Imperialism Again

Even before taking power the second time, Trump announced imperialistic plans – to take over Greenland, and the Panama Canal, t0 make Canada the 51st state. Some Americans feared such statements legitimize the imperialistic plans of others – Putin in Ukraine, China in Taiwan.

 

The moral sanctimonious of the West is reflected in this line they love to repeat:

“The international legal order is based upon the notion that states are sovereign and borders are inviolable.”

Really? The West has always been ok with Israeli expansion. What the West is saying (as always) is that imperialism by the West and its allies is OK, but not by others.

 

When Trump’s close ally, Elon Musk, openly expressed his preference on which party should rule the UK, many Americans and Europeans were aghast. (Musk said he was considering giving $100 million to a British political party, if they moved in the direction he wanted). Interference in other countries is not OK, they yell. They seem to forget Western interference in other countries, all the regime changes they’ve done all over the world.

 

What Trump & Co have done is expand America’s actions and policies to apply to other Western countries also. This is what makes the American left and Europe shudder, not the principles of interference and imperialism.

 

It reminded me of what Hillary Clinton once told Pakistan about terrorists:

“You can't keep snakes in your backyard and expect them only to bite your neighbors.”

Europe and Canada are learning the same – the imperialistic tendency, which they have embraced for so long, can spill over onto white people’s territory too. Now they are as surprised as Pakistan was when some terrorist groups started targeting Pakistan itself.

 

Meanwhile, the rest of the non-white world watches on following Napoleon’s advice. If America continues to alienate its allies and weakens its alliances, well:

“Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.”

Even for countries that don’t necessarily view America as the enemy, a multipolar world looks like a better option than an America dominated unipolar one.

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