Trump’s inauguration speech

Donald Trump, the 45th president of the United States, delivered a memorable inauguration speech. The key words were: “America First.” Explicitly it implies a ban on the immigration of foreign workers, a ban on outsourcing jobs and locating American manufacturing plants abroad but implicitly it is a reiteration of the traditional American approach of according primacy to American national interests. Whether America becomes isolationist or interventionist, this is the underlying consideration.
The second important point was the re-emergence of oligarchy. He said: “Jan. 20, 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again.” In fact, American polity has always been oligarchic as represented by the two-party system and a bipartisan approach to policy-making. The election of a billionaire as president perpetuates the oligarchic regime in succession to earlier billionaire presidents.
The third point can be described as back to isolationism. “For many decades,” he said, “we have enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry, subsidized the armies of other countries while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military.” This is meant only for consumption by his supporters. In fact all foreign economic and military US aid programs have been geared to serve American interests. Thus while the supply of advanced and sophisticated weapons to NATO member states and Israel ensures American supremacy, the sale of junk weapons to the Arab states and others in Asia keeps the military-industrial complex operational.
The fourth point was about protectionism. “Protection will lead (us) to great prosperity and strength,” he declared. Instantly the illustrious president of China retorted by saying: “Protectionism is like shutting oneself in a closed dark room.” His advisers know that free trade has been the cornerstone of American policy since the very inception of the republic. America’s economic and financial primacy is due to its domination of the world economy. On the other hand, protectionism and tariff wars led to the devastation of World War II. The postwar world economic order could not have been shaped without American initiative and leadership at Bretton Woods. We hope he will not be advised to rock the boat.
The fifth point was about what he described as “radical Islamic terrorism.” “We will reinforce,” said he, “old alliances and form new ones and unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the earth.” In this respect, he, along with the other Western and Russian leaders, suffers from day-blindness. There is no mention of sources of conflict, no hints for resolution of perennial problems like Palestine and no commitment to usher in an era of democracy and development. For them the Middle East will become a safe backyard the moment the so-called Islamic terrorists are annihilated.