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By APD Writer Lu Jiafei
Washington, Sept. 20 (APD) --Just minutes after UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres gravely warned about nuclear peril and appealed for statesmanship to avoid a catastrophic war with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), the very person his remarks were targeted at took to the UN lectern and threatened in front of the whole world to “totally destroy” the DPRK.
Thank you, American voters, for giving us a demagogue and impulsive bully that deems nuclear holocaust like talking about a petty fight.
Despite his flawed governance since taking office, Trump has proved himself to be a master of exploiting the dark power of words. Like all demagogues before him, he rose to power and now consolidates his power by evoking fear in his audiences. All demagogues undermine stability by turning the people against each other, and this bellicose narcissist is no exception.
It is time for the international community to not just reject but resist the highly irresponsible, and frankly crazy words, of the powerful man like the generations before us did with past demagogues.
On Tuesday, Trump started his surreally militaristic rant on the UN General Assembly session, the largest diplomatic forum in the world, by boasting about the supremacy of U.S. military.
“It has just been announced that we will be spending almost $700 billion on our military and defense. Our military will soon be the strongest it has ever been,” said Trump.
Despite the inconsistence in policies, militaristic bluff has already become one of the defining features of Trump’s eventful eight- month- old presidency, starting with his nuclear apocalyptic threat last December that “let it be an arms race. We will outmatch them at every pass and outlast them all.”
Trump’s such words often remind me of George W. Bush’s famous phrase of “you’re either with us, or against us.” It sounds like a veiled ultimatum and it serves as a repugnant stunt to pressure others into obedience.
It would be unfair to claim that Trump’s first speech to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday included no diplomatic language at all.
“It is entirely up to us whether we lift the world to new heights or let it fall into a valley of disrepair,” Trump said briefly before plunging into the part U.S. Ambassador to UN Nikki Haley had early on warned us about: the drama king was going to “slap” his enemies.
“If the righteous many do not confront the wicked few, then evil will triumph,” said Trump before issuing probably the direst threat in any UN speech.
“The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself and its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea (DPRK), Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime.” said Trump.
After his public utterance at UN, Ben Rhodes, former U.S. President Barack Obama’s foreign policy advisor, tweeted that “Threats of war. Attacks on diplomacy. No regard for allies….. Trump is upending intl (international) order and decades of US leadership.”
It’s not just international order that Trump is threatening to upend. By sowing fear and division among us, Trump is dragging the world into a valley of disrepair.
Though he did not point to any specific countries, Trump called it “an outrage” for some to “not only trade with such a regime, but would arm, supply and financially support a country that imperils the world with nuclear conflict.”
The trick of demagoguery lies in the ability of the person who utters such words to deliberately twist facts to serve his or her agenda, and the current occupant of the White House is no stranger to that despicable act.
Mr. President, I hope you haven’t forgotten the time when you praised China on the DPRK nuclear issue and then blamed China and then changed you mind before later changing it again.
After months of dangerous exchange of rhetoric with the DPRK, the rationale behind Trump’s demagoguery also became evident on Tuesday.
“The United States is ready, willing and able (on military action on the DPRK). But hopefully, this will not be necessary. That's what the United Nations is all about. That's what the United Nations is for. Let's see how they do,” said Trump.
For Trump, his game of nuclear brinkmanship takes aim at not just the DPRK but most importantly the whole world. It’s his way of forcefully outsourcing the solving of an urgent crisis by raising fear of a nuclear war.
You better do as I said. Otherwise, “entire world with unthinkable loss of human life” will be threatened.
Eight years ago speaking from the same podium, Obama proclaimed that “We share a common future.” Obama was right and I hope the world still remembers that.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
