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THE US FOREIGN POLICY - FROM TRIUMPH TO HUBRIS ?


To:     The Right Honourable American President Hon. Donald Trump

From: Athinarayanan Sanjeevraja

Date: May 18, 2019

RE:     The US Foreign Policy – From Triumph to Hubris?   

Suggestion:
Hon. President, let me start by paying my respects to you and through you to. Hon. President, your foreign policy doctrine resists the US power and influence in the world since 2017 because it consists more economic protectionisms especially import taxes on steel, less cooperation with your alliances such as Europe, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, Japan etc, less cooperation with multilateral organisation such as UN, NATO, the World Bank, the IMF, WTO etc, interventionism such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Venezuela, Iran, Libya, Yeman etc, US sanctioned countries such as Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Nicaragua, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Darfur, Syria, Ukraine, Venezuela etc, continued weapon sales to Saudi Arabia, Keeping the US troops in Syria indefinitely, bloated military spending and nationalism such as the America First. This would not improve the US power and influence in the world. Many people will die, lack of medical facilities, food, water etc because of the US sanctions. Before you started a trade war with China, imposing tariffs on the EU, Canada, Mexico, Japan, South Korea. Your import taxes on steel from the EU, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, Japan and other countries claimed national security. In my opinion, it was outrageous. You are forcing the EU, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, Japan and other nations to limit exports of steel to the US. The US was interested in carving out an economic sphere and didn’t want competition. My mother often told me that we’re about what we create in this world not what we consume. The US trade treaties put the US largely out of the business of creating things. The signs of dissent and division from the EU, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, Japan and other countries once trusted and loyal allies is crumbling because of import taxes on steel. This is not only leaves the US support in serious doubt but also leaves the US in dire position in the world. There is a message when the best negotiator realise what is offered is the best either side can get and there is an agreement. It is my humble request you to get back balanced trade with world.

Hon. President, your first foreign policy doctrine was to attack NATO, 70 years of peace in Europe. If I am not mistaken, NATO is an unparalled success in keeping the US out of war in Europe. Moreover, you did more damage to NATO that has been so important to the US security for so long. You appointed a World Bank President Mr. David Malpass. He has no knowledge of poverty and development. IMHO, World Bank should focus on the poorest of the poor instead of helping slightly better off people. Better off people have resources to be receptive to economic development programme. You had refused to permit new arbitration judge in the WTO as terms expired because new arbitration judge does not want the US held to rules. Iran nuclear deal was legitimate one. It prevented Iran from gaining the nuclear arms. It helped Iranis economically. Iran was willing to open their door to encourage economic growth but your administration made mess by destroying the Iranian nuclear deal and gross economic attack on Iran. North Korea denuclearisation is possible but it must start by those who pose nuclear weapons and used nuclear weapons on innocent people. I believe it pretty obvious.  Interventionism and nationalism both are disasters and though logically inconsistent with each other. Both corrode the path to peace and prosperity. Both constitute your foreign policy. Both will lead to war. Nationalism will encourage other nation to attack weak nation with impunity. Interventionism will encourage other nation to counter intervention. In my perspective, if we intervened in the politics of the other nation is a hostile act against that nation. Your nationalism policy such as America First reflects realist’s perspectives of international relations.  

Hon. President, the US spends more on defence than combined countries such as the UK, Germany, France, Japan, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and South Korea defence spending. In addition, the US military presence in the Middle East is driven by oil dependency at huge cost. Some estimates that $125 billion per year. The US sends billions in military aid to repressive regimes globally. Indeed, the US has lost lot of tax payer’s money on military spending. The US is using too much of its resources just for fighting useless wars. If I am not mistaken, the US has not won a war in the last five decades despite that the US at war constantly. If the US had won the war, what would the US have gained? Would the US be safer? I don’t believe so. The US lost lot though. Instead of spending military, the US could have provided quality healthcare for its citizens, replacing lead water pipes which poisoning millions of Americans, quality infrastructure including fix roads and bridges, build a modern rail network, shutdown all the US military bases in different countries and fabulous renewable energy alternatives to fight climate change than fighting useless war. I always believe in sense of a battle of optimism and the greater good than pessimism and self-interest. Self interest was so amorphous. The World is in need of stability not the chaos Hon. President. History reveals that the US foreign policy always connected with strong human rights. But your foreign policy doctrine is morally repugnant. The sanctions ordered to be lifted were of humanitarian nature. The US foreign policy requires thought and reasonable discussion.  

Hon. President, you have created the conflicts with Iran nuclear deal, conflicts with Mexico and South America over immigrants and the border, conflicts with North Korea, conflicts with China trade, escalating middle east conflicts, have pulled out the Paris Climate Accord for nothing and you failed to create an alternative plan for fighting climate change,  threatening military intervention in Venezuela, want to proceed with the pipeline that threatens native American land and the list continues. But the hubris was that characterised much of White House not in your administration but it was started during the Hon. Bill Clinton administration who was slammed to the ground by Saudi terrorists in the US on legal visas. They flew aircraft into the twin towers of the World Trade Centre and killed thousands of people including Muslims on September 11, 2001. If the US keeps breaking the treaties especially Iran nuclear deal unilaterally why would any nation bother going to the trouble of negotiating a treaty with you during your Presidency? The world will think that the US will terminate any treaty at any time for any reason. When the George Walker Bush cancelled the AB Treaty he compiled with the notice provision and the US court didn’t interfere with his actions. You must sent Iran the formal notification that we intend to terminate the Iran nuclear deal in one year as required by the treaty (Article XXIII, paragraph 3.3). If you sign a treaty, you should live up to it. Iran is still abiding by the JCPOA but the US cannot be trusted with major agreements from one President to another. I want you to make all the right decision so that every country respects the US.    

Hon. President, the US foreign policy doctrine was by far the world’s top super power before World War II. At that time US foreign policy doctrine had the ability to handle conflicts by peaceful means, it had marked by its essential continuity and essential bipartisan nature, its commitments made in the past should be valid today and should be fully honoured in future administration, it had reaffirm its continued adherence to all of the treaties, agreements and understanding which have been reached between the US and other nation, it addressed not only bilateral and regional matters but also the great causes of peace and progress in the world, it continued its efforts to help the countries in the region move forward towards peace that not only strengthen US relationship but also to make further contributions to structure of peace and progress in the world. But that super power has become weak and weak overtime. If I am not mistaken, the obvious failure of the US foreign policy doctrine is that it going alone on international issues which diminishes the US ability to solve international issues. The Quality of the people within the American President administration has been in decline for a long time and has finally led to the abysmal. If the US wanted to play world’s top super power, it should put sufficient attention to resolve international issues. IMHO, the US needs more well aligned allies. The success of American policy is to a large extent a success for its allies. In addition, the US needs honest, knowledgeable, experienced and individually competent foreign policy experts who can accomplish anything in terms of lasting improvement to the world peace and progress. The world doctrine implies strategy, forethought and reasoning. I just mean it.   

Hon. President, I conclude that the US foreign policy doctrine is hubris due to chaos, incoherence, incompetence and impulsive decision making. Indeed, your foreign policy doctrine is based on the assumption that every nation looks out only for their own interests. Thus, there is no point of working together. There is a message here life has improved immeasurably over the past century. If I am not mistaken, civil wars, terrorisms, political violence, death from war has deteriorated in 21st century. This is happening large part of the world because human beings have the genes to cooperate with other nations, compete peacefully and weigh the costs of war against their benefits. I hope you better understand what I mean it. I appreciate you that you are proposing to do things and take steps that have been avoided by other Presidents but that inherited problems. Your unconditional support of Israel has contributed to the current mess in the Middle East. I want you to reconfigure overall the US policy in the Middle East with a disengagement of military power. I most humbly request you to address the US foreign policy which needs solutions and at higher cost than never.  

Hon. President, the US is the pivotal state on which the western countries security rests and for its continued prosperity. The US is still leading economic and military power but the US is stumbling super power in 21st century. The relative weight of the US is diminishing. Economy, trade and diplomacy are the crucial dimension of country’s power in the coming decades. This will accomplish positive results of the country. If any country exercised military power remains country’s negative subtractive power in the coming decades. This will ultimately discredit its practitioners on the global stage. I fervently hope that the US will return to diplomatic and economic power in particular greater use of multilateral institutions in the coming decades to regain its super power. The world will be more peaceful and prosperous if you disengaged military power. I believe that the EU is emerging super power in 21st century. I just forecasted the EU will step up more responsibility for global security in the coming decades if the US failed to regain its super power. The EU foreign affair requires visionary and ruthless statesmen to establish a new regime of the EU inter-state relations. I’m pretty sure that the EU will stand by under the framework of NATO while justifying the countries.     

Thank you very much for your attention Hon. President
Respectfully yours
Athinarayanan Sanjeevraja.
Tamil Nadu

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