Opinion: 5 Ways The U.S. Retreated From The World Stage Under Trump This Year

[DonViejo]

December 26, 201810:23 AM ET
TED PICCONE

Ted Piccone (@piccone_ted) is a senior fellow in foreign policy at the Brookings Institution.

In 2018, the Trump administration made good on its promises to unwind long-standing U.S. commitments to guarantee global security and prosperity. These moves will further weaken U.S. standing and influence in the world and favor China's rise as a rival contender for international supremacy.

Since taking office, President Trump consistently has argued for a brand of U.S. leadership in the world that seeks to maximize national sovereignty at the expense of international cooperation. Underscoring each country's unique history, Trump told the United Nations General Assembly in September that "the United States will not tell you how to live or work or worship. We only ask that you honor our sovereignty in return."

His current top lieutenants — John Bolton as national security adviser and Mike Pompeo as secretary of state — have promulgated this worldview with gusto. As Bolton declared in denouncing the International Criminal Court, "no committee of foreign nations will tell us how to govern ourselves and defend our freedom."

Two years into office, the Trump administration has followed through on these proclamations by abandoning international institutions and agreements it believes infringe on national sovereignty. From arms control to migration to postal services, this White House has chosen threats and unilateral withdrawal over principled engagement and negotiation. The effects, intended or otherwise, are coming into focus: growing disappointment and skepticism, even among our friends and allies, regarding U.S. leadership, and an opening for U.S. rivals like China and Russia to fill the vacuum.

Here are five ways the United States retreated from the world stage in 2018.

Iran nuclear deal

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U.N. Human Rights Council

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Israel-Palestine relations

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Climate change

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U.S. troop withdrawal from Syria

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Full article:
https://www.npr.org/2018/12/26/678348210/opinion-5-ways-the-u-s-retreated-from-the-world-stage-under-trump-this-year?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=news