Trump in his State of the Union address promised to fix bad trade deals raising the prospect of protectionist policies amongst allies. He also pledged to upgrade America’s nuclear arsenal and instructed Mattis to keep the detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay open [1]. However, Trump devoted a great deal of his speech in painting North Korea as a dangerous pariah state [2]
Comment:
One year on, Trump has hardly changed his stance on international trade deals and America’s foreign policy ventures abroad. Just a few days ago at Davos, Trump told an anxious audience “America is open for business” and at the same time warned them about unfair trade deals [3]. America has already imposed tariffs on China, South Korea, Mexico and Canada [4], and now is threatening to do the same to the EU. The EU has promised to reciprocate with custom duties on American goods should Trump choose to materialize his threats [5].
It is no coincidence that Trump’s harsh stance is shaped by rising import costs, an unhealthy trade deficit, and a deliberate policy to keep the dollar weak. The latter is intended to boost American exports abroad. Trump’s trade policy with the world is very clear—foreign companies are welcome to invest in America, but foreign goods are not allowed and will be subjected to tariffs.
In a clear sign that America is unhappy with the nuclear posturing of adversaries like Russia, Trump promised to upgrade America’s strategic forces. Recently, America’s superiority in conventional weapons combined with the ballistic missile shield defence had tipped the balance in America’s favour against Russian and Chinese nuclear arsenals. However, recent reports have surfaced about a secret Russian nuclear doomsday device that roams the seas autonomously making it impossible to detect and compromises America’s missile defenses [6]. This imbalance in the mutually assured destruction (MAD) doctrine is fueling another crazy race to acquire even more nuclear weapons that are destructive beyond comprehension.
Trump’s bellicose language directed at North Korea is eerily reminiscent of George Bush’s description of Iraq prior to its invasion in 2003. The heavy buildup of US military hardware in the Asian Pacific and the relentless efforts of North Koreans to try the patience of America’s allies might invite another war. There is also a grave risk that such a war could rapidly escalate into a great war should America invade North Korea.
As the Trump administration marches forward in the pursuit of cementing American imperialism across the globe, the Muslim world—a victim of American hegemony—is powerless to offer the world an alternative vision. Under the Caliphate (Khilafah), trade is based on fairness and reciprocity. In principle, custom duty on imported goods is prohibited. However, if the exporting country imposes taxes on the imported goods of the Islamic state, the Khilafah has the right to do likewise. On the issue of nuclear weapons, the Islamic state is obliged to use nuclear weapons as a means to disarm the world of nuclear weapons; thereby, achieving the elusive global zero (a world that is nuclear weapons free). Inshallah the Islamic state will soon return to illuminate world from the disastrous policies and practices of great powers.
Abdul Majeed Bhatti
References:
[1,2] CNN. 2018. “State Of The Union 2018: Read The Transcript”. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2018/01/30/politics/2018-state-of-the-union-transcript/index.html.
[3] Reuters. 2018. “Trump Warns Davos On Unfair Trade, Says U.S. ‘Open For Business'”. U.S.. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-davos-meeting-trump-speech/trump-warns-davos-on-unfair-trade-says-u-s-open-for-business-idUSKBN1FF0X3.
[4] BBC. 2018. “US Imposes New ‘America First’ Tariffs”. BBC News. http://www.bbc.com/news/business-42784380.
[5] Burchard, Hans, and Hans Burchard. 2018. “EU Ready To ‘React Swiftly And Appropriately’ To Trump’S Trade Threats”. POLITICO. https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-ready-to-react-swiftly-and-appropriately-to-trumps-trade-threats/.
[6] Popular Mechanic. 2018. “Pentagon Confirms Existence Of Russian Doomsday Torpedo”. Popular Mechanics. https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a15227656/pentagon-document-confirms-existence-of-russian-doomsday-torpedo/.