Stark, Clear and Concise, Trump Addresses the United Nations
On Tuesday, September 19th, 2017, President Donald Trump addressed the General Assembly of the United Nations, delivering a speech unlike any other in the seventy-year history of that body. Stark and clear, devoid of any diplomatic double-speak, President Trump let it be known that his is a presidency that will always place the interests of the American people at the forefront, in all its dealings with the international community, going forward.
In staking out this position, Trump reiterated the nationalistic tone of his inaugural address in January, and explained to the world what “putting America first” means and why the assembled heads of state should have the same ethos regarding the respective populations of their own nations:
“In foreign affairs, we are renewing this founding principle of sovereignty. Our government’s first duty is to its people, to our citizens — to serve their needs, to ensure their safety, to preserve their rights, and to defend their values.
As President of the United States, I will always put America first, just like you, as the leaders of your countries will always, and should always, put your countries first.”
In essence, the President rejected the entire concept of one-world governance, indicating that the “best vehicle for elevating the human condition” is instead, the nation-state.
Evoking the original vision of the United Nations, to ensure each member nation the three pillars of building a better future: national sovereignty, national security and prosperity, Trump also said that the disproportionate military and financial support to the United Nations, on the part of the United States, while not to be taken for granted, would nevertheless be well be worth it, if these goals were to be realized, and called on the United Nations to join together in pursuit of this vision.
Unrestrained in calling out the United Nations for falling far short in its accomplishments thus far, the President nevertheless called on the world body to realize the opportunity that lies ahead to ensure peace through the strength of national sovereignty and a shared commitment to international security. He acknowledged the recent 15-0 votes of the U.N. Security Council to impose economic sanctions against North Korea, but also indicated that far more must be done to reign in the rogue regime in that country.
He made a clear case against those who would deny the world peace- specifically, North Korea, Iran, radical Islam, Venezuela and Syria.
He condemned the regime ruling North Korea for starving its own populace in pursuit of nuclear weapons, for its reprehensible record of imprisonment, torture abduction and murder, and enumerated egregious examples of each. Indicating the strength and great patience of the United States, Trump said that if forced to defend itself or its allies, that the U.S. would have “no choice but to totally destroy North Korea.” Characterizing North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un as a reckless “Rocket Man” bent on a suicide mission, Trumps remarks effectively put China on notice that they must bring an end to North Korea’s nuclear program before military action against North Korea is necessitated- and that time for peaceful diplomacy, though preferred, is quickly approaching an end.
Trump was also clear in pointing out the President Obama’s Iran deal as “one of the worst and most one-sided transactions ever entered into” by the United States, and promised to revisit the U.S. commitment to the agreement in light of the fact that Iran continues to threaten the United States, Israel and other Arab neighbors with destruction, while pursuing its nuclear program unabated. He chided the Iranian regime for funding international terrorism which has extended to every continent in the world, and called on each member of the United Nations to drive Islamic extremism out of their respective countries.
Trump also called out the leadership in Venezuela for forcing upon its people a failed socialist economic model that has thrust that country’s economy into disaster. In doing this, Trump condemned Nicolas Maduro for inflicting terrible pain and suffering on his own people, and indicated that Venezuela is not failing due to poor implementation, but rather faithful implementation of a failed system, just as it has failed wherever it has been tried. He urged other nations to address the Venezuelan crisis and called for the restoration of political freedom and democracy to that country.
He restated why he launched a missile strike against the Syrian forces who launched a chemical weapons attach against its own people, and thanked Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon for their respective roles in hosting Syrian refugees with the financial support of the United States.
He concluded his address by challenging the member nations of the United Nations to live up to the promise on which the United Nations was founded, asking whether each nation “loved its citizens enough to defend their interests, preserve their cultures and ensure a peaceful world for their citizens…”
“Our hope is a word and world of proud, independent nations that embrace their duties, seek friendship, respect others, and make common cause in the greatest shared interest of all: a future of dignity and peace for the people of this wonderful Earth.
This is the true vision of the United Nations, the ancient wish of every people, and the deepest yearning that lives inside every sacred soul.
So let this be our mission, and let this be our message to the world: We will fight together, sacrifice together, and stand together for peace, for freedom, for justice, for family, for humanity, and for the almighty God who made us all.”
While the anti-Trump globalists and internationalists, in both Democrat and Republican parties and in the mainstream media, were quick to label the speech as excessively nationalistic and dangerous, scores of others welcomed Trump’s address indicating that it has been a long time coming for a U.S. President to speak so clearly and honestly on the challenges facing the international community, and in a way that stands in stark contrast to speeches delivered by his predecessors.
Any doubt as to where President Donald Trump stands on the world stage has now been erased in, what many feel to be, the greatest speech he has delivered to date. His was a speech unlike any other in terms of clarity and certitude, and a watching world now knows why he was elected and what he sets out to accomplish on behalf of the American people and the world of which they are a part.
-Drew Nickell, 20 September 2017
© 2017 by Drew Nickell, all rights reserved.
author of “Bending Your Ear- a Collection of Essays on the Issues of Our Times”
now available at Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Bending-Your-Ear-Collection-Essays/dp/1633932907?ie=UTF8&ref_=asap_bc
Signed and personalized editions now available at my website:
Follow my postings on the RSS feed: http://www.drewnickell.com/?feed=rss2