I listened to the inaugural address of the new U.S. President, Donald Trump on 20th January, 2017. The U.S. President is a key player on the global political stage even as the USA impacts on the world is essentially a declining function of time.
There was no doubt that the speech trump delivered was written by him because it was a summation of his themes and agenda on the long campaign trial, only that the sequencing was a bit more orderly. Some bits were quite profound: somewhat revolutionary.
Overall, there was total lack of vision –some outrageous oversimplifications which in a global context were adrift or at variance with reality and likely to roll back the frontiers of international cooperation.
Rulers of countries have a primary mandate and task to be custodians of the interests of their citizens but as no country is an island and cannot conceivably live in isolation, there is a compelling and inescapable need and imperative to foster optimization of the global community’s interests which entails a retreat from zero sum games or scenarios. America first is a plausible and legitimate aim- but what countries will be peripheries and willingly accept to play second fiddle?
In life, there is always an issue of profoundly good intentions and how these intentions are put into effect or come to fruition. There are always downside risks to most elaborately conceived or designed schemes.
Trump may wish to create more jobs in the automobile industry in the USA, but just ordering car manufacturers from Mexico into the USA may be a bit too euphoric and gloss over realities. The motor industry globally is very competitive and margins may not be all that lavish. In Mexico, the hourly labour costs are less than $10, whereas in America, they are about $45. Thus, moving car manufacturing from Mexico into the USA is not a cost neutral exercise and certainly not as glamorous as in Mr. Trump’s world.
China has received more than its share of bashing by the versatile President Trump. Raising tariffs for Chinese imports into the USA would not be entirely salutary. Many goods imported from China, just as in the case of Mexican imports, have very significant content of American components. Low priced Chinese imports are a benefit for American households and help considerably in toning down inflationary spiral which is good for the beneficiary economy- the importing country.
Taking on China is not the most prudent, let alone expedient thing to do. China with its huge population whose purchasing power is ever rising is an attractive market for every country in the world. For America, there are several facets to consider in relations with China. One of these aspects is that the Chinese hold nearly $2 trillion in U.S Government securities.
The world revolves and rapidly too. About three decades ago with the collapse of the soviet empire, the world experienced a unipolar monocentric Washington driven power structure and China was a mere countervailing force: this is no longer the status quo. A rabbi once observed that there was a streak in Judaism to regard history as a poker game played between God and the Jews, in which process the presence of others may be noted but never assigned any significance.
Americans have a streak of megalomania and it is tempting to regard the rest of the world as some backyard or appendage. The reality that Americans need to face is that the global power structure will be irreversibly polycentric. China has, in a short time, become the world’s second economy.
Although in market dollar price terms China’s GDP may be $6-7 trillion less than that of the USA, its GDP is at par with America when the purchasing power parity method of measurement is used. The combined GDP of the European Union, abstracting from Brexit, is about the same as that of the USA. Most likely in less than 10 years, China will overtake America as the biggest economy in the world with more than 1.5 billion consumers.
The world also has many sleeping giants in the so-called emerging markets. Can you imagine the impetus to the global economy if India overcomes the brakes on its economy caused by entrenched vested interests? India with already huge glaring leaps in information technology has vast reservoirs of entrepreneurs whose resourcefulness awaits to be unleashed on the world with appropriate reforms. India already has impressive multinational corporations.
At America’s backyard in Latin America, there are those giants in the form of Brazil and Argentine with enormous strides in getting their huge potential unblocked. Brazil is already the largest producer of sugar cane and many of its derivatives, cotton, orange juice, not to mention the famous coffee. Since the change of guard and adjustment in management of its economy, Argentina is on the march. In the last three decades, Africa has improved its economic stakes although a lot remains to be done to ensure sustainability.
America is critical to the world development process with its vast accumulation of technology and financial resources. Trump and his team need to streamline their agenda to help foster enhanced international cooperation. Trade wars and pulling out of trade treaties like the North American free trade area or the Trans Pacific partnership is a background step and a gross disservice to both America and the world.
America has stood for noble causes such as rebuilding the war shattered economies of Europe through the Marshall plan and many acts which have had profoundly salutary effects on the global economy.
Trump has put together a team of people, some of them distinct success stories. For those of us who suffer from inerasible optimism, the hope is that the capable men and women around President Trump will urge for sanity as it is indeed inconceivable that such a grouping of distinction would be sycophants beyond redemption who would be competing to tell the president what he wants to hear.
Fortunately, as evidenced by the large numbers on the streets of many American cities on January 21st, there are many more people than Trump’s ardent followers who will not support America rolling back the frontiers of international cooperation which is the only guarantee for global peace, harmony and end to misery.
By Alexander B Chikwanda
Mr Chikwanda, you ruined the Zambian economy two times! Why did you not apply your economic reasoning to Zambia ? Why are you trying to sound clever talking about America?
Remove the log from your own eye before you try to remove the speck in your brother’s eye.
If you did not ruin the economy you would not care so much who becomes the president of the USA because we would not depend so much on borrowing
After the economic destruction you have unleashed on Zambia it would be prudent for you to keep quiet.
Please, do yourself a favour and stay out of the limelight.
@Ronnie Shikapwasha. Your comments about Obama are so superficial and uninformed.I wonder when you became a bishop, General.Your comments are so religeous based and biased and not objective.It is the hypocrisy of most you Zambian politicians and so called prophets, bishops, pastors, Apostles etc some of whom were in government and stole big time through corrupt deals and are worst fornicators that makes my head spin. While attacking Obama,can i you explain why he is so popular as per lates which polling of Americans. His approval ratings ae about 56% compared to Trump’s 44%!
The comments by many bloggers are so shallow that some of us who follow American and World politics are dumbfounded.
Ba Chikwanda’s article has some very valid points. Stop mixing his role in the PF government and his article which are totally unrelated.
Look who is tallking, bo Chikwanda of all the people. The man who is exeperienced in runung down our economy, two times in his single life. What hypocrits like Chikwanda dont like about Trump is that he hates beggers like him. Trump will be the greatest thing in Americas history, give the man chance
i meant we cant depend on America or China
Chikwanda is a hypocrity and one of the PF thieves. he has put Zambia into more debt twice. he never wrote about his tribalist Sata and his visionless Lungu and now pretends to write on Trupp. Leave Trupp alone. He is doing good for America and it is time Africa and Zambia learned that we can depend on America or China.
Alex: Trump paid by himself for every campaign dollar. He did not go begging to be funded for the Presidency like others. He is the real NOW. He has not even told Americans that a private company prints their money and charges the US citizen interest! You put us into unsustainable debt twice in your lucky life time. You have not eve apologised to the Zambian people!
Firstly I do not agree with all these bad summary judgements against President Trump. Every President’s duty is to take care of the people God has made him to be a steward for, so President Trump is not an idiot. He is much smater than the liar Obama, who in his time as president made America to turn away from God, who tried to make everybody in the world homosexuals or lesbians who lied one moment he is a christian the next moment he is a moslem. He told the world he is fighting ISIS the same time he is funding Iran belions of dollars through dubious nuclear treaty to fund ISIS and does nothing about North Korea, many Americans lost their lives during Obama’s Presidency because he brought ISIS to America through the Syrian refugees program,He did nothing about the blacks who were being gunned down by his police every day,Obama’s own city Chicago, has been left in a state of despair as crime rate sored to worst highest levels ever in America, you said nothing! Trump has not even been in office one month you write so much and talk so much even call him an idiot? Doesnt Mr Chikwanda know that Mr Trump has access to more Chikwandas than one in Zambia who will give him ound economic advise? Besides this Trump knows much greater hotizons to make money than Mr Chikwanda.Trump is doing the right things to secure America and create more jobs for America to be great again for World peace, not a paper tiger that Obama was creating of America, Obama was a good sales man, a good talker a good liar but these qualities do not create jobs. Obama was a great disaster especially for Africa. His going out of office is good redance to bad rubbish Give Trump a chance all those Americans who voted for Trump can not be idiots, they saw greater potential & qualities in him than Hillary and Obama combined. DONT BE LIKE CNN WHO HAVE AN EVIL AGENDA AGAINST TRUMP. GIVE TRUMP A CHANCE!
Your obsession with homosexuals is staggering. Who told that Trump is a Christian because he is opposed to homosexuality? Trump does not care where Zambia of Africa is? He has no interest in africa except where he has hotels such as Egypt. He is going to cut off PEPFAR funds and you will have no ARVs. Watch this space ba former soldier. You will be using bush herbs for HIV soon. No more funds from america. America first!!!! Remember that!!!
I agree with you sir 100%. What actually helped Mr Trump is that he speaks the truth and he doesn’t pretend. He is just a few days in his office and without wasting time, he has already started executing some of the promises that he made to the American people. I think that is why many people all over the world are ditching these politicians; they are hypocrites, like Obama (a lot of good talk and less action).
God bless America!
John 8:32
ABC you are a moron Trump will be the best president to have ruled America because he is against same sex marraige, theft,laziness, terrorism and many more.
Trump is just an idiot, period.This is a re carnation of Adolf Hitler.
You are the one who is an idiot because you do’t understand American politics.You think Trump is like your drunkard.
The world undersetimated his intelligence and now he is fulfilling his electon manifestos,suddenly idiots like Alexander Chikwanda think they can analyse the billionaires’ vision for America.
Mr Chikwanda your PF from 2011 has proved to be the most tribal party in the history of Zambia. At least Trump is segregating against non Americans. But with your PF if someone does not speak your language or the other language there is nothing for them. What of the corruption. What are people like Mr Mwaliteta and thousands of other UPND members still doing in unlawful police custody. PF just annoys
well thought and written ABC.