Have you ever heard of Ian Bremmer? For most people, the answer is no. Bremmer is an editor of Time magazine and focuses on foreign affairs. He's also head of some organization that supposedly also focus on international relations. He's just put out an article listing the 10 biggest dangers in the world in 2017. According to Bremmer, the number one danger is the withdrawal of the USA from its role for the last seventy years as an engaged leader of the West and the substitution of an America First foreign policy. In other words, the biggest danger in the world in 2017 is President Elect Donald Trump. Clearly, for someone who supposedly focuses on foreign affairs, Bremmer seems to completely miss the idea of America First.
Bremmer treats America First as if it means that America will have nothing to do with international organizations and will never do things that will help our allies. Everything has to be done just for the USA. That means that Bremmer has never bothered to listen to Donald Trump. Let's be clear; America First is a shift away from the Obama foreign policy. No longer will every international matter be focused on the "international community" and what it decides. Indeed, the USA under President Trump will act with the understanding that the so called international community really does not exist. There are about 200 nations in the world, and they act in their own self interest. Sometimes they band together in treaties and alliances, but essentially none of them act for the good of the world rather than the good of their nations. Obama bought into the phony idea of international altruism, and he directed US policy accordingly. That meant having the USA take positions that hurt America in the hope that it would benefit the world, even when such benefit was suspect at best. A good example of this is the global warming deal Obama struck with China. The USA agreed to cut emissions immediately while the Chinese agreed that in 2030, they would start considering a cut to emissions. In other words, America took action which placed a burden on our economy and China said that in 15 years it might also take action. This agreement made no difference in the trajectory of global warming (if that indeed exists), but Obama opted for accepting the burden in the expectation that it would encourage other countries to do the same. So far, none have done this.
An America First foreign policy means that the USA will take positions that will benefit the United States and its people. Sometimes, it may benefit America to do things that help the world community. For example, it will benefit the world to rid it of Islamic terrorism. Such a move, however, would clearly also be a major benefit to the USA. It passes the America First test. Are there economic deals to be made? If so, America First means that US workers don't take it on the chin; we enter the deal only if it helps our country's economy.
None of these ideas are difficult to understand. It makes me wonder if someone like Mr. Bremmer is just unable to see reality or if his misunderstanding is intentional. Either way, he's not worth reading.
Bremmer treats America First as if it means that America will have nothing to do with international organizations and will never do things that will help our allies. Everything has to be done just for the USA. That means that Bremmer has never bothered to listen to Donald Trump. Let's be clear; America First is a shift away from the Obama foreign policy. No longer will every international matter be focused on the "international community" and what it decides. Indeed, the USA under President Trump will act with the understanding that the so called international community really does not exist. There are about 200 nations in the world, and they act in their own self interest. Sometimes they band together in treaties and alliances, but essentially none of them act for the good of the world rather than the good of their nations. Obama bought into the phony idea of international altruism, and he directed US policy accordingly. That meant having the USA take positions that hurt America in the hope that it would benefit the world, even when such benefit was suspect at best. A good example of this is the global warming deal Obama struck with China. The USA agreed to cut emissions immediately while the Chinese agreed that in 2030, they would start considering a cut to emissions. In other words, America took action which placed a burden on our economy and China said that in 15 years it might also take action. This agreement made no difference in the trajectory of global warming (if that indeed exists), but Obama opted for accepting the burden in the expectation that it would encourage other countries to do the same. So far, none have done this.
An America First foreign policy means that the USA will take positions that will benefit the United States and its people. Sometimes, it may benefit America to do things that help the world community. For example, it will benefit the world to rid it of Islamic terrorism. Such a move, however, would clearly also be a major benefit to the USA. It passes the America First test. Are there economic deals to be made? If so, America First means that US workers don't take it on the chin; we enter the deal only if it helps our country's economy.
None of these ideas are difficult to understand. It makes me wonder if someone like Mr. Bremmer is just unable to see reality or if his misunderstanding is intentional. Either way, he's not worth reading.
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