From the LEFT
The left is largely critical of the President’s address, arguing that working with other countries is in our long-term interest.
“By way of introduction, Trump asserted that ‘in less than two years, my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country.’ The audience responded with snorts of laughter… The awkward opening was a revealing moment. Trump had been trying to set a tone of American strength — and was met with skepticism.” (Vox)
“America’s voluble president may own the podium at the General Assembly, but quietly, in the windowless committee rooms of the U.N., Chinese diplomats are busy reshaping the ground rules of international cooperation to Beijing’s liking.” (Politico)
“U.S. allies, once willing to follow America’s lead, are increasingly forging their own paths, building new partnerships independent of Washington… [For example] on trade, Canada, the European Union and Japan have all stepped up their cooperation… experts say a stealthy realignment is slowly taking place.” (Washington Post)
“Trump pledged that the U.S. would favor ‘independence and cooperation’ and would never tell any country how to live or worship — asking only that U.S. sovereignty be respected in return. Later in the same speech, he threatened countries with cuts in foreign aid if they didn’t comply with U.S. wishes (much as U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley has recently threatened other U.N. members over their votes) which seems inconsistent, to put it mildly.” (New York Magazine)
Regarding Iran, “the Trump policy appears to resemble the one Obama used to induce Iran into negotiations over its nuclear program — minus the participation of other world powers… or any actual incentives for Iran to re-engage in talks… Whether the goal is regime change or a change in the regime’s behavior, the Trump administration has failed to provide a case for how it would achieve either.” (Washington Post)
Minority opinion: “The UN itself has allowed its worst members to corrupt it… Trump is half right: The U.S. would be foolish to allow a UN court to sit in judgment of its soldiers. U.S. military action should not be subject to a veto from China, France, Russia or the United Kingdom. But the UN’s structural flaw is not just the threat it poses to the sovereignty of its members. It’s the deference it pays to the sovereignty of rogues.” (Bloomberg) |