Europe and its allies can move forward without the US president
The louder he screams, the more irrelevant he becomes. President Trump administration is under investigation, his policies are either can’t pass through Congress or are being challenged by the courts. His credibility is so low already, his ability to make policy at home is, without a massive change of fortune, nearly over.
Abroad, presidents have more of a free hand: he can and has launched missiles, and he can and has repealed agreements. However, for his policy of sowing confusion to work, he needs the co-operation of other independent countries, who become outraged and angry at his behaviour.
The world’s reaction to his decision to withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and Angela Merkel’s reaction to his refusal to affirm NATO’s Article 5 shows us the way forward: Simply get on without Donald Trump. His power relies on causing outrage, not on creating policy.
Take the withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. It won’t take effect until after he goes for re-election in 2020 (if he makes it that far) and the response of individual, states and businesses has been to almost unanimously go the other way. With even greater commitment from Europe, India and China to fighting climate change, the world can and must move forward.
Although with Nato there is a more pressing need to have the greatest military power on your side, the European powers combined are no pushover. A stronger Europe militarily is just what the world needs as a counterbalance to a militaristic America, under Trump.
The above was put into clear perspective by Trump’s visit to the Middle East two weeks ago. You could have missed it, but there was an incredibly good news story that got washed away by the Trump guff. Iran voted overwhelmingly for a leader promising greater freedoms for its people.
It was a time to encourage Iran and it’s leader President Hassan Rouhani who would no doubt be tested at home: Donald Trump, did not even acknowledge this momentous moment, instead insisted the world should isolate the country. The world should not and cannot be swayed by this single man’s madness.
Sadiq Khan is right to call for Trump’s visit to the UK to be cancelled — we should not be giving him a platform to spray his hate and self-seeking duplicity across the world.
The world is a large place full of diverse countries that we can work with. With Asia regaining it’s historical economic might and Europe struggling back to its feet, a break from American exceptionalism is perhaps just what the world needs.
It is often said that the world needs a common enemy to unite; perhaps in Donald Trump we have found one.
Ranjit Sidhu is is the founder of SiD, Statistics into Decisions. Follow him on Twitter.
See also: Donald Trump can say what he likes about Sadiq Khan – Londoners trust the mayor on terrorism
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