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tweakabelle -> RE: Leaders agree to disagree on climate change (7/9/2017 2:52:09 AM)
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quote:
Lucylastic
IT ISN’T how Donald Trump would like his first G20 remembered, but a savage assessment of his “friendless” visit with other world leaders is going viral online.
ABC’s political editor Chris Uhlmann didn’t pull any punches when he delivered his wrap-up of Trump’s appearance at the conference, calling him an “uneasy, lonely, awkward figure” who was left “isolated and friendless” with “no desire and no capacity to lead the world
Yes. While it entertaining to see Trump's public humiliation, this masks a far more serious matter.
The self imposed decline of US leadership has left a vacuum in world affairs and already we see Russia and China rushing in to fill that vacuum in Syria, the Middle East, East Asia and elsewhere. Trump has alienated Europe so there's no real prospect of European support for the US countering the Russian and Chinese expansion. In the Middle East the obnoxious Saudis are throwing their weight about, hoping to achieve a position of regional hegemony. In East Asia Chinese expansion, and the North Korean nuclear program are serious problems that are getting worse as the US dithers. Regional allies such as Japan and Australia are perplexed by the US which makes lots of loud noises but has no coherent policy to deal with new threats.
US decline opens up a Pandora's Box of problems that to date no one seems to know how to react to, let alone solve. US protectionism is threatening trade, which has proved to be a force for peace stability and progress. US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement threatens world action against climate change, with serious consequences for many countries exposed to the negative effects of climate change. Doubts about US reliability as an ally has exacerbated tensions in many of the world's more troubled regions.
In short, the US's navel gazing and introspection nurtured by Trump is having serious consequences across the planet. I wonder how much of this is getting through to the American public ... The media, which would broadcast this news in most countries is under direct assault from the White House and fighting for its survival as a free institution and therefore distracted to an extent. And Americans despite the leading role the US plays in world affairs, have never enjoyed a reputation for being well informed about the rest of the world.
All in all a bleak and depressing picture ... and all thanks to the orange disaster.
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