When we think about threats to world peace, it’s commonplace in America to think about Russia or North Korea. People don't tend to evaluate how our government actors, like President Donald Trump, can affect the peace. While Trump should show diplomacy to keep the peace, he has shown in cases over the last year that he is not acting carefully in a global sense. If I were Trump, I would evaluate how the actions he’s making as commander in chief can disrupt the peace.
Trump has openly spoke out against the United Nations saying that it wasn't a friend of freedom. During his presidential campaign, Trump openly talked about pulling the United States out of foreign treaties for trade, the military, and the environment. Trump even threatened to take away funding from the United Nations. With the United States being a global power and a huge funder to the UN, Trump’s disproval of the UN could lead to it’s demise. The United Nations was put in place to maintain international peace and security. Without the POTUS’s approval of the UN, it sends a bad message to other world leaders about where the United States stands on foreign policy. If Trump doesn't seem to care about world order and an organization like the United Nations, who’s to say that other countries will. Trump is setting a bad example for other nations as well as the citizens of the United States.
Some argue that it isn't the United States problem to maintain world peace. Those who believe in a hands-off approach to foreign policy say that the United States invests too much money into places where it isn't needed. What they don't realize is how the United States loses control over what is going on when they don't have a seat at the table. Trump loves to throw out that the United States is the most powerful country in the world and that no one can come close to our military power, and yet, he doesn't realize the world chaos he can cause by not maintaining relationships with other countries.
Trump has taunted the dictator of North Korea via Twitter over nuclear weapons which is careless. The last thing the world needs is another cold war over the possibility of the United States getting in a nuke war with North Korea. Withdrawing from the Paris Agreement sent messages of the United States unwilling to stay cooperative with other nations. Even Trump’s decision to acknowledge Jerusalem as the capital of Israel wasn't in accordance with what other members of the United Nations wanted. Commenting that the continent of Africa was a combination of shithole countries was not his brightest moment. Trump is showing carelessness in the way he is communicating to and with the world. It can only go on for so long before a threat gets fed up and acts upon their aggravation.
While Trump has shown a bad track record so far, he has opportunities to show his willingness to maintain peace. With the war in Syria still going on, Trump can come up with a plan to alleviate the stress and aid the humanitarian crisis. Although he is saying he is going to pull out of the Iran Nuclear deal, he can try to negotiate it to get what he wants while still maintaining the peace. Where muslim minorities are being threatened with genocide in Myanmar, Trump can do the very least and speak up against this issue. Trump needs to keep his seat at the International table. With no communication with other world leaders, it is naive to assume that the safety and security of the United States is without a doubt.
Lauren Whelan
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