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| At least President Trump would ground the drones At least President Trump would ground the drones | |
| (5 months later) | |
| Britons are never happier than when ridiculing the vulgarity of American politics. Donald Trump’s acceptance speech at the Republican convention in Cleveland last night was therefore a gift. It was as vacuous a catalogue of cliches as Barack Obama’s “Yes we can” speeches in 2008. | Britons are never happier than when ridiculing the vulgarity of American politics. Donald Trump’s acceptance speech at the Republican convention in Cleveland last night was therefore a gift. It was as vacuous a catalogue of cliches as Barack Obama’s “Yes we can” speeches in 2008. |
| This is colouring-book oratory, and intended as such. A more serious question is, what would a Trump presidency be like for the outside world? | This is colouring-book oratory, and intended as such. A more serious question is, what would a Trump presidency be like for the outside world? |
| Trump’s foreign policy line has been clearer than his domestic one: it is a revival of Republican isolationism. He attacks Hillary Clinton for bringing “death, destruction and weakness” to the Middle East, citing the interventions in Iraq, Libya and Syria. | Trump’s foreign policy line has been clearer than his domestic one: it is a revival of Republican isolationism. He attacks Hillary Clinton for bringing “death, destruction and weakness” to the Middle East, citing the interventions in Iraq, Libya and Syria. |
| He refrained from mentioning the role of his Republican forebear George W Bush. But he has indicated a clear rejection of world free trade, immigration, and any notion of American sanctuary. Trump’s hostility to Mexican migrants and incoming Muslims has been only mildly diluted. | He refrained from mentioning the role of his Republican forebear George W Bush. But he has indicated a clear rejection of world free trade, immigration, and any notion of American sanctuary. Trump’s hostility to Mexican migrants and incoming Muslims has been only mildly diluted. |
| On collective security, he has attacked “our allies riding on our back”, in a stark invitation to Europe to start thinking afresh about its defence priorities. | On collective security, he has attacked “our allies riding on our back”, in a stark invitation to Europe to start thinking afresh about its defence priorities. |
| Trump is right to point out that Obama’s global antics have been ham-fisted. The continuing continuing chaos in the Middle East may be an easy target, but he has persistently opposed these interventions. Obama’s fascination with the drone as a weapon of aggression, his failed “reset” with Russia, the decline in relations with China, and the clumsy remarks about Brexit all illustrated an ineptitude as self-appointed global policeman. | Trump is right to point out that Obama’s global antics have been ham-fisted. The continuing continuing chaos in the Middle East may be an easy target, but he has persistently opposed these interventions. Obama’s fascination with the drone as a weapon of aggression, his failed “reset” with Russia, the decline in relations with China, and the clumsy remarks about Brexit all illustrated an ineptitude as self-appointed global policeman. |
| Last week American jets massacred 73 civilians, including 50 women and children, in the Syrian village of Manbij. Imagine if Isis had done this. Obama’s wars remain unresolved and immoral. | Last week American jets massacred 73 civilians, including 50 women and children, in the Syrian village of Manbij. Imagine if Isis had done this. Obama’s wars remain unresolved and immoral. |
| A jolt of realpolitik from an isolationist Republican would be no bad thing. Of course, Bush too was vigorously isolationist in his pre-9/11 mode in 2000, but the days when the world’s collective security hung on a Washington heartbeat are over. Behind the bombast, a period of transatlantic withdrawal and reflection is in order. | A jolt of realpolitik from an isolationist Republican would be no bad thing. Of course, Bush too was vigorously isolationist in his pre-9/11 mode in 2000, but the days when the world’s collective security hung on a Washington heartbeat are over. Behind the bombast, a period of transatlantic withdrawal and reflection is in order. |
| As far as Britain is concerned, Trump welcomed Brexit, albeit as a token of his own popular defiance against a ruling class. He would presumably honour this by reversing Obama’s end-of-the-queue attitude to a trade deal with Britain. Either way, the tectonic plates are shifting. A Trump presidency would, like Brexit, be a leap into the unknown. But even the darkest clouds can have silver linings. | As far as Britain is concerned, Trump welcomed Brexit, albeit as a token of his own popular defiance against a ruling class. He would presumably honour this by reversing Obama’s end-of-the-queue attitude to a trade deal with Britain. Either way, the tectonic plates are shifting. A Trump presidency would, like Brexit, be a leap into the unknown. But even the darkest clouds can have silver linings. |