If Trump retains the presidency, the world will draw its conclusions on the US’ future role.
Its credibility as a model of competent and successful democracy would be shattered, its believability as leader of an alliance of democracies would be over, and its willingness to participate in endeavours that address shared global challenges, such as climate change or a pandemic, would be non-existent.
The world has indeed changed. But constructive and competent leadership by a democratic US is needed more than ever, given the rising power of an increasingly autocratic China, the success of charismatic autocrats elsewhere and the great global challenges of our age.
Trump’s defeat would not, however, end the threat of US retreat. His party would again do everything it can to thwart a Democratic administration. The strategy of ‘‘pluto-populism’’ – the marriage of solipsistic wealth to white middle-class rage – would persist, with the help of the Supreme Court.
Whatever happens in the election, the US role in the world will remain in question.
To read the full article please read here.
Author:
Martin Wolf, is chief economics commentator at the Financial Times, London. He was awarded the Commander of the British Empire in 2000 “for services to financial journalism”.
Comments
3 responses to “Martin Wolf. Global role of US at stake (AFR Oct 28, 2020)”
The US future role needs to be addressed in any case ! They are not exceptional and when they get that puffed up chest quality out of their agenda they might well be able to contribute in a positive way moving into the future.
Another agenda that needs to be addressed is the economic one that relates to all present events.
The economics of neoliberalism for the past 4+ decades has degenerated into the global problems we now see right across the world.
It has been building for a long time and one of the main arguments that one can is that
Trump is a symptom as is Bolsonaro in Brazil and the wave of extremists throughout Europe and you could add Modi in India.
Neoliberalism has systematically created a series of inequalities and fragilities
which were covered up in the 2008 crisis by huge amounts of central bank
liquidity. Ultimately that just acts as a kind of sticking plaster , the sticking plaster is coming undone and the result is the various clowns we see coughed up around the world.
“Trump’s defeat would not, however, end the threat of US retreat. His party would again do everything it can to thwart a Democratic administration. The strategy of ‘‘pluto-populism’’ – the marriage of solipsistic wealth to white middle-class rage – would persist, with the help of the Supreme Court. Whatever happens in the election, the US role in the world will remain in question.”
Martin Wolf is chief economics commentator, Financial Times London. Some great sentences herein. This is actually the best commentary I have read, bar none, on why for the sake of the world Trump must not win In US election next week .
Though I am not at all enthused about Biden and Harris either, they offer some hope of order and new beginnings for USA. Trump offers only more chaos and cruelty.
The Australian foreign policy community , if it still knows how to think for itself and not mindlessly take its doctrines from the Washington elite , should think about this significant foreign policy article. Whatever happens, Australia needs to relearn how to think for itself. And fast.
Tony Kevin
Yes, but, as it has always been, might is right!
(I mean, one can hardly argue with fleets of many thousands of nuclear missiles)