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The Observer view on Britain’s relationship with America The Observer view on Britain’s relationship with America
(about 11 hours later)
Supporters of Theresa May say she was dealt an unlucky set of cards when she took over from David Cameron last summer. The biggest, most obvious challenge was how to handle Britain’s vexed departure from the European Union. There were other inherited problems, such as under-funding of the NHS and social care.Supporters of Theresa May say she was dealt an unlucky set of cards when she took over from David Cameron last summer. The biggest, most obvious challenge was how to handle Britain’s vexed departure from the European Union. There were other inherited problems, such as under-funding of the NHS and social care.
And then came Donald Trump. The new US president’s first week in office has proved beyond any doubt that he is like nothing that has gone before. Trump is ignorant, prejudiced and vicious in ways that no American leader has been, certainly in living memory. There is no precedent for dealing with such a man in so vital an office, no political or diplomatic road-map on which a British prime minister can draw. When May entered the White House last Friday, she entered uncharted territory.And then came Donald Trump. The new US president’s first week in office has proved beyond any doubt that he is like nothing that has gone before. Trump is ignorant, prejudiced and vicious in ways that no American leader has been, certainly in living memory. There is no precedent for dealing with such a man in so vital an office, no political or diplomatic road-map on which a British prime minister can draw. When May entered the White House last Friday, she entered uncharted territory.
On the face of it, May emerged unscathed and, fleetingly, with her international reputation enhanced. Survival would have been good enough. But May appeared to exert a briefly calming influence on her unpredictable host. Trump minded his manners and more or less stuck to a conventional script during their joint press conference. More than that, May extracted a pledge of sorts, that he would support Nato “100%”. And she made other gains on the day: the president’s support for Brexit, his promise to negotiate the bilateral trade deal she craves and his endorsement of the “special relationship”. Perhaps May believes the cringe-making moment when Trump, the alleged serial groper, took her by the hand may just have been worth it.On the face of it, May emerged unscathed and, fleetingly, with her international reputation enhanced. Survival would have been good enough. But May appeared to exert a briefly calming influence on her unpredictable host. Trump minded his manners and more or less stuck to a conventional script during their joint press conference. More than that, May extracted a pledge of sorts, that he would support Nato “100%”. And she made other gains on the day: the president’s support for Brexit, his promise to negotiate the bilateral trade deal she craves and his endorsement of the “special relationship”. Perhaps May believes the cringe-making moment when Trump, the alleged serial groper, took her by the hand may just have been worth it.
Sadly for May, for the people of Britain, and all those across the world who depend to varying degrees on the leadership and support of the US government, these achievements are likely to prove illusory. Her Washington triumph, if that is what it was, will be short lived. On the issues that matter most to Britain, Trump cannot be trusted. When it comes to Nato and the future of the western alliance, he says contradictory things almost every day. But his underlying message is that he has little use for an organisation he views as a drain on American resources. This reflects his hostility to multilateral collaboration of any kind, be it through trade treaties or the UN. Like his other inarticulate, garbled blatherings, Trump’s Nato promise is worthless.Sadly for May, for the people of Britain, and all those across the world who depend to varying degrees on the leadership and support of the US government, these achievements are likely to prove illusory. Her Washington triumph, if that is what it was, will be short lived. On the issues that matter most to Britain, Trump cannot be trusted. When it comes to Nato and the future of the western alliance, he says contradictory things almost every day. But his underlying message is that he has little use for an organisation he views as a drain on American resources. This reflects his hostility to multilateral collaboration of any kind, be it through trade treaties or the UN. Like his other inarticulate, garbled blatherings, Trump’s Nato promise is worthless.
It is germane to ask whether Britain approves of Trump’s sweeping bans on Muslim immigrants from Middle East countries, including Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya, where the scale of human suffering disgraces the wealthy, western world that did so much to cause it. Yesterday, the human cost of the measure was becoming clear, as anger and fear spread around the globe. Will Britain tell him he is wrong? Or will it now adopt similar “extreme vetting” procedures to ensure people here can still travel to the US?It is germane to ask whether Britain approves of Trump’s sweeping bans on Muslim immigrants from Middle East countries, including Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya, where the scale of human suffering disgraces the wealthy, western world that did so much to cause it. Yesterday, the human cost of the measure was becoming clear, as anger and fear spread around the globe. Will Britain tell him he is wrong? Or will it now adopt similar “extreme vetting” procedures to ensure people here can still travel to the US?
Given Trump’s attacks on independent media organisations, and his gagging orders on government agencies, there is a growing case for taking the US before the UN’s human rights council. But that in turn raises another awkward question for May. Trump says he will slash funding for the UN, which Britain supports as the world’s chief guarantor of international law and peace and security. On this, Trump must surely be opposed by Britain, must he not? Likewise, his reckless plan to move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, which risks provoking a third Palestinian intifada and the loss of key Arab allies. Britain cannot acquiesce in such idiocy. Well, can it, Mrs May?Given Trump’s attacks on independent media organisations, and his gagging orders on government agencies, there is a growing case for taking the US before the UN’s human rights council. But that in turn raises another awkward question for May. Trump says he will slash funding for the UN, which Britain supports as the world’s chief guarantor of international law and peace and security. On this, Trump must surely be opposed by Britain, must he not? Likewise, his reckless plan to move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, which risks provoking a third Palestinian intifada and the loss of key Arab allies. Britain cannot acquiesce in such idiocy. Well, can it, Mrs May?
Given Trump’s nationalistic “America first” approach and his predatory business instincts, any future bilateral trade treaty can be expected to be damaging to British interests. Trade already flows freely between the two countries. What would be lost are the current EU protections, in particular workplace rights and standards and agricultural import safeguards. The sort of pact that Trump envisages would render Britain defenceless to the conscience-free, capitalist ravages of American multinationals whose takeover raids have already done much damage to British manufacturing and well-known British brands. Trump does not want free trade. He wants a free ride. Equally telling about the May-Trump meeting, and not a little humiliating, was the wide range of important issues May did not appear to raise, at least with any vigour. It was embarrassingly plain that Trump was ready to ignore her concerns about Russia, just as soon as her back was turned. May insisted that Moscow must honour the Minsk accords before any sanctions are relaxed. It was pretty obvious that Trump had no idea what the Minsk accords are. The White House was circulating a memo on lifting sanctions even as May spoke. Yesterday, Trump spoke to Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, for whom he has repeatedly expressed credulous admiration. Who knows what he will do next? May certainly doesn’t.Given Trump’s nationalistic “America first” approach and his predatory business instincts, any future bilateral trade treaty can be expected to be damaging to British interests. Trade already flows freely between the two countries. What would be lost are the current EU protections, in particular workplace rights and standards and agricultural import safeguards. The sort of pact that Trump envisages would render Britain defenceless to the conscience-free, capitalist ravages of American multinationals whose takeover raids have already done much damage to British manufacturing and well-known British brands. Trump does not want free trade. He wants a free ride. Equally telling about the May-Trump meeting, and not a little humiliating, was the wide range of important issues May did not appear to raise, at least with any vigour. It was embarrassingly plain that Trump was ready to ignore her concerns about Russia, just as soon as her back was turned. May insisted that Moscow must honour the Minsk accords before any sanctions are relaxed. It was pretty obvious that Trump had no idea what the Minsk accords are. The White House was circulating a memo on lifting sanctions even as May spoke. Yesterday, Trump spoke to Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, for whom he has repeatedly expressed credulous admiration. Who knows what he will do next? May certainly doesn’t.
Trump was unforthcoming, to the point of deliberate obfuscation, on the question of torture, which he believes has a place in the US armoury of anti-terror tools. His insincerity in claiming he would leave decisions about using waterboarding and other illegal techniques to his defence secretary was insultingly insincere. Delegating key decisions is not part of the Trump play-book. Does he care that oh-so-special Britain abhors torture? No, he does not. Will he bring back the black sites and unlawful renditions if they serve his apocalyptic vow to destroy Isis? Of course he will. Does it matter to him that the UK might, in response, restrict intelligence co-operation? Trump exhibits contempt for his own intelligence agencies, so forget about MI6. He thinks he knows best about everything. He cannot be trusted an inch.Trump was unforthcoming, to the point of deliberate obfuscation, on the question of torture, which he believes has a place in the US armoury of anti-terror tools. His insincerity in claiming he would leave decisions about using waterboarding and other illegal techniques to his defence secretary was insultingly insincere. Delegating key decisions is not part of the Trump play-book. Does he care that oh-so-special Britain abhors torture? No, he does not. Will he bring back the black sites and unlawful renditions if they serve his apocalyptic vow to destroy Isis? Of course he will. Does it matter to him that the UK might, in response, restrict intelligence co-operation? Trump exhibits contempt for his own intelligence agencies, so forget about MI6. He thinks he knows best about everything. He cannot be trusted an inch.
If Trump were an African dictator or Middle Eastern despot, a friendly visit by the British prime minister would be seen as conferring respectability on him and his policies and thus be deemed ill-judged. The dilemma for Britain and the other western democracies is that arbitrary despotism is an exact description of Trump’s flurry of divisive, ill-considered executive orders last week. Does May, through her fawning, flattering presence, mean to endorse Trump’s bullying, precedent-setting treatment of Mexico, his less powerful neighbour, and his renewed vow, in a Fox interview, to build a “real, impenetrable wall” between the two countries? May dodged the question at the White House.If Trump were an African dictator or Middle Eastern despot, a friendly visit by the British prime minister would be seen as conferring respectability on him and his policies and thus be deemed ill-judged. The dilemma for Britain and the other western democracies is that arbitrary despotism is an exact description of Trump’s flurry of divisive, ill-considered executive orders last week. Does May, through her fawning, flattering presence, mean to endorse Trump’s bullying, precedent-setting treatment of Mexico, his less powerful neighbour, and his renewed vow, in a Fox interview, to build a “real, impenetrable wall” between the two countries? May dodged the question at the White House.
Trump is primarily an American phenomenon and primarily an American problem. If the American people and their Congressional representatives are foolish enough, or apathetic enough, to accept the environmental havoc implicit in Trump’s go-ahead for projects such as the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines; if the wrecking of healthcare provision for millions of fellow Americans is deemed acceptable; if not enough citizens care enough to block Trump’s assault on women’s rights, especially access to abortion; if his looming bid to pack the supreme court with illiberal, extreme rightwing buffoons like himself is not stopped by domestic opponents, then there is little or nothing the outside world can do about it.Trump is primarily an American phenomenon and primarily an American problem. If the American people and their Congressional representatives are foolish enough, or apathetic enough, to accept the environmental havoc implicit in Trump’s go-ahead for projects such as the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines; if the wrecking of healthcare provision for millions of fellow Americans is deemed acceptable; if not enough citizens care enough to block Trump’s assault on women’s rights, especially access to abortion; if his looming bid to pack the supreme court with illiberal, extreme rightwing buffoons like himself is not stopped by domestic opponents, then there is little or nothing the outside world can do about it.
But America’s self-styled good friends, especially May, cannot honestly stand by when Trump’s ignorance and hubris threaten their own interests and those of the wider democratic community of nations. Trump’s servile courting of Putin is highly dangerous; May should follow up with a strong, unequivocal public statement of the British position. Trump’s threats against China undermine Britain’s attempts at engagement and risk international confrontation. May must say so. Trump’s protectionist, isolationist and jingoistic policies hurt Britain. And his loose talk about creating safe havens in northern Syria risks drawing Britain, against its will, into a war potentially involving Russia and Iran that it has hitherto avoided.But America’s self-styled good friends, especially May, cannot honestly stand by when Trump’s ignorance and hubris threaten their own interests and those of the wider democratic community of nations. Trump’s servile courting of Putin is highly dangerous; May should follow up with a strong, unequivocal public statement of the British position. Trump’s threats against China undermine Britain’s attempts at engagement and risk international confrontation. May must say so. Trump’s protectionist, isolationist and jingoistic policies hurt Britain. And his loose talk about creating safe havens in northern Syria risks drawing Britain, against its will, into a war potentially involving Russia and Iran that it has hitherto avoided.
Whatever the prime minister may think or hope, Trump cannot be counted as a friend of Britain. He is a threat to our values, our safety and our prosperity. When he makes a state visit later this year at May’s (not the Queen’s) unfortunate invitation, the people of Britain should make clear, speaking with one voice, how very unwelcome he is.Whatever the prime minister may think or hope, Trump cannot be counted as a friend of Britain. He is a threat to our values, our safety and our prosperity. When he makes a state visit later this year at May’s (not the Queen’s) unfortunate invitation, the people of Britain should make clear, speaking with one voice, how very unwelcome he is.
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