Written by: Liam Wilson, Peak Associate
Living in a first-world country, it now seems almost impossible to be disconnected from anything. For a long time, we’ve seen the increasing interconnectivity of our world through the internet, electronics, and international politics. Some have rightly argued the potential downsides of this increasing globalization, but I feel that the old adage still rings true: united we stand, divided we fall. Yet, it seems like nations the world over are increasingly pushing for division.
Leading the charge in the division department seems to be none other than Donald Trump with his lack of understanding of international politics. It seems like if a deal or treaty benefits anybody other than the US, then the US is getting a “bad deal.” Trump’s already discussed his distaste for NAFTA at length and a couple weeks ago the US officially pulled out of the UN Human Rights Council. Now, international tensions are riding higher as Trump seems to be taking aim at the WTO, the EU, and NATO. One has to wonder why Trump seems so concerned about peace with North Korea while he continues to push his closest allies away.
Make no mistake though, our friends across the pond seem to be having their own difficulties. Brexit turmoil continues to be a mainstay in UK politics, though despite much opposition, it appears that the Tory government is still intent on leaving. In the meantime, Eurosceptic parties across Europe continue to rise. Poland also made headlines last week after the government passed legislation to give themselves more control over the country’s courts, despite criticism from the EU and numerous European states. And Russia, well . . . continues to be Russia.
Let’s face it: this posturing and these power moves don’t do us any favours. All of it just breaks down the trade, the policy, and the peace that we’ve worked so hard to build for decades. It’s time that all the world’s leaders wake up and realize that, in the end, the people who are going to have to deal with the fallout of their divisive actions are none other than the citizens they claim to be protecting.
