrases like "Make America great again" while our military, moral and persuasive power has dissipated into total silence. Our armies and our fleet are toothless in the absence of leadership and purpose.
Trump wants only to be re-elected and will poison the country to gain another 4 years in office. And—perhaps attempt more then 4 years. He is incapable of thinking beyond November, 2020.
Our enemies know this and they will act accordingly. So, too, will Pakistan, India, the Koreas, Japan, and Southeast Asia..
8
Earlier, I was of the opinion that no country should mediate the dialogue between two quarreling sides. But listening to J K Rowling’s convocation address in Harvard gave me fresh perspective. With substantial intellectual property and privilege comes the great responsibility. Turning back to less fortunate engenders apathy and mercenariness. However, the motivation to intervene should come from within. If Americans en masse shun the intervention in matters of serious concern, it would obstruct the reach of their education system and ideologies to rest of the world. Being a country that attracts top talent of the world, it would be deemed as a place meant to make immigrants only rich. In all these matters, America may decide to side with majority but at least it should share its ideology with rest of the world.
I find it more than amusing that the mainstream media and pundits are shocked that Trump has tanked our respect and influence around the world. The man is incompetent and the media and GOP have been dressing him up in presidential clothing that he can't wear since the day he came down the escalator. The whole administration is a fraud--a group of bullies and incompetents playing at running what was once the greatest, most powerful country in the world. Just look at us now. And the New York Times is surprised? Give me a break.
10
@Meg
It's too bad the Repubs couldn't come up with any appealing alternatives to Trump during the 2016 primaries.
Trump is the most divisive and most ineffective President in a long time, may be in whole American history. If a person can not govern his own home, has too many broken relationships (including multiple wives) in home and in office (worst employee turn over in White Houses and elsewhere in Trump admin.) then it's far too naive to expect him to lead to address national issues, leave alone far more complex global issues that need deeper understanding of those issues and requires an excellent grasp of our American interest in both short and long term. Trump severely lacks all.
No wonder, the dictators and aspiring autocratic regimes are so emboldened worldwide. People like Putin, Xi, Saudi's MBS, Turkey's Erdogan, Hungary's Victor Orban, Egypt's Fattah el-Sisi type dictators are rejoicing Trump being the President of USA.
5
Why aren't any of the Democratic contenders speaking strongly about this topic? Do they think that Democracy is only a domestic issue?
8
Pretty sure the last thing the world or Asia needs is another right-wing US administration picking fights and escalating tensions with Beijing and Pyongyang, or trying to interfere in local intra-Asian relationships. The planet leads less brutal American interventionism, imperialism, and militarism — not more of it.
Also, for anyone in this article who worked for the George W. Bush administration to dispense advice about foreign policy is utterly laughable, in a gallows humor way (and for us to listen to their advice would be simply insane).
10
It's more "Trump uber alles!" than America First. He certainly is not hands off with China, Iran, or North Korea. He may not be intervening in conflicts, but that may be because he's very busy creating them. He thrives on the "ABC" policy of Anger, Bullying, and Conflict whether it's other countries or our racial minorities, women, and political opponents.
7
The self declared leader of the free world. Yet if the free world is truly free, it may choose to reject our mostly military notions of leadership.
7
It begins with understanding these in the first place. There is no cliff notes version.
1
So pure saying we should interfere politically, but not drive ships through the South China Sea or deal with China’s trade misconduct? That’s a coherent position to take. Sorry. Trump is doing precisely what it takes to confront China in the ways that really have a chance of working, and the ways that are legally and morally justified.. It is this action that emboldened the protesters in Hong Kong. You are striving to avoid crediting Trump. Yet for 30 years he is the only major leader to confront China in a direct way. Why not praise his actions so far?
7
I applaud the President's restraint in HK. I don't think we ought to enrich China until they play by a reciprocal set of rules that we also play by, but I'm certainly not eager to see the trade dispute broaden into a violent conflict with a global superpower. If the disruptive protests continue, it seems a given that eventually China will move in. Arguably that's a quelling of democratic activity and a breach of the rule that says HK remains independent for some time, but I think there's an argument that these protests aren't peaceful (shutting down airports is not peaceful unless you own them, and there have supposedly been attacks on police officers).
These pages have at various times made the argument that Trump would draw us needlessly into violent conflicts. We've come close, but it hasn't happened. In fact with respect to the military, he's been very judicious as to its use. He effectively eliminated ISIS with drones (recall that not long ago ISIS was in the news all the time and had a huge chunk of land that they were effectively governing (e.g., laying taxes upon people living there, operating a military and pillaging oil supplies) and that they hold no land now), and he fired a few warning shots into Syria, but he has not drawn us into a prolonged military conflict. It may not seem so, but we currently live in a very peaceful time. There may be angry people yelling at each other, but we haven't had to send troops into another country to kill people in a while.
7
@Bob agreed. If people in Oklahoma or california attempted to secede from US federal rule using force, guess what. US federal troops would put down the rebellion. US federal power is supreme over states. Just like Chinese central government power is supreme over provincial governments within PRC (which does not include Taiwan). The difference is that we have a representative democracy. Using force to maintain Territorial integrity is a normal thing for countries to do. Lincoln did a lot of that.
1
For many yrs, US foreign policy was an amazing success, fueled by the hard power of the most powerful military in the world--still true--and by soft power. What were the sources of soft power? Many were cultural like movies and tv shows, and they will are powerful forces. Many were economic. One of the more insidious of the economic forces was US trade policy. As Judith Stein documented in Pivotal Decade (1970s, but applied to many before and since), US trade policy rewarded compliant foreign govts. At whose expense? US workers.
As globalists jumped on board, the riches bestowed on the beneficiaries of US trade policy grew at absurd rates, again at the expense of US workers. Until Trump or, more accurately, US trade rep Lighthizer.
I have no idea the extent to which Trump is conscious of any of what is unfolding, but the US is turning off, slowly, the spigot. Yes, our soft power will suffer, but our trading partners will adjust, just as our military allies (and neutrals) will adjust to a reduced level of US military support.
Transitions are hard. Burdens and benefits will be reallocated. But let's give this process a chance. Maybe we'll end up with a reinvigorated working class and the funds to address pressing domestic issues like health care, education, and infrastructure. And let Russia and China repeat our mistakes.
2
The TPP would have been terrific for multinational companies. Not so much for labor, local governments , or the people in general. That's why it was defeated. it was NAFTA on steroids.
7
@Tye the TPP actually went ahead. As soon as it became clear the US was not playing, the remaining countries threw out all the provisions that the US corporates wanted and ratified it.
It's now the third largest FTA after NAFTA and the EU. I'm not sure I'd call that a strategic win for the US
3
@Alien
Exactly. The only thing the GOP negative stance and the pre-election wishy-washy position of Hillary did was to exclude the US from the TPP club. Certainly not a win.
Trump is issuing mild protests regarding unrest in Asia for a simple reason-he has property there and hopes to develop more! He has teamed up with a Malaysian Billionaire to develop a property in Vancouver and I think also in Malaysia.He can not afford to alienate the wealthy in Asia because he does business with them.He is not representing the United States and its values- he is representing Trump Inc and its properties overseas.This conflict has not been highlighted enough-Trump is building his empire and tearing down our Democracy!
53
So where is Mike Pompeo? The US Ambassadors? Where is the State Department? No mention in this article. Trump has two types of Cabinet secretaries - acting and afterthought.
24
@Mark Wasserman
Where are they? Where they and Trump's base want them to be. They're Trumpistas, Trumpniks, whatever.
2
I love how the Leftists decry American intervention throughout the world, whether recent or in revisionist histories meant to paint the US as an evil capitalist empire, now, when we are doing exactly what they’ve always wanted us to do, lament the chaos created in the wake of our declining enforcement of order.
13
@Jon F Thoughtful people, whether left or right of center, decry US intervention in the form of meaningless war and destabilization of other countries solely to protect the profits of US multinational corporations. We do not decry the position of the US to use soft power to improve democracy and human rights around the world. Trump and his entire administration have no clue about how to use diplomacy and to maintain any sense of trust among US allies—or enemies. Trump lies about everything, so why should any world leader trust his word? They cannot, and as a result of his irrational US actions, such as pulling out of the Paris Accord and the Iran Agreement, we have a decrease n reliance on and trust in US leadership. People will argue over whether that is a good or bad thing, but the loss of US leadership on the principles of democracy and human rights moves the world a big step closer to global hegemony exercised by the corporate titans of behemoth multinational corporations.
9
Theres a difference between corrosion and erosion.... trump has corroded everything he’s come in contact with... hence, there has been a marked erosion of American influence around the globe..’
15
This whole article is one long fever delusion. The US has no "leadership role" to play at all. Asia is not and never was America's plaything. The destiny of Asia is for Asians to decide, not something to be dictated by some cocky self-proclaimed leaders of Freedom(tm) on the other side of the planet.
But it looks like reality has finally hit the US in the face in the form of Donald Trump. Hope that didn't hurt too much. Well, at least Americans now have something they can lament on their side of the ocean. Cheers.
15
@Sarah
Humor me. What was NATO all about?
7
@gratis
Definitely not about Asia, for one.
2
Seriously, what did y’all expect when you voted in a reality show host as President? There’s no reason Donald Trump should have the slightest idea of how to maintain our country’s standing as leader of the free world, or even have the inclination to do so.
64
@James
Couldn't have said it better if I tried. But, you left out the grifter "crew" part.
5
The analysis is extremely flawed and just for the purposes of showing that Trump is ineffective. In fact what is happening is a sign of Trump's confidence and it is a new approach to handle foreign policy more effectively based on new realties to protect American interest. A weak president would have been everywhere just to show that he is in charge. Take the case of Kashmir. Narendra Modi is Trump's best friend and Trump has confidence in Modi's action in Kashmir to which overwhelming majority of Indians agree. Trump's action here is clearly in the long term strategic interest of America and it benefits both India and America. Which other country or leader has better relationship with S. Korea and Japan? Trump will intervene at the right moment if they cannot settle their dispute. Hong Kong is a special case. Of course, nobody wants violence there. But, who is benefiting from a little bit of trouble there in the name of freedom and democracy? Remember who is standing against China to protect American national interest in a long time. It is Trump and even Chuck Schumer supports Trump here.
9
The president's incaction shows no sign of mature diplomacy.
1
@john clagett
We politely try to place our words as if we are talking about a serious person or a real President. Please just call donald and his crew what he is and they are: a joke that is making a joke out of the entire nation.
1
Does all the news need a partisan spin?
Abandoning TPP was a mistake, but I remember Hillary pledging to abandon it also. Have we made progress with North Korea? Well, if we have made any, it is more than we did in the previous 25 years.
We did need, finally, to stand up to China. Their territorial expansion and intellectual property theft and generally bad intentions and policies are becoming an ever greater threat. Trump may be a flawed vessel, but he deserves a world of credit for finally doing it.
11
@Meg
In my view of the world, no one should get credit for cutting off their nose to spite their face.
8
@gratis
No, but confronting China is the right policy, and Trump’s predecessors were to timid to do so.
7
@gratis It is regrettable that the Democrats and liberals refuse to recognize any positives that have come of Trump's chaotic governing style. They would do themselves a favor and look more mature if they admitted that in the case of Cina, the bumbler in chief actually bullied the right target. His predecessors kicked that can down the road and were overly cautious in trying to be "diplomatic" and avoid an overdue confrontation.
4
America has, for at least the last 70 years, supported and paid for much of the policing of the world. Europe, for example, was devastated by WWII and we were instrumental in rebuilding it. Regarding NATO, we still supply over 50% of its military budget and 70% of its overall funding. We, in the US, should not have to take care of the world at large. We have our own problems and those should be addressed first.
Maybe that is enough. America First resonates with me even if others in the world either hate us for it or are busy working on their own schemes to achieve dominance. They will find that it becomes very expensive.
5
@BillEvery dime the US spent got a pound of flesh and a good fiscal ROI, for all policy is based on self interest regardless of her unique vision of the world.
4
@Bill
Having a high
degree of moral and economic influence abroad IS putting America first. As chaos erupts in regions where we've historically exerted influence the unintended impacts on national security and economic stability will not be long behind. Your statement is like saying "hey my street is safe, what the heck do I care what is happening 3 blocks, 3 miles, 3 states over, it won't affect me." shortsighted at best. just plain wrong at worst.
3
I strongly suspect that US diplomats are working diligently to defuse the various crises outlines in this article. (They also are attempting to explain to the host nations they reside in why the President's remarks should not be viewed as a deviation from standing US policy.) The NYT would not know the details because they are not shared with the media.
Will our efforts succeed? I do not know, but what I do know is that the Kashmir and Hong Kong crises have simply been waiting to happen, regardless of the US administration in power, and have far less to do with what the President says or does than with internal political forces well beyond the control of the US or any other external actor.
I am a little surprised that William Burns does not provide a more nuanced depiction of this problem.
2
Well then, frank, you will be very happy with full and complete US isolation.
4
Realistically, can any Western nation dominate the Western Pacific indefinitely? It does not seem very likely and certainly not without allies- regional allies. Things will get worse over there. For one thing, without ironclad protection from us, Japan will rearm in a big way. It will have no choice.
2
Can the NYT please investigate whether or not the Trump family or Trump organization has current real estate projects being developed with the assistance of Chinese run companies, anywhere in the world?
38
@Currents Great question! Would like to know that this myself.
6
The loss of the U.S. leadership on the world stage of diplomacy might well be a result of Trump's inadequacies as a leader rather than his reluctance to act and will have long term consequences. Nobody is taking him (us) seriously anymore, just look at international headlines. An it's unforgivable that the GOP has let this buffoon play president for so long.
43
@Herr Fischer. Here’s a solution: he could draw a red line or maybe he could “pivot to Asia” or he could embark on a world apology tour.
3
@Jackson Please cut the thinly veiled references to Obama, including the silly "world apology tour" trope. As for the red line in Syria, do you not remember the Republicans declaring that they would move to impeach Obama if he attacked Assad without Senate approval? They were chomping at the bit, but Obama wisely for not take the bait and got the Russians to work it out. And, cutting to the chase, Obama got the Iran Deal done in 2015, along with Russia, China and Europe, which Trump has shamelessly abandoned. Can't wait to see the back of Trump and reverse that action!
6
Oh, so much winning. I can hardly take it.
There really seems to be no long term strategy abroad other than to reverse anything Obama accomplished. The TPP is the shining example.
In a very complicated and dangerous world, "trusting one's gut",
tweeting policy on midnight impulse, and loving murderous dictators is madness.
24
Trump is a poor diplomat; that should come as no surprise. Furthermore, offshore balancing is more effective, cheaper (human and finacial) than global policing. We should focus on diplomacy and the urgent need for a modernized and fair application process to enable a new generation of diplomats to enter the Foreign Service. I would like to see that written in these pages.
7
It is official. The United States is collapsing as a world power, thank you Trump, the temporary occupant of the Oval Office.
If you lose the respect of China, South Korea, Japan and India you are by definition a loser. America First is translating into America incoherent, America ineffectual and America with no influence, which is precisely where we are heading full speed ahead.
16
Trump has established that little if anything about what the US claims to be is for real.
4
@Yankelnevich
Russia and Putin also have no respect for the USA. Pretty sure most of Western Europe is on that list as well.
4
Mr. Trump wants to campaign, not govern. Combined with a projection of his personal self-centeredness onto the government and an abysmal lack of knowledge of geopolitical history, we have a new official policy. It's very similar to biding one's time until next week's episode of a television show. The new foreign policy is the Trump Doctrine: "Let's wait and see what happens." Passive, not active. The only arena in which this president is active is campaigning to advance himself. Everything else holds no interest.
14
Trump squandered the United States's theoretical title as leader of the free world from day 1 of his Presidency. Withdrawing from attempted Muslim Ban,Paris Climate Accord, JCPOA, TPP, tariffs on Mexican & Canadian Steel & Al, trashing NATO,praising NK & Russia, abandoning meaningful ME peace talks, insulting free world leaders - the list goes on and on.
Why would any nation, friend or foe, look to us with respect or for leadership. We have been become unworthy and un-trusted.
18
@John
Don’t blame Trump; he is bound by the iron law of his nature. Rather, blame your fellow Pennsylvanians.
4
America first?? All of his policies are destroying us. See farmers.
14
@Steve
Trump support among farmers is huge. They will support him no matter how much they have to take in subsidies.
7
Now if only Congressional representatives would reduce military spending.
America doesn't need military bases in 80 nations. America doesn't need the size of it military force if we focus on repelling invaders from our shores and stop being the police force for the world.
11
@Question Everything
As long as Trump is in power, which I think he will be thanks to all the people who still believe in him, there won't be any dearth of spending in the military. His excuse - national security. Real excuse - making his rich friends, richer.
4
International cooperation is the best way to fight serious problems like global warming, money laundering, tax evasion, election manipulation and human rights abuses. It is not hard to see why Trump would favor isolationism.
14
The future is nearly upon us. All attempts by our Political System to deny the future are failing. the DNC political machine insists that the USA is still in 1968, that the country needs to postrate before the world and beg forgiveness for Vietnam, pollution, slavery, industrial strength drug wars, gun violence, etc, etc......The whole mess is the fault of USA 1968 and Richard Nixon. The Republicans, on the other hand,,,,believe the same thing...except that we must contain the Soviet Union and capitalism is good for poor folks and can reasonably be ignored by rich folks when bailouts are needed to preserve the Status Quo.
There you have it.
We have long insisted(since WW2) that China desires to be just like America. We cast our eyes across the Pacific, our westward trek, seeking the Chinese Mail-Order Bride.
But China resoundingly rejected us in 1949 with a Maoist Take-over. Then 1 million Chinese soldiers nearly pushed us out of Korea, then we got stuffed in Vietnam(Chinese assistance? most certainly yes). And then Detente, Most Favored Nation Status, Tienamen Square....and STILL we believe that China "wants to be just like us".
Its the 21st Century. China has 5000 years of its own history. Geography give China a destiny to dominate in that part of the world. Trade Networks once glowingly reported as One Flat World without Borders, (circa 1968)...now more complex with multiple networks that will alternately compete and cooperate.
1
We American’s want no meddling in our own country - Russian influence. But have no qualms about interfering in matters of other countries.
7
@Shipra
Do you think that Russian interference is OK, or should the USA stop trying to influence other countries?
1
The United States has done two things since Governor Winthrop first called us a “City on a Hill.”
We have, first, worked hard to perfect our democracy. It has not happened gradually, but in fits and starts, even to the point of open civil war. But it has happened.
And we have, secondly, been an inspiration and support for democracies around the world, doubtless making mistakes, but often enough putting lives on the line not for our own sake but for the freedom of others.
Donald Trump has done everything in his power to kill this vision of a City on a Hill. We are not perfecting ourselves, but destroying ourselves; we are not inspiring and influencing others around the world but frankly disgusting them.
We can’t move backwards; we can only move forwards. We need both to rethink the new society we here are blessed to enjoy, and to set an example for the democratic aspirations of the world.
That Donald Trump must be voted out of office is a given. What remains is to articulate once again that grand vision of a City on a Hill in our time.
6
I don’t see much success in the foreign policy of previous administrations. Wong laments Trump’s signature withdrawal from TPP, but pulling out was a decisive unilateral move which contradicts Wong’s thesis that US policy under Trump is somehow indecisive and flailing. After pulling the rug out from under TPP, Trump demonstrated that there was an easier way of calling out China and challenging its economic supremacy, namely, through the use of tariffs, an assertive tool which Obama was afraid to use but which Trump boldly threw in China’s face. Because China under Xi was reeling and uncertain in its response, the weakness of its system was exposed. As a result, both Xi and the Chinese government lost face. One could argue that by shaking up our relations with China in this way Trump even paved the way for the Hong Kong protests by portraying China as a paper tiger which could be challenged. Wong, however, criticizes Trump for not taking sides in this and other incidents which would only amount to something as preposterous as Obama’s “red line” form of diplomacy which was never followed by any action.Trump doesn’t have to take sides. He was in fact the one who moved the ground under China’s feet.
2
@Edward
Pulling out of TTP was decisive, but, as there was no idea how to proceed after, it was also flailing.
I deplore making major decisive decisions with zero alternate plans. Perhaps that is just me. For Conservatives, that seems to be an ideal worth pursuing and repeating.
4
Reread my comment. The tariffs were his alternative form of action.
@Edward Ironically, the US pulling out of TPP enabled the remaining countries to throw out all the provisions the US demanded and ratify it last year. It's now huge.
I'm not so sure I'd call that a winning move by the US, but it depends on whether you think trading with yourself is all you need. Big US corporates don't feel that way for sure.
1
Welcome to the Apprentice Presidency. The Donald was a star as a pretend businessman on The Apprentice. Apparently he thinks that being President of the United States is just a continuation of that program. He loves to have the photo shoots and being the center of attention and the meetings where he can pretend to conduct negotiations and decide on policies.
But the fact is The Donald neither knows nor cares about any kind of policy -- foreign, economic, trade, etc. And he doesn't listen to anyone who does know about foreign policy, etc. He just wants publicity so he can play to the trump faithful in preparation for the 2020 election.
Ronald Reagan was an actor who had picked knowledgeable people to advise him and, in some cases, conduct government. I disagreed with much of his policy, but he did conduct a more or less coherent government.
Problem with The Donald is that the only think he cares about is being the center of attention 24/7 and his reelection in 2020.
17
@Aubrey
Another, of the many differences between Trump and Reagan? Regan was the governor of California prior to running for president.
Like you, I was no fan of Reagan’s, but at least he was smart enough to understand the practicality of experience.
7
The foreign policy establishment sounds warnings about lack of American involvement in Kashmir, Hong Kong, etc. Why? Because without US involvement, the career opportunities for such people inevitably shrink. The rest of us, however, don't care what happens in these purely Asian disputes. It's our tax dollars and our blood that are lost when we seek to play world hegemon. I'm not an isolationist; I support strong bonds with our major allies, and I support containing China. But I'm not concerned about what India does in Kashmir, or what happens in Hong Kong, or whether Japan and South Korea are on the outs. The world will get on whether we intervene everywhere or not. But the burden we Americans bear will be greatly lightened if we finally realize that we cannot solve every problem, resolve every issue.
9
@Jon Harrison
Perhaps we shouldn’t be the world’s police force, but what will you say when one of North Korea’s missiles hits South Korea or Hawaii?
What will you say when the “kerfuffle” over Kashmir escalates to war between India and Pakistan? Worse yet, what if they pull out their nukes?
What will you say when the Chinese, emboldened by the quashing of Hong Kong demonstrators, roll their tanks into Nepal or another Asian country?
What will you say when goods and services from all these countries become too costly to pay for, or completely unavailable?
And what will you say when the earth is truly scorched? Imagine the U.S. did everything it could to counteract climate change, but other countries kept on with business as usual?
I say, whether you like it or not, we are all interdependent and it’s in our best interest to try to work together.
3
@Dunn Arceneaux: Thanks for your comment. I have friends in India, and while I certainly hope India and Pakistan avoid war, in the last analysis it's no concern of ours. Even if they were stupid enough to go nuclear (which I doubt), it really wouldn't have much if any effect on life in the USA.
Do you really think North Korea would commit national suicide by attacking Hawaii? I favor informing Japan and South Korea that we will be leaving the Korean peninsula in, say, five years. That will give them enough time to prepare for handling North Korea themselves. In fact, they could be ready for all contingencies in 1-2 years.
We have gotten so used to running the world that we reflexively believe that we need to be involved everywhere. Even China is not an existential threat in the way that Nazi Germany and the USSR were. We cannot and should not keep trying to shape the world according to our own peculiar outlook.
If the Chinese conquer Nepal I'll marvel at their stupidity. That would get them nothing but worldwide condemnation. The Chinese are not ten feet tall and they aren't likely to conquer the world. But if they did conquer Nepal, would you favor spending US lives and treasure to kick them out?
Global cooperation on climate is great, insofar as such cooperation actually leads to results. My comment did not refer to peaceful cooperation with other nations on things like the environment.
A review of American foreign policy is long overdue. In 1945 we were the strongest nation in the world, by far. We had significant power to shape the world that developed after that war, and we did so, generally for the good. We promoted policies that improved the lives of most on the planet, and more importantly thwarted the advance of communist authoritarianism. There were stumbles along the way, but enormous progress was made.
Largely because of the policies we chose after WW2, however, we are no longer in a position to dictate the course of global events. Countries which were devastated by war have risen from the ashes, and desperately poor nations have turned the tide of their poverty, some have become wealthy. We need to stop deluding ourselves that we can, or should, tell other nations how to conduct their affairs. It doesn't work any more, and it now only wins us the bitter resentment of the rest of the world, a resentment that has tarnished our achievements. In his crudely antagonistic way, Trump understands that, and the old guard foreign policy establishment do not.
2
@Chuck French If no one keeps China in check we will all be under their rule before long.
If he were more interventionist, that would be wrong too. Same thing Repubs said about Obama. Same thing Dems said about Bush. Same thing Repubs said about Clinton. Partisans are very hypocritical and dishonest.
8
@Bill Here is the "fact," partisan or not, that if we retreat from international crises then they eventually will find us. WWI, WWII, and Korea are the prime examples. When
our Secretary of State Dean Acheson said that Korea is of no concern to us the North used that as a green light to invade the South. The rest is history.
19
@Bill
That is why I like to judge from results. No one is perfect. Conservatives love to point out how Dems are imperfect human beings so do not deserve to be elected. With that in mind, I liked Obama's results. I do not like Trump's results.
4
@gratis I happen to agree with you. My point is that no matter who is in the White House, half of the punditry will criticize everything that is or isn't done.
Trump has made his diplomats and negotiators ineffectual. Because he has, so many times, reversed their statements, other countries don't take what they say to be administration policy. Other countries listen only to Trump. He has made all of his subordinates irrelevant. Even if Trump possessed diplomatic skills, no one person alone can effectively carry out our nation's foreign policy.
The Trump Administration's efforts to cut costs by reducing diplomatic staff seems part of its general focus on money, money, money. In so many cases this is penny-wise and pound foolish.
8
Trump doesn't care because he's not interested, and his political base isn't interested, so that's that. I've written before: Trump doesn't make America great, he makes it weaker. He has forsaken global leadership in return for....nothing.
25
By taking on the role of a world mediator and enforcer, America is negating the importance and the value of working through the United Nations, which was set up exactly for these matters. By ignoring U.N. and going alone, America just creates more disharmony among nations, and encourages other nations to ignore U.N. mandates and do what they please to, just like America.The world will be a better place if the U.N. is respected and used to settle international disputes. as it is meant to do. Please, no more wars and shows of military might anymore.
7
Trump is giving away our country's hard earned global respect under the guise of nationalism. As this GOP administration continually flounders on the worldwide stage, Russia and China have stepped up to fill the void Trump and company created. This has grossly weakened and limited our Intelligence communities ability to keep America and our Allies safe. Ultimately, it will cause inflation to rise exponentially while wages remain stagnant. Meanwhile, Trump and fellow GOP members put all of America up for sale as they continue to accept large sums of money from global players, including our country's enemies, through lobbyists, businesses and political donations that are self serving to them. Which in turn proves Trump's "national" stragedy is the same ole goal of ensuring the rich continue to get richer while poor continue to get poorer.
6
Contrary to what so many appear to believe, I think it's better for the bitter, acrimonious disputes between Japan and South Korea to be out in the open rather than suppressed. U.S. involvement in mediating between those two countries has always defaulted to the position of ordering Japanese and South Koreans to sweep grievances under the rug and present a united front against China and North Korea.
But suppression of grievances is a recipe for failure. South Koreans have made it clear that they will never be able to truly bury the hatchet with Japan in the name of cooperating against North Korea and China. So I don't see any point in forcing South Koreans to pretend that they've buried the hatchet with Japan.
The Japan-South Korea dispute is really rooted in the fact that during the Cold War era, U.S. officials took extraordinary, remarkable steps to ensure that the Japanese government and Japanese companies would be shielded from litigation arising from the grievances of mostly ethnic Chinese and Korean people who were dragooned into forced labor by Japanese authorities during World War II. But Washington's desire to shield and protect Japan even extended to stopping litigation by native-born white Americans whom the Japanese had dragooned into forced labor in the Philippines.
But the people most bitter about the shielding of Japan from such litigation were Koreans. Better now for Koreans to experience a cathartic release of anger instead of staying suppressed.
2
Continued: You may be wondering why U.S. officials were so determined to shield Japan after 1945 from litigation arising from the suffering experienced by people at the hands of Japanese authorities during the wartime period (including U.S. citizens). There existed in Washington a belief that imposing onerous, potentially ruinous war reparations on Japan similar to the ones that had been imposed on Germany after World War I would wreck the Japanese economy and lead to the rise of a revisionist, Nazi-like political party.
And maybe U.S. officials were correct to have such fears. But we're now exactly one year short of 75 years since Japan surrendered. Japan is now wealthier beyond the wildest dreams of those Americans in the early Cold War era who hoped that Japan would become a prosperous, capitalist bulwark against communism and unburdened by the imposing of a "Carthaginian peace" a la what was done to Germany at Versailles in 1919.
I think an argument can be made that it is long past time for Washington to stop treating Japan and its economy like some fragile cherry blossom that could wilt at the first sign of trouble. Taking this kind of position and thus pushing to sweep past matters under the rug just further fuels the anger and grievances of forced laborers and their descendants in South Korea and elsewhere.
That governments would come to ignore Trump was inevitable. Trump only speaks to his base, and what he has to say is usually uninformed and unhelpful to the real players in the world. I don't see this loss of respect as permanent, the world has no respect for Trump, but America can be fixed, made "Trump free" and credible again.
5
These conflicts are more complex even superficially than he one Trump manufactured with Iran or the uninvited intervention into South American politics that seemed like it would be an easy win for Trump and Bolton--but fizzled to a nothing berger overtime--because Trump has no attention spam given his constant use of Twitter as a communication path.
5
@stefanie So do you prefer Bush who had a better attention span and actually invaded Afghanistan and Iraq?
Trump did threaten Iran and that was foolish. But let us admit at least that his threats did not proceed to action. To complain about inconsistency in that he did not invade Iran seems a bit naive.
@Ludwig
The threat to Iran should have never happened in the first place, and wasn't merely "foolish"; it was reckless, stupid and could have had disastrous consequences. That is only one of the many problems with the Trump approach to foreign relations. The supposed "leader of the free world" should have an attention span larger than that of a gnat that expands beyond his own personal orbit, should exercise at least some kind of judgment and/or restraint, and should not use Twitter as a communication tool to announce policy decisions. Trump fails on every level. He is not a competent leader.
When you're a death merchant, conflict is good for business. Trump from day 1 has been laser focused on monetizing the US military and increasing weapons sales around the globe.
14
"Make America Weak and Insignificant Again!"
That is the reality of Trump's conservative Republican governance.
19
Clearly it’s now acceptable for the president to pick winners, to pick losers or to just sit on his duff and tweet all day. Imagine what could happen when someone smart with good intentions exploits that type of latitude?
4
America First is the biggest joke of this Presidency (and that says a lot). When has any leader ever put another country first? Every bit of aid or diplomacy we do outside of the country is done expressly for the purpose of helping ourselves and keeping our leadership position. We give aid to central America, guess what, it helps stem migration. Trump pulls said aid and more people scramble to get out of desperate conditions. One of countless examples of how eroding international leadership does not help us or put America First.
15
I find this analysis somewhat comical, while Mr. Trump's performance may fall short of the sterling standard by which Mr. Wong would judge him, none of this comes even close to the inability of the previous administration to manage the crisis in Syria. Half a million dead etc. etc. etc. based on the Obama sit on one's hands strategy.
The red line power of American deterrence was wiped out not by Mr. Trump but by the president who let Aleppo burn.
4
@Joshua Schwartz. But the Republican Congress was against military intervention in Syria and then depending on what Obama did could have put us on direct confrontation with Russia. The only reason why Assad is still in power is because of Russia's backing and the main reason Russia supported him is because he bought weaponry from them.
5
@Bigfrog If Mr. Obama had made good on his "red-line" threat and ultimatum, the rest would not have happened. As I wrote, a president threatens, then he should be ready to make good. Mr. Obama acted around the Congress when he wanted to. In Syria he preferred to do nothing.
1
trump is an isolationist. We have been down that road before; how well did that work out?
31
When it comes to foreign policy, Trump is most definitely the bull in the china shop, but the china had already been cracked for a long time. Statements like that of former Obama deputy secretary of state William J. Burns, that “(w)ithout the steady centripetal force of American diplomacy, disorder in Asia is spinning in all sorts of dangerous directions,” are emblematic of American hubris and our "exceptional" belief that only we can hold the world together.
That notion has always been a dangerous myth. Take the Middle East: the "centripetal force of American diplomacy" as practised by both Republican and Democratic administrations has had the unintended consequence of making a complete hash of the region and of weakening rather than strengthening our strategic position there. Saddam Hussein's Iraq served as a needed counterweight to Iranian ambitions -- not only is that counterweight gone, but what is left of the country is in Iran's orbit. We are entering our 17th year of war in Afghanistan with the Taliban very much still there. Obama continued the failed policies of past administrations, but he at least recognized the limits of American power and attempted to engage the Iranians instead of implacably oppose them. With the withdrawal from the nuclear deal, Trump and Bolton may yet lead us to a war with Iran and more unintended consequences.
We are long overdue for a realistic reassessment of what our interests truly are all over the world.
11
@Boris Jones
Of course. However, the US' role as a mediating influence post-WWII can't be underestimated either. From my perspective, that influence led to an increased hubris to do whatever the US wanted instead of accepting every ounce of the responsibility that came with the newly acquired status consistently.
Previous administrations made mistakes, but I find it hard to believe they did so as deliberately as Trump, who on top of his current failures and shortcomings, had no true potential to inspire even a little, to command even an ounce of respect. It's one thing to misinterpret the situation and/or to dread the consequences because one is too aware of what could happen. It's another entirely to not even want to understand the situation in the first place even when provided a briefing in the form of a children's coloring book.
Imagine what four more years of this nonsense will do to the world in general and the US in particular. And there'd already be much won if Japan and South Korea could be motivated to settle their disputes and an alliance formed against Bolsonaro's equally dangerous nonsense further south of y'all.
3
Not our problem(s)! Let these countries sort it out, we're not the referee. Or the banker.
9
@Roberta
USA was never the banker in Asia. it just interferes ans escalates the problem by its intervention.
2
There is clearly a philosophical difference between the Trump-Bolton-Navarro approach and the approaches of prior administrations from Reagan through Obama. Our foreign policy is now 100% informed by domestic politics and is dependent upon the singular view of one man without any political or diplomatic experience. This new approach comes at a crucial time when China and Russia are flexing their international muscles while the U.S. is turning inward with our leaders seeking to close our society. IMHO, this short-sighted approach will result in the exact opposite of what Americans value: peace, prosperity and respect. The Republican party has made a bargain with an incompetent man in exchange for tax cuts and conservative justices. It seems that "greatness" no longer includes global leadership.
13
@Richard Winkler
Our foreign policy has always been informed by our domestic politics. The only difference with Trump is that he makes no effort to hide it.
1
It's painful to watch Trump blustering and floundering by turns. Whatever happened to Jared Kushner's grand peace plan for the Middle East? Every failure to act or lead gets swept under the carpet by some new distraction. Trump is either being played or written off by both friends and enemies alike. Trump's strategy so far appears to be general disengagement while demanding the red carpet be rolled out for him wherever he goes.... mostly for photo ops. The center cannot hold. Centrifugal force is the dominate force in Trumplandia.
4
Just yesterday, Trump gave reporters another one of his typical "both sides" response when asked about the authoritarian actions the Chinese government is taking against pro-Democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong. At the same time, Trump Jr. just happened to be in Indonesia to promote a new Trump real estate deal, believed to be partially funded by those associated with the Chinese government. Thanks to the trump family's business interests, Trump is compromised to a dangerous degree -- it calls into question every position and decision made by this administration when it comes to US foreign policy.
Vote in 2020.
18
"America First" used to mean that the United States brokered deals where the conflicting parties could profit more under the deal than in pursuing the conflict where a winner takes all and both sides lose disastrously. Under Trump, America First means staying out of the fight long enough for the conflicting parties to do each other as much damage as the Trump administration wants. Conflicts are part of the nature of all living relationships. Profiting by them is the bottom feeders art and that is perhaps what the Trump brand stands for in both international and domestic policy.
4
Face it Democracy, Donald Trump is just not that into you. He's an Authoritarian man first and foremost. Loves to run with the absolute power guys. Oligarchs can be fun too.
But those protesters in Hong Kong fighting for even minimal civil rights? North Koreans fighting to just stay alive?
Your just not his type.
11
Re: The waning of American power
From the NY Times
"With Ships and Missiles, China Is Ready to Challenge U.S. Navy in Pacific"
NY Times Aug. 29, 2018
As China rises, American power wanes, unless you wage war as England did on an ascending Germany, 100 years ago.
I am in agreement that America should let leave Asia alone, let them work out their problems. Every time America gets involved, they always pull out last min leaving that area vulnerable and destroyed afterwards (think Libya, Iraq, Yemen, etc...). We as Americans have a lot more problems to deal with at home. This includes things like such as income balance, equality for all (incl. race and gender), domestic terr (aka. mass shoot), etc...
At the same time, Trump needs to stop creating "wars" with everyone during the process. Feels like as if America is trying to start world war 3 to make a profit off people's misery and sufferings (including our very own American people). There is a huge difference between hyping of a story to create conflicts in movies and TV vs reality.
2
If America’s influence is waining because we are no longer sending our soldiers in every international police action, I’m cool with that. I’ve seen enough of our wounded warriors return with missing limbs or not at all, and for what?
5
OK. So the US is not getting involved in Kashmir, the Koreas, Japan, and Hong Kong.
But does anyone have any idea of a single way in which this involvement could be a positive? Does the author? Is there a single place in the world right now where US involvement is a positive?
5
This is only good for the US and better for the world.
Rest of the world actors have been mollycoddled into thinking that US intervention should help their interests. They see the US not as a superpower but a mercenary force for hire.
The respect for the US has waned by a significant margin. For instance, take Kashmir. Pakistan wants a US intervention because it has no hopes of taking kashmir by force.
Mercenaries aren't respected, soldiers are. The US role in world war 2 was of a true leader.
US did not get involved straight away, it was reluctant, it was pushed into a war it did not want a part of. It led to a stabler world order. The same thing can happen again. The US is not a globalist empire and it should not aim to be so. US foreign policy has been a strategic folly since world war 2.
1
We have no business peddling our influence throughout the world. The restraint China has shown over the fiasco in Hong Kong is not how I expected it go down. It may end quite a bit differently when they run out of patience. The tariff situation may be the only thing holding them back from crushing the uprising.
As for Korea and Japan here is a long history of hate and distrust. North Korea is running their own show and we at least have spoken with them twice. Portions of the Middle East are a disaster. There is no reason to be involved in any of it.
I’m thankful we have all but stopped meddling in other countries. The border situation and current political situation minimize any legacy influence we have. Who can consider a country legitimate when half the country despises the president and continues to attack him. Add not being able to secure the border and we look like a laughingstock.
3
@Jim
"North Korea is running their own show and we at least have spoken with them twice"
You are twisting yourself into pretzels trying to defend this corrupt and inept administration. The POTUS meeting with Kim has given him (Kim) a standing he doesn't deserve, all while they continue the advancement of their nuclear program. We all know, if Obama had even thought about meeting with Kim, conservative partisans would be criticizing him harshly for doing so.
"We have no business peddling our influence throughout the world."
"I’m thankful we have all but stopped meddling in other countries."
Does that include Iran? How about Israel? Venezuela? The American empire has been built, in large part, by meddling in other countries affairs.
1
Of course, you realize #45 has no clue about any of these conflicting nations, except his own transactional relationships with his preferred dictators. Historical, cultural or social knowledge of any of these countries is way beyond #45's job description. He's in the White House to pump up himself, and that's about it. And do deals also, naturally, of which he's also eminently incapable.
5
Given his love of bullying & law suits, would anyone consider Trump to help with conflict?
9
The Trump admin has chased away all the smart people with State Department experience.
13
Trump aside, and would that he were, the US is not an Asian nation. Problems in Kashmir, Hong kong and between South Korea and its neighbors are Asian problems to be solved by Asians, not Americans. Neither does the US Navy have any more right to patrol the South China Sea than the Chinese Navy might have to patrol The Gulf of Mexico. Eventually, hopefully not through further useless loss of American lives, this truth must become evident to the American public. The fiascos in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan should have done this already.
4
Stay positive ,,,,, the tide will level off and the results will be favorable....even with all the doom and gloom people out there.... they know no better
1
You very wrong Mr Wong ... with the coming American winter
a bit of friction is good for heat..
The ascendancy of China, that builds the worlds largest Navy, is rattling the region.
We are now at the stage where Australia made her largest, ever, peace time military order to counter Chinese naval expansion
Trump is trying to contain Chinese expansion, largely ignored by previous US administrations, but it is too late
===
"As China Looms, Australia’s Military Refocuses on Pacific Neighbors"
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/11/world/australia/china-military-asia.html
"Special Report: China's vast fleet is tipping the balance in the Pacific"
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-army-navy-specialreport/special-report-chinas-vast-fleet-is-tipping-the-balance-in-the-pacific-idUSKCN1S612W
2
The foreign policy of the current Administration is similar, in some respects, to our foreign policy in the 1920s and 1930s. Resentful of our participation in World War I, especially over the troops killed and maimed, we turned inward. This was especially true after the Depression began. Consequently, we allowed fascist and nationalist forces in Italy, Germany, Japan, and Spain to flourish.
Many observers have commented that Trump's foreign policy has been both isolationist and nationalist. This is partly a result of our failures in Viet-Nam and Iraq. It may keep us from intervening again in Afghanistan and Iraq, but it is also leading to a more anarchic world. As the most powerful democratic nation, the United States would be wise not to abandon its hegemonic role.
8
@Diogenes
You forgot afghanistan. The so called war on terror has further destabilized the world and created fertile ground for more terrorism and radicalization.
There's nothing good that comes out of US hegemony that isn't rooted in a triumphalist state. Modern nation states are more mature than you give them credit for, they do not require a "hegemon" to sort out their anarchic problems.
The US is a country that cannot even sort out its immediate neighborhood and the american continent, a sorry example of a hegemon, if ever the world has seen one
1
America first means nothing when America is alone.
11
If the US has ceded its leadership, and policeman of the world status, and has become more isolationist; then, why has the Trump Administration vastly increased defense spending?
4
Not that I support any of Trump's policies or practices, but I don't think that the US should be expected to take roll in every foreign conflict nowadays. We have plenty to focus on at home, including impeaching our apparently criminal president. I don't see how the US could make a good impact on these conflicts and these overseas nation's should be beginning to figure out these things in there own, whether things escalate or not. The US has a history of making things worse in foreign nations, I wouldn't expect (especially Trump) taking action on our part to do any good at all.
8
Prior interventions by the USA in different parts of the world worked so well. Figuring out what's happening in other countries - and how to fix it - is soooooooo easy.
9
Maybe it’s a good thing to back away from our role as policeman of the world. Now, if only our military budget could be cut in half, imagine all the neglected domestic needs that could be met.
231
@Ellen - After reading all the turmoil brewing everywhere would it really be a good idea to cut our military budget? In the event of being dragged into a conflict I for one want our soldiers, our Sons and Daughters as well protected as money can buy. Of course if the world were a peaceful place I would agree, cut military spending.
14
@Ellen Our role is not that of policeman as much as it is the world's primary democratic influencer and leading democratic power. Allowing China much less Russia to spread and force their influence on other countries using historical prejudices and traditional and unconventional proxies put the USA at greater risk even within our own borders. This is already happening as we all know. Isolationism does not work.
69
@Ellen
Ellen, it would be even better if ‘we the American people’ could not just “back away from our role as policeman of the world”, but if we could move forward in a progressive people’s peaceful Second American and more fully defined, “Political/economic & social Revolution Against Empire” — to achieve the goal of global democracy over Global Empire.
10
Good...all these disputes and conflicts are not America's concern.
3
You left out not just his tariff and NATO-funding wars with our own allies, but the fact that he does not know anything about Africa and South America. Over the past two years, China's (President She's [correct pron., not Xi) one highway program has bought up almost all of Africa's resources; the roads and schools are built on loans with unpayable interest; the top-paying jobs go to imported Chinese while the blacks, if lucky, get low-paying jobs; only the leaders/dictators make off with a ton of money. In South America, China has not made as much headway but have bought natural resources, and shifted the purchase of agricultural products from the US to the continent. That shift is the reason Brasil is chopping up the Amazon jungle -- more farmland while displacing indigenous Indian tribes. Besides, the presidentes, their families, and staff are renowned for embezzlements. But Trump seems to lump all Hispanics into rapists and marauders while there are dialect and cultural differences among South Americans, Central Americans, Mehicanos (classified as North American who speak Spanish Spanish), and the islands. The problems caused by Maduro, who is loco, have caused a mass migration south. So the continent is more complex to the Chinese; only Putin's Russia tried propping up Maduro in exchange for oil resources. Africa was the easiest target for China and it has succeeded.
5
India is an independent country. It knows what to do and what not to do. As such India has done what should have been done six decades back. Westerners support rogue Pakistan Inspite of knowing pretty well what has it done in Kashmir and other parts of India all these decades. Where was this gentleman and others when India was attacked by countless terrorist attacks by Pakistan ? We have had enough and accept no more.
America failed everywhere right from Vietnam days but will never learn its lessons. At least Trump is keeping quiet, which is a good thing.
7
@Sivaram Pochiraju
Western support democracy, and India is the world’s largest democracy.
The Trump administration is so transactional that instead of being credible in any leadership-needed situation, they might as well adapt the old British slogan and say "Keep calm..and buy our lip balm."
4
"The inability or unwillingness of Washington to help defuse the flash points is one of the clearest signs yet of the erosion of American power and global influence under Mr. Trump, who has stuck to his “America First” idea of disengagement, analysts say."
I don't know which option is worse: doing no thing and showing the world how far we've fallen, or getting involved, despite the expertise and mastery of detail President Trum is too lazy, or too unprepared, to undertake.
We tend to focus so much on the presiden'ts daily foilbles, rants, and unpresidential behavior but we fail to see the bigge picture of his presidency: America has lost stature, influence, and expertise due to the premeditated decimation of our foreign service started under Rex Tillerson and, I presume, continuing under Pompeo.
I'm not talking about an unfilled ambassorship here and there, but the sharp reduction of long-term accrued foreign policy brain power with no replacements.
These moves, approved by Trump, are responsible for our smaller standing in the world.
27
Thanks, Trumpers, great vetting, great pick on your candidate. It only took him a couple years to destroy what it took many many decades, centuries, to build. (slow clap)
78
In some parts of the world, the US is seen as meddling in things that are none of its business. Unless there is a important strategic interest to advance, the US would be better off to mind its own business and follow the age old rule of live and let live. To do otherwise, could unnecessarily involve the US in matters that are of little importance to its interests and which might create resentment or worse between it and the real parties at interest.
4
Matters of little importance, say like India and Pakistan getting into a nuclear showdown over Kashmir.
4
Did this letter come to us through a time warp from 1916, or maybe 1939? This is not a good period for U.S. isolationism. It didn't work out so well the last couple of times.
6
@East Coast
And do you actually have a plan on how a US intervention could solve it?
Mind you, both India and Pakistan are US allies, both strategically important, both have nukes.
...
Thought not.
Asia's local and regional issues are not - and should not - be the focus of the US's foreign policy.
Since the end of the Cold War, the overreach and imperialism of the US has been a vastly more of a detriment than a betterment to the world and to the US.
This country is squandering billions on military personnel, resources and aid all in supporting autocratic regimes, dysfunctional states and trying to contain China (which - btw - will eventually politically collapse like the USSR). This is a total waste of by the US.
These funds would be better put to use in strengthening our economy and 'winning wars' that matter - intellectual property, AI, robotics, automation and ensuring good paying jobs here in the US.
8
Most Americans do not care about Asia when their wages have stagnated for 30 years. Most Americans don’t care about Asia when they can’t afford healthcare. Most Americans don’t care about Asia when for the first time in generations, the next generation may not be as well off as the previous one. In other words, Americans want problems solved at home before solving other countries’ problems. Charity starts at home as the old saying goes.
10
Sure enough, but if a butterfly flaps its wings in China ?... The economic rise of China fostered by American consumerism of manufactured goods as the cheapest offshore price possible is part of an underpinning of our own domestic budgetary and tax revenues issues. Information and Commerce are global, so retreat is futile.
3
Trumpism is all about changing, but not necessarily dismantling the old post WWII alliances, the problem is changing to what? America First is a nice bumper sticker, but soft power diplomacy is a big part of America First global leadership. Trump is a guy who believes he’s a genius and he can figure it out on the fly, I believe his entreaties to North Korea and Russia are all about future business opportunities for him and his family, not America First. It’s time for some unity in America, while we the people fight over the petty crumbs, the political class are raiding the treasury for self enrichment.
11
Thank you for this great analysis. It truly illuminates the detrimental effects of Trump's nationalism. America is a world superpower not only because of our fantastic military but because of the respect generated by leading the way on the world stage. In turn, this gives us the clout to influence other nations and the directions they take. For decades, when necessary, these nations have relied on us to intervene (granted we've made mistakes) and adversaries to think twice before challenging us. This president has clearly diminished how we are viewed and in the process created a more dangerous world.
17
@Jim Mancuso
The 'fantastic military' is an aggressive and not a defensive force. Think about that for a second.
1
@waldo Tell that to those who were saved and liberated by our country during WWII. Those who have served and do now have sacrificed immeasurably to secure our way of life. Think about that for a second.
2
I didn’t vote for Trump. I am very glad he’s being hands-off on these conflicts that are not of our doing, don’t involve us, and would only be complicated further by our incursion.
10
Charles
Great if we could be hands off but unfortunately we live in a connected world and sooner or later it will affect us. Later will be too late for us to have any options that we would prefer.
But of course that is the Presidents mindset. He thinks we can ignore what goes on in the world and just hope it all works out, both sides!
6
@Charles You forget that the United States does not exist in a bubble. Any conflict in Asia would have devastating effects on the global economy as it remains the main centre for manufacturing and development of high-tech industries of which American firms are highly invested in. It is in the United States' interest to keep peace as to secure the future of its people and businesses. No other country is large and influential enough to exert the same kind of pressure to keep these countries in line.
As a foreigner this is sometimes a hard truth to swallow, but the Marshall Plan was a godsend at the time. The United States has been able to reap the benefits later with a stable and economically prosperous bloc of trading partners in Europe.
7
Thank you for the hopeful editorial, like Washington and Jefferson, he's trying to avoid "foreign entanglements." And like Eisenhower, mistrusts military solutions, sounds like he wants to avoid Vietnam, Iraq, Afghan wars, foreign meddling that dangerously makes us a hated nation.
But the fly in the soup is his childish attraction to power like a moth to fire.
28
Make America Great Again - like the 1890s. When bigotry and racism were welcome, and c we had no role on the world stage. and the rest of the world ignored us. But we did have robber-barons!
88
@Paul
Bigotry and racism was not the reason for the US low status on the world stage in 1890. It was because back then the US was a much, much poorer country than it is today.
The US only started becoming a world player during WWI, by manufacturing and selling weapons to the European countries in conflict (both sides).
Balderdash. How’s the Middle East peace talks going? It’s refreshing not be the worlds babysitter. Maybe it’ll keep us out of these quagmire wars like Afghanistan. I welcome the mind our own business I’ll help if I can attitude of the president. Long over due!
21
@J Clark
There's a lot of real estate between intractable problems such as the ME and Afghanistan and staying completely disengaged from the geopolitics where the US can make a difference. Trump does have an attitude but he has no coherent policy to speak of because he doesn't know anything and refuses to learn. Is it any wonder that whatever he gets involved with falls apart?
BTW, how are the ME peace talks going? Didn't Trump tell us that Jared Kushner was the one to solve all the problems there? So maybe the question is: how is Jared doing? Answer: failing, as usual.
6
Trump's "let em solve their own problems" policy is a disaster. We need to be involved in disputes because that escalates to involvement in wars, and we need wars; they're good for business.
4
Maybe the UN can take on some of these peacekeeping duties. The US seems to get nothing but criticism and resentment for being the world’s policeman so an international body is better suited for that duty anyway.
73
@Allright The UN is an excellent forum to air grievances, but the Security Council's structure often prohibits action. And while it may seem like a good idea for the US to withdraw from the international stage, there are two points worth emphasizing:
1) The US was isolationist at the outset of WWI and WWII, and it resulted in global calamity. Yes, we should rely on our international institutions first and foremost, but at the end of the day a time proven means to secure global peace is to have a strong leader at the forefront. Not just in terms of military might, but in terms of moral authority. For all the hits the US has taken, the democratic global order it established is still seen as a model to aspire to around the world.
2) For all the talk of "America not making things," anymore, we would be wise to understand one of America's biggest exports is stability. Our bases around the world ensure trade routes remain open and hostile actors stay at bay. It is not a one to one trade that is easily measured, but America's presence often ensures peace. In the absence of US leadership on these issues, countries will continue to test the edges and push deeper into regional conflict and human rights violations. So while South East Asian countries produce goods which the US purchases, those same countries rely upon and pay the US to maintain stability in their region. Regional issues have the potential to become global conflicts unless checked.
15
The international body Trump & Co deeply mistrusts, wants to withdraw the US from if they. Hold, and who will not take sides against the human rights atrocities of China, simply because China and Russia have veto power? The UN is great in theory, but is entirely toothless.
3
@Mash The "stability" that the US exported to the middle-east when it invaded Iraq for no apparent reason has been outstanding.
5
It's better that Trump stays out of these issues. He doesn't know enough about any of them and his decimated State Department has no more experts on Asia. If Trump steps in, the situation will surely worsen.
18
What does it matter when Republicans get their judges, tax cuts, and deregulation? They could care less about jobs, or America’s standing in the world.
54
Influence comes from military strength.
Military strength comes from economic strength.
The U.S. share of the global economy has declined and the Chinese share has grown. This process was accelerated by unfettered free trade with a country that chose to become a U.S. adversary.
So, if you are worried about the decline of U.S. influence, don’t talk about Trump. Talk about the Bush/Clinton team and the Koch Brothers.
And when you’re done talking about them, support Trump’s tariffs on Chinese products and the disengagement of our economy from theirs.
40
@John-Bull. The best way to beat China at their own game was the TPP. Trump pulled out leaving the US with little leverage. The damage that this incompetent fool has done to the U.S. will take generations to repair, if it can be repaired.
240
@BCasero
I must disagree regarding TPP.
I think it would have reduced U.S. flexibility and leverage.
Agreements with key individual countries avoid these problems. They give us the opportunity to make unique economic/political/military agreements tailored to each situation.
I think the proof that TPP was unecessary is that U.S. supply chains are already moving out of China, even without TPP.
But, honestly, neither TPP nor individual agreements would directly lead to economic disengagement with China. Only tariffs will accomplish this.
7
@BCasero I strongly concur with this. The US is involved in countless multilateral agreements in both military and trade aspects. Simply put: The TPP seemed too complicated for Trump, so he withdrew. The best way to counter China's influence is to build strong partnerships in the region, and the best way to build strong partnerships is to form a trading block which other countries see as a viable alternative to the rising economy and military of China. The combined might of the 12 countries would have sent a strong message to China and allowed more leverage in negotiations. But worse yet, the TPP didn't die: The US just isn't involved. So now a strong trading block has been formed to counter China and the US doesn't have a seat at the table. Negotiations proceed, and we sit on the sideline. America is not the leader we once were.
48
It is tragic that Asian countries such as Japan and South Korea cannot find ways of resolving their differences, historical or otherwise. If indeed the US withdraws from Asia (which might include the closing down of expensive military bases in both countries), a big vacuum will emerge that the countries will fill through policies of "independent" self-defense. This is especially true of Japan, whose prime minister Shinzo Abe is trying to revise the Constitution in order to abolish or neutralize the Article IX "No War" clause. If Abe is successful, expect an arms race in Asia that only the United States could have been able to control, or ameliorate.
The lessons of World War II are being quickly unlearned.
129
@Donald Seekins: Great point. The US has already left a big vacuum in the Middle East by conquering and then leaving Iraq. Ironically, Iran is filling much of that space. There is no longer a bipartisan approach to foreign policy and each president acts without regard to the long-tern interests of our country. Our foreign affairs have been in shambles ever since the Bush-Cheney falsely claimed that Saddam had a hand in 9-11. An arms race in Asia would be just what the American military industrial complex would appreciate most.
11
@Donald Seekins
This is exactly what Trump is hoping for.
This will result in these Asian countries purchasing billions of dollars of military equipment, most if which would go to US companies such as Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Grumman, ETC.
All of which are large contributors to the Trump Campaign.
1
Having lived through Vietnam, Iraq war and the 17 year ongoing war in Afganistan, it's time the US stops trying to be the world's policemen.. South Korea one of the world's richest countries, does not need us to protect them against their own people in the north. Historically, everywhere we we meddle turns into a disaster. The road is not paved with good intentions in the political world.
49
@Pepperman While I tend to agree that being the world's policeman is problematic it also comes with its benefits as we used to be the only adult in the room in these situations. Not so much now though so maybe it is best we step back, Regarding those endless wars we seem to get ourselves into ? Reinstate the draft and they'll go away. The general have their own little private army now and its not good for the country.
7
@Derac
Amen, the draft helped get us out of Vietnam, albeit a few years late, without it, the war could have gone on more years. Now any war can be started or continued thanks to this 'professional' army. As an added benefit, the quality has gone down the tubes, starting with the Generals who are mostly working on getting assignments in Tampa Florida, that great Elephant burial ground.
6
@Pepperman
If US were to get out of South Korea the US president could not continue as the country's Commander-in-Chief and the country is likely to reunite with the North and become a friend of China. Of course in that case the world would get rid of those nuclear weapons
1
Americans first. Taking the back seat to prosperity for to long...
5
Note to @MichaelG...
Because education has taken a backseat for to [sic] long...and that is America’s core issue—for far too long. It is a fact that strong primary and secondary education is at the heart of every great Asian culture and economic superpower. Until the U.S. makes education for all a top priority, expect America’s influence to continue its descent.
6
Not a Trump fan. But seriously are the rest of our allies in the world all children unable to settle their differences without the US stepping in?
73
Yes, they are. if you want them to do things that are favorable to our views, then oddly you need to influence their decisions.
26
@Peter It has been like this for most of history. Prior to WWII, the role that the United States now has (had?) played was held by the United Kingdom.
7
@Peter
I think your missing the point. This article is about the waning of US influence under Trump.
Of course the few remaining US allies can settle their differences. Diplomatic disputes come and go, they always have and always will. If there was American involvement it was generally self-interested.
The difference however is that the self-appointed "indispensable leader of the free World" no longer holds any sway to shape events to suit US interests. Such a come down from halcyon days when America chest-thumped it's way around the World.
It seems to me that, far beyond the reach of the Fox news bubble, the disgust and disregard the World has for Trump's version of America is palpable.
Obama bought the US back from the brink after the GW Bush years, but I fear Trump has cemented the loss in trust.
20