America First?
In the course of a year, the current
administration has managed to make a considerable amount of controversial political
decisions—especially regarding international economic policy. The administration’s
withdrawal from established accords is transforming the nature of America’s
foreign policy. The blatant rejection of international economic agreements is
rooted in the nationalistic slogan, “America First”, which renounces any
political action that could possibly benefit another country. These unconventional
actions contradict the trajectory of our increasingly globalized society and threaten
the nation’s position in the international community.
The propagation of nationalistic
rhetoric and isolationist strategies is not unprecedented. In fact, a recent historical
use of “America First”, is found in the name of an anti-Semitic isolationist
committee that objected America’s entry into World War II[1].
I am not equating
the Trump administration to a renowned bigoted organization, however, there seems
to be disturbing cultural superiority and exceptionalism parallels.
According
to President Donald Trump, our nation is involved in too many international economic
agreements that he considers to be “bad deals.” The president believes that American
people are suffering, because many industries outsource their employment
overseas to countries that can readily supply cheaper labor. Moreover, Trump emphasizes
that globalization is detrimental to American businesses, as many companies must
compete with lower prices of foreign products. Furthermore, the administration’s
criticism of international economic interdependence has extended to pertinent trade
agreements.
In
2017, the repeated disapproval of international agreements such as the North
American Free Trade Agreement has raised concerns not only among the nations
involved, but also in the international community. President Trump has alluded
to withdrawing from NAFTA, because he believes its policies are not in the best
interest of the American people, economy or businesses. Additionally, Trump’s
protectionist grievances have expanded to other foreign policy matters, such as
military defense spending in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the procedural
contributions to the United Nations.
In
recent days, it’s the Trans-Pacific Partnership that has become the next target
of Trump’s “America First” propaganda. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is
an agreement amongst eleven countries to strengthen ties, slash tariffs,
promote trade, and foster economic growth. The creation of such an
international trade agreement was significant, because the economies of those
eleven countries comprise a large segment of the global economy. The trade
agreement initially included the United States, however, President Trump
decided that its policies would not economically favor our nation. The future
of the TPP is uncertain considering the economic importance of America’s participation.
Furthermore, the withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership jeopardizes America’s
leadership in global trade and permits other economic hegemonies to assume
control.
Unfortunately,
there are many uncertain consequences for the isolationist policies of
withdrawing from various international trade agreements and promoting a
nationalistic agenda. I predict that there will be economic and foreign policy ramifications
that will leave an enduring effect on the United States.
As a result of withdrawing from
international economic agreements, our nation is allowing for a shift in global
power from the United States to China, and thus guaranteeing a disregard for
America’s economic interests. Additionally, the international community could
retaliate against our isolationist policies by boycotting American products and
goods. Finally, these protectionist actions will most certainly have an effect our
economy, jobs, businesses, etc.
In addition to economic
ramifications, there will be many foreign policy related consequences of
withdrawing from international agreements. First, the reprisal against
globalization completely contradicts the imminent reality of a more interconnected
world. The isolationist policies will also cause many of our allies to lose
confidence and respect for our leadership in the international community.
Furthermore, our nationalistic agenda will discourage potential trade
agreements with other countries and will end up being more detrimental to our
international alliances. Finally, the unpredictable nature of our current
administration and their inconsistent stance on international policy is only further
damaging to America’s reputation.
In conclusion, the current
administration needs to seriously consider the economic and foreign policy
implications of adopting such an extreme isolationist strategy. Moreover, there
should be a greater emphasis on the cooperation with our allies and the realization
that foreign policy is not a zero-sum game. The nationalistic policy of “America
First” is not conducive to economic improvement and most certainly is not
conducive in negotiating any kind of multilateral policy.
Sarah Obrist
[1] “A Short History of ‘America First’” https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/01/trump-america-first/514037/
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