The newly elected US President Trump has come to office with a promise to make America great again; to secure her borders; and to make America’s interest the corner stone of all negotiations. In his first week in office he has used his pen to put into effect some of the foundations for accomplishing these goals. We do not know now how far he can go. The next few years will show how far.
Some of the foundations put on paper include the start of building the wall with Mexico which Mexico would pay for. Mexico has made it clear that it does not want a wall and would not pay for it. Another foundation is taking US out of the Trans-Pacific Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP). Another step is the letter of intent to re-negotiate North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Executive Order has been signed abolishing Sanctuary Cities that harbor illegal aliens with a threat to withhold Federal Government funds from the states where Sanctuary Cities are located There are several other Executive Orders Mr. Trump has initiated.
Some of the foundations put on paper include the start of building the wall with Mexico which Mexico would pay for. Mexico has made it clear that it does not want a wall and would not pay for it. Another foundation is taking US out of the Trans-Pacific Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP). Another step is the letter of intent to re-negotiate North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Executive Order has been signed abolishing Sanctuary Cities that harbor illegal aliens with a threat to withhold Federal Government funds from the states where Sanctuary Cities are located There are several other Executive Orders Mr. Trump has initiated.
Executive Orders to build the Mexican wall and to abolish Sanctuary Cities are intended to secure American borders. Were Mr. Trump to look back in time he would discover that when God made America, He made sure that the continent was secure. On one side is the Atlantic Ocean, 13,000 ft. deep and 42 million sq. miles, on the other side is the Pacific Ocean, 35,000 ft. deep and 64 million sq. miles. This would be the equivalent of building walls three and five miles Ocean is 4,00 ft. deep and is covered by high in the sky. On the north side, nature built the Arctic Circle. Arctic Ocean is about 4,000 ft. deep and covered all year round by over 13ft thick ice block. There were no planes and boats or GPS. Yet both the white and black species crossed all the formidable obstacles and entered America. The lesson here is that no walls will be more difficult to climb than sailing across the Pacific and the Atlantic or overcoming the challenges of the Arctic Circle.
Immigrants will enter USA legally or otherwise despite Mr. Trump’s best efforts.
The pursuit of US security, by all means necessary, could result in less security for a country that has been very secure relative to other nations. US security comes from good affections of her neighbors and the world. The president wants to rebuild the country’s nuclear arsenal even if it could result in nuclear arms race. The thinking is based on an old war theory of OverwhelmingForce, most recently clarified by General Powel. The hypothesis is that in a massed war between two forces, the stronger force would overwhelm the weaker force. Both WWI and WWII proved this theory right. But we do know that generals fight the old war which is what President Donald Trump is trying to do. The last time this kind of war was fought was in Korea.
Vietnam war introduced a different kind of war. In this new warfare, there are no trenches, no borders, no frontlines, no known enemies and no military depots. The difference between combatants and civilians are obliterated. The well-defined rules of engagement such as the Geneva Convention no longer applies. The emphasis is on mobility and speed. It requires no bombers, or huge heavy weapons or nuclear weapons. Boldness of a new kind, and individual’s commitment to the “cause” whatever the cause is, are the primary requirements. Hannibal’s, Napoleons, Macarthur’s are not needed and are not effective. A few hand guns and a few grenades are all that is needed.
It is important to note that USA has not won any of these new wars it entered, not Vietnam, not Iraq, not Afghanistan and not against ISIS. And not even against the Somalian war Lords. Under the old war theory Israel was able to defeat the entire Arab world in three days; US entry into both World wars ended each in a treaty of peace. Each side in the modern war chooses the place and time to fight as we are seeing in Paris, London, California, Berlin, etc.,. Modern wars do not end in any peace treaty because there is no one to impose or enforce the treaty. It will be nice if our president recognizes this Brave New World. A hostile neighbor at the southern border will make the new war so easy for the perceived enemies
Trade agreements benefit all the parties and all signatories to the agreement almost equally. One side agrees to manufacture some products and the other agrees to buy the manufactured goods. Most often different manufacturing and purchasing of different goods and services are involved. On one side of the equation could be manufacturing of industrial products and another side could be the production of agricultural goods and services. All the benefits are mutual. If The president wants an agreement where his side is the sole beneficiary, it will not get any agreements at all and every side would be the loser. For Mexico and Canada in NAFTA US could be substituted with China or EU. It will be more difficult for USA to substitute her north American neighbors with other countries using the formula that was not acceptable to Canada and Mexico.
What do all these mean?
First our newly minted president needs to sit down and understand the lay of the ground before embarking on any new adventures. For this he needs people with experience in political matters and just as important he needs a strong opposition to give him time to reconsider some of his ideas.
He needs time to switch the “business hat” he has won for decades to the much derided “political hat” that is required for the present calling.
America’s institutions such as the legislatures, the courts, the press, the civil and military services need to be a little bit more assertive to ensure that the peace which America and the world have enjoyed for many decades are not interrupted.
We the people must make sure that there is no bull in the china shop.
By Benjamin Obiajulu Aduba
