Donald Trump has successfully moved the USA around 300 years backward. He heads counterclockwise, forcing the All-powerful Uncle Sam to move to the reverse circle. Modern-time colonialism that began a few hundred years back reached its culmination in the 18th century. Its decline started in the first quarter of the last century, and within 50 years, it collapsed almost totally. Although the present-day neo-colonialism or economic imperialism is even worse in some cases, the old one has gone. Due to Trump, classical colonialism is once again larking around the globe. Only the other day, he declared that Gaza will be America´s. After ethnical cleansing, he will transform it into an American Riveria in the Middle East. What a dream! He repeated his previous intention of purchasing Greenland from Denmark. He has threatened to take over the Panama Canal. Furthermore, he expressed the intention of making Canada the 51st state of the USA! Three hundred years ago, the British, the French, the Portuguese, and the Spanish colonialist rulers had the same mentality. His colonial dream is so vast that it extends over four continents! He seems more ambitious than Adolf Hitler.
His mentality matches the dictionary meaning of colonialism. One can cite the Collins English Dictionary, which defines colonialism as “the practice by which a powerful country directly controls less powerful countries and uses their resources to increase its own power and wealth”. Is there any place for pure colonialism in the 21st century? Then how can a head of the state publicly aspire to such intentions when it claims to be the champion of the free world? A person with minimum respect for other countries’ independence cannot express such an expansionist desire.
It is not only Trump’s audacity that is objectionable. More astonishing is the world leaders´ almost non-audible protests or reactions that followed. Chamberlin was criticized for his appeasement policy towards Hitler. The freedom-loving world was expecting a much stronger voice against Trump’s audacity. None is surprised at Benjamin Netanyahu´s support of Trump´s ulterior desire. Many consider the US takeover intention of Gaza to be a part of the Israeli plan. The UK´s mum-like reaction is also very much expected. One doubts that if Washington wants to incorporate the UK into the USA, the puppets in London will voice any protest. French President Macron made some feeble academic protests –but not loud and befitting political objections.
The world should have reacted strongly and unitedly. By this time, it should have been discussed in various international forums. The US has made the UN so helpless and ineffective that it will not make any difference if it is discussed in the world body. Still, it will carry some symbolic value against Trump´s colonialist postures.
Donald Trump wants to have Greenland with the logic that it is necessary for its vital national interest. If using the same token, Bangladesh wants to annex India´s seven northeastern states, known as the seven sisters, will India or other countries accept it? Or conversely, if India expresses its desire to annex Bangladesh to make those seven sisters contiguous to mainland India, will the world accept it?
The world has seen how the USA destroyed Iraq, Libya, and Iran under the pretext of its vital national interest and other fabricated excuses. Washington toppled the democratically elected governments of Indonesia, Pakistan, Chile, and many other countries to have their puppets installed there by military coup de ta.
Many analysts argue that Trump should not be taken so seriously. He is unpredictable, whimsical, and changes positions frequently. His colonial and expansionist ambitions, expressed publicly, were probably bargaining tools for achieving other agendas. This explanation cannot be entertained. The President of the most powerful country will express a desire to annex a sovereign country, occupy a distant land, drive out its people to other countries, and purchase Greenland from Denmark, etc., cannot be taken lightly – not even as bargaining chips. Who knows if the deep state in Washington is somehow involved in it, at least partially.
Nobody knows what he or the USA will achieve by such utterances. But one thing is sure. He has isolated his country from the civilized world even more. He is a self-declared isolationist. Many will be happy if the USA does not poke its nose into other countries’ affairs with ulterior motives. Except for a handful of countries, the rest of the world utterly dislikes Donald Trump’s outrageous colonial desire, though they are not vocal for some obvious reasons. He is making the USA an international outcast.