The Iran deal has been scrapped, the North Korea summit is on the brink of tatters, tensions are being deliberately instigated in the Middle East by legalising occupation and there is an active willingness to drop bombs – all of this, unfortunately and regrettably, points to a gloomy, war-filled future. Even more depressingly, people voted for this – willingly and knowingly.
Now, you would be forgiven to think that this was supposed to have been confined to the history books of the past, of the very distant past. But this is the present and possibly the future too. And there is only one person to blame for most of this disorder: Donald J. Trump, the 45th US President.
Who on earth would have expected that appointing John Bolton as the 27th National Security Advisor, a known hard liner with regards to foreign policy, would lead to the Iran deal being trashed and put off the North Koreans from engaging in June’s summit? Well, most rationally minded people, experts and commentators did expect it to go this way and they did warn – but Donald Trump just wouldn’t listen.
Trashing the Iran Deal isn’t an isolated phenomenon, it has the ability to trigger a chain of events, unwanted events that is. Firstly, the deal was aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons, it was therefore an effective preventative mechanism that would make it impossible for Iran to develop uranium for destructive means. With this preventative mechanism off the table, the reality of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons is back on the table. And if Iran gets a nuclear weapons, then Saudi Arabia will follow suit, as asserted by its Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman.
Nuclear proliferation will be in the driving seat, without a seat belt and with full force on the accelerator – travelling at a speed where regulations are left miles behind towards a destination of a nuclear war in the Middle East nearing at lightning speed.
Or who would have ever imagined that Palestinians would be provoked, lose trust in the USA to perform the role of an honest referee and refuse to meet with Mike Pence in response to Donald Trump’s decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem? Erm, all of the member-states of the European Union, members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and tens of other countries did, in fact, express disdain at Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Trump was cautioned and warned, advised and instructed, persuasion was used and pressure was exerted; but he just wouldn’t listen.
Trump will therefore be single-handedly responsible for causing additional havoc and terror to an already war-torn, conflict-riddenand polluted planet. That would be an achievement worth being recognised for, albeit not with a Nobel Peace Prize. May be a chapter in history books would be reflective of Trump’s adverse and ill-thought actions under the title of: Lessons from America’s Downward Trajectory.
Apart from picking military confrontations and inciting tensions in other various parts of the world, President Trump is also initiating trade wars in the name of “America First” policies. This may be justifiable if it was only hitting the interests of America’s foes. However, the reality is that its friends and allies are also likely to be adversely affected through his protectionist policies, which will inevitably hurt the USA itself as well. One of the most fundamental and basic lessons of diplomacy is: don’t alienate your friends and allies. However, President Trump is doing exactly that. He is alienating the country’s closest allies and thereby inadvertently isolating the USA in the 21st Century by adopting dreadful policies.
Hence, one can only hope that this dark chapter of America’s politics will soon come to an end; if not then the USA will never be ‘great again’.
Apart from hope, one practical way of putting end to this gloomy chapter of America’s politics is to get out and vote in the Congressional elections later on this year. Only a Congress controlled by the Democrats can ultimately curb, restrain or even put an end to Trump’s awful legislative agenda.
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Muhammed Raza Hussain is an award-winning writer: he is the Extra-Mile winner of the News Quest Young Reporter Scheme 2014 and received a certificate for Talent for Writing by Young Writers. Twitter @MuhammedRaza786 | Instagram: M.Raza.H_ | Facebook: @MRazaHOfficial
