1. In his UN speech, Trump's central message was: “We reject the ideology of globalism and accept the ideology of patriotism.”
Talk about a false choice. And talk about a terrible misunderstanding of patriotism. (My full take at @NBCNewsTHINK @NBCNews) nbcnews.com/think/opinion/…
Talk about a false choice. And talk about a terrible misunderstanding of patriotism. (My full take at @NBCNewsTHINK @NBCNews) nbcnews.com/think/opinion/…
2. The UN and other global institutions are easy to criticize, and they often deserve it. Bureaucratic inefficiency, corruption, and the way they have provided an outsized voice for rogue nations can make these bodies hard to defend. The need for reform is clear.
3. There are downsides to globalization: jobs and industries migrate overseas, global problems like terrorism, transnational crime, and public health crises harder to manage. So global organizations become easy targets for a certain kind of nationalist ideologue.
4. But setting up participation in international institutions as the opposite of patriotism is the ultimate straw man comparison. It confuses the shortcomings of such bodies with the devaluing of their intended missions and falsely portrays them as threats to U.S. sovereignty.
5. Trump criticized the UNHRC and ICC. Both are highly problematic organizations. Neither poses the remotest threat to the United States. But Trump offered no alternative structure, symbolizing an about face for America on universal human rights standards, where we once led.
6. He ignored the ICC’s limited successes, bringing a measure of justice to Balkan war criminals. Human rights abusing regimes like Russia and China, and Burmese war criminals slaughtering the Rohingya, are celebrating Trump’s approach. That’s not patriotism; it’s weakness.
7. His demonizing of “globalism” becomes a convenient excuse for the US to shirk other responsibilities. Trump defended the U.S. withdrawal from a global compact on migration. Today, there are more refugees on the move than at any time since World War II.
8. Only international efforts can prevent destabilizing conflicts from spilling across borders and destroying lives. Yet the US is closing its gates, taking in only a fraction of the refugees it did just a few years ago. That’s not patriotism; it’s shortsighted cruelty.
9. Clearly relevant here is Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate accord. A global crisis involving rising sea-levels rising &strengthened superstorms cries out for US leadership. Trump walked away. That’s not patriotism; it’s burying your head in the (increasingly hot) sand.
10. Trump’s true passion for tearing down global institutions is most evident on trade. Yes, let's open markets and support affected US workers. But Trump’s throwing up protectionist walls and launching trade wars will fail. That’s not patriotism; it’s fear of competition.
11. Trump’s speech suggests no knowledge of history. It aligns with his broader approach to international affairs: He talks down NATO, shames partners like Canada and Germany, attacks international cooperative bodies like the European Union and the World Trade Organization.
12. He cozies up to autocrats like Russian President Vladimir Putin and praises groups like Poland's ruling Law and Justice Party, which is rolling back democratic norms. In every case, it is the opposite of the approach that has served U.S. interests for decades.
13. But that’s Trump. He genuinely wants to tear down longstanding structures and norms: Freer trade, universal human rights, standing with allies. Whether influenced by Miller or Bannon, or drawing on his own ill-informed views, Trump believes that America should go it alone.
14. He thinks alliances &agreements weaken us, that values have no place in foreign policy. It's a middle schooler's approach to foreign affairs: machismo and selfishness, masking hidden insecurities. And it will make the US weaker & less able to lead, because fewer will follow.
15. America doesn’t need to fear and shun the world to have a distinct identity. It can be proud and confident while also using the structures we have built to rally others to our cause and advance our interests.
16. Such an approach does not cede our sovereignty but does understand that fulfilling our international responsibilities expands American influence to our own, and the world’s, benefit. That’s patriotism. END
