In the course of the bombastic address, Trump highlighted the achievements of
his presidency, lashed out at enemies – Iran foremost among them – and railed
against multilateralism in its spiritual home, the UN General Assembly (UNGA).
In one of the trmore remarkable moments in the history of the annual UN summit,
the chamber broke out in spontaneous laughter at Trump’s claim that "in less
than two years, my administration has accomplished more than almost any
administration in the history of our country”. Clearly taken aback, Trump said,
"I didn’t expect that reaction, but that’s OK.”
But he also didn’t expect that Washington’s traditional allies in Europe would
also reject his one-man foreign policy and "nationalism”. His damaging actions
and obnoxious is the reason why the world is in turmoil now. World leaders
laughed at him and didn’t stand by idly in the face of his assault on globalism,
multilateralism, human rights and international institutions.
What Trump and his one-man foreign policy has done to the world is not a joke
and certainly the UN General Assembly is not a comedy club for a thunderous
recitation of his "America First” policies or go-it-alone views that have
strained US relationships with the world and destabilized the planet.
While addressing the assembly, for instance, French President Emmanuel Macron
discredited Trump after the US president urged the world to isolate Iran,
accusing it of sponsoring terrorism and sowing "chaos, death and destruction" in
the Middle East. This is while the country is still in the 2015 nuclear deal
despite Trump's withdrawal from it, and 12 reports by the International Atomic
Energy Organization have substantiated that.
Macron, nevertheless, called for "dialogue and multilateralism" on Iran, shortly
after Trump promised hard-hitting sanctions against Tehran. Just like his
Chinese, Russia, British and German counterparts, Macron credited the historic
nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action,
reached between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries in 2015.
Reality slapped Trump in the face again when Iranian President Hassan Rouhani
took aim at him in yet another defiant speech. In a direct reference to the
United States and its Middle Eastern allies, Rouhani condemned the "recklessness
of some states for international values,” and the fact that while most leaders
use their time on the UN stage to list the international agreements they have
made or helped to protect, Trump clearly delighted in telling the world how many
such pieces of paper he had voided.
Trump may not fully understand why his second address at the General Assembly
was met largely by silence from the "globalist” enemy and why world leaders
laughed at him. As Rouhani made clear, they all care about facts, as
"confronting multilateralism is not a sign of strength. Rather it is a symptom
of the weakness of intellect - it betrays an inability in understanding a
complex and interconnected world.”
By most accounts, the law of the survival of the fittest, protectionism and
isolationism that Trump advocated at the UN will only lead to heightened
tensions and conflicts across the globe. It is up to world leaders, therefore,
to say no to Trump’s erosion of multilateralism.
World leaders have a duty to stand up for global peace and security. Under
International Law and the UN Charter, they must safeguard multilateralism and
collective action in international affairs, and reject Trump’s "doctrine of
patriotism” and "economic terrorism.” They must reject the obsolete manifesto
for ‘nativitism’ and ‘nationalism’ that Trump advocates in the world.
Source:FNA