President Trump: Fragility from a ‘National Interest’ Supremacist Doctrine

Published in Kyoto Shimbun
(Japan) on 22 January 2017
by (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Chris Hennessy. Edited by Helaine Schweitzer.
It was a strange scene which revealed deep divisions in the United States. President Donald Trump was inaugurated in the midst of the irate voices of tens of thousands of demonstrators from all over the country who assembled in Washington, D.C.

Feelings of anxiety and backlash were on display before any feelings of benediction and anticipation. That is reflected in Trump’s low 40 percent approval rating. History’s minute hand has started to move backward. That was the impression this newspaper had listening to the inaugural address, because it was truly like the words of a 19th century politician.

The lexicon of the modern era – peace, freedom, democracy, equality, justice, human rights, diversity – were not mentioned once in the 16-minute address. What was repeated were old-fashioned words such as border, trade, jobs, industry, wealth, national interest, pride, loyalty, strength and greatness.

He shot off: “We are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back to you, the people;" “...all changes starting right here and right now;" “We will bring back our jobs. We will bring back our borders. We will bring back our wealth. And we will bring back our dreams.” Proclamations you might hear from a revolutionary.

He also justified the vision of “America First” written on signs by saying “it is the right of all nations to put their own interests first.” Can a United States which runs toward egotism and abandons its duty as a superpower to world peace and stability “be great again?”

Enumerating the ‘Rejection of Obama’

Newly inaugurated President Trump’s policy details the rejections of policies implemented under the strength of the outgoing Obama administration. Policy toward foreign governments is shaded with protectionism and anti-foreignism, exemplified by withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, renegotiation of NAFTA and construction of a border wall to keep out illegal immigrants. If a world economic superpower suddenly veers from a path of free trade in which there is an assumption that there is free movement of people, money and goods, then the enterprise and labor of partner nations will be forced to face heavy burdens and deep suffering. Is the new administration not aware of this fact?

The ideal of Obama’s often-touted nuclear-free world has also disappeared. Improving U.S.-Russia relations, then suggesting that economic regulations connected to the Ukraine issue be lifted in exchange for nuclear disarmament doesn’t seem like a realistic deal anymore.

Even domestically, Obama’s health care law – which sought universal health care – has been tapped for elimination, but the unheard costs of health care are left in place, and low income earners are unable to afford health care. There is talk of easing environmental regulations, but if excavation for coal and oil is allowed at national parks, there are fears it will invite irreparable environmental damage.

Fears of Repercussions in Europe

Against a background of stagnation, one concern is the spread of selfish nationalist politics such as “America First” around the world. If national interests are put first, things such as environmental policy, humanitarian support and measures to fight poverty could be rolled back, and we may return to a savage international system like the imperialist period when fighting for concessions rather than collaboration reigned supreme.

This year, a number of crucial elections are taking place in Europe, including an elections in the Netherlands Diet in March, the French National Assembly in June, and the German Federal Diet in the fall. The one to watch out for is the French presidential election in April. Marine Le Pen, an anti-immigrant, influential presidential candidate and president of the far-right party, the National Front, declared support for Trump by saying, “If I was American… I would choose Donald Trump.”

Last year in Austria, the presidential candidate for an anti-immigrant party which was founded by Nazis and advocates amending history toward a more masochistic view received 46 percent of the vote. In Italy, where there is a stagnant economy and worries over immigrants, the prime minister was forced to resign.

Looking at this political climate, thoughts of a dark age in the first half of the 20th century come to mind. The philosopher Kojin Karatani wrote, “What allured people to Nazism was that it gave them an illusion that they would be free of all the current contradictions in the ‘here and now,’ instead of looking toward the future and enduring the present.” This could be echoed in Trump’s speech as well.

Deep Distrust of the Media

In the presidential race, most U.S. media outlets reported low support for Trump, but the result ran counter to this. These circumstances overlap with another era.

According to management guru Peter Drucker, who experienced the Hitler era, the newspapers were full of articles everyday showing contempt for Hitler, and the radio broadcast anti-Nazi programming. However, the media was severely criticized, and the more they scorned Hitler, the more public sentiment moved toward Nazism.

At a press conference the other day, Trump took a position that is inconceivable in the United States – which places a high value on democracy and freedom of speech and the press – by not answering the question of a journalist who was critical of him, yet there were many supporters who cheered him for that. It is as astonishing as it is regrettable. The raison d’être of media news, including newspapers, is being questioned.

For Japan, the Trump administration has become a hard-to-handle ally. Putting TPP into effect, which the Abe administration hoped would act as an economic net on China, is now hopeless. A shadow also stretches over the viability of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty after Trump’s announcement that the U.S. would quit being the world’s policeman.

On the renewed chill in Japan-Korea relations, we can no longer expect the U.S. to be an active intermediary such as it was in the comfort women agreement struck at the end of 2015. We need to open avenues through our own diplomatic efforts.

The Trump administration’s actual policies will be clear once we hear the state of the union and budget messages in February. The controlling Republican Party with majorities in the upper and lower house will not necessarily support Trump’s drastic policies. This paper holds out a slim hope that the government policies will be down-to-earth and realistic.


トランプ大統領  「国益」至上主義では危うい
 米国の深刻な分断を見せつける異様な光景だった。全米から首都に集まった数十万人規模の反対デモの怒声が上がるなか、ドナルド・トランプ米大統領が誕生した。

 祝福や期待より、不安と反発が先立つ船出である。40%という低支持率がそれを表している。

 歴史の時計の針が逆回転を始めた-。就任演説を聴いてそんな印象を受けた。まるで19世紀の政治家の言葉のようだったからだ。

 約16分間の演説に平和、自由、民主主義、平等、正義、人権、多様性といった現代的な言葉は一度もなかった。繰り返されたのは国境、貿易、雇用、産業、富、国益、誇り、忠誠心、強さ、夢、偉大…など古めかしい言葉だった。

 「権力をワシントンから国民の手に返す」「ここから、たった今から、全てが変わる」。革命家のような口ぶりで宣言し「雇用を、国境を、富を、夢を取り戻す」と打ち上げた。

 さらに「国益を最優先する権利が全ての国にある」と、看板に掲げる「米国が第一」のビジョンを正当化した。利己に走り、世界の平和と安定に対する超大国としての責任を放棄した米国が「再び偉大な国に」なれるのだろうか。

 「オバマ否定」の羅列

 トランプ新政権の政策は、オバマ前政権が力を入れてきた施策に対する「否定」の羅列である。

 対外政策は、環太平洋連携協定(TPP)の離脱、北米自由貿易協定(NAFTA)の再交渉、不法移民を阻止する国境の壁の建設など、保護貿易主義と排外主義が色濃い。人、カネ、モノの自由な移動を是とする自由貿易路線から世界一の経済大国が急転換すれば、関係国の企業や労働者に大きな苦痛と負担を強いる。そのことを意識しないのだろうか。

 オバマ氏が提唱した「核なき世界」の理想も消えた。米ロ関係を改善し、ウクライナ問題で科した経済制裁の解除と引き換えに核軍縮を持ちかけるというが、現実的な「取引」とは思えない。

 内政面でも、国民皆保険を目指した医療保険制度改革(オバマケア)の撤廃を決めたが、法外に高い医療費を放置したままでは、低所得者は医療を受けられなくなる。環境規制を緩和するというが、国立公園での石炭や原油の掘削を認めれば、取り返しがつかない自然破壊を招く恐れがある。

 欧州への波及懸念

 心配なことは、閉塞(へいそく)感を背景に「米国が第一」のような利己的ナショナリズムの政治が世界に拡散していくことだ。「国益」最優先となれば、貧困対策や人道支援、環境対策などは後退し、協調より利権争いが幅を利かす帝国主義時代さながらの殺伐とした国際社会に逆戻りしかねない。

 今年はオランダ国会(3月)、フランス国民議会(6月)、ドイツ連邦議会(秋ごろ)など重要な選挙が欧州で相次ぐ。注目は4月のフランス大統領選だ。移民排斥を訴える有力候補の極右・国民戦線のマリーヌ・ルペン党首は「自分が米国人ならトランプ氏に投票する」と支持を表明している。

 昨年はオーストリアで元ナチス党員が設立し、移民排斥や「自虐史観」是正を訴える党の大統領候補が46%を得票した。経済の停滞や移民に悩むイタリアでは国民投票で首相が辞任に追い込まれた。

 こうした風潮を見ると20世紀前半の暗い時代が思い浮かぶ。思想家の柄谷行人氏は著書で「ナチズムが人を魅惑したのは、将来に向かって現在を耐えるのではなく、『今ここ』で現在の諸矛盾を解消してしまうような幻想を与えたから」と分析する。トランプ氏の演説にも通じるものがあろう。

 メディア不信深く

 大統領選ではほとんどの米メディアがトランプ氏不支持を表明したが、結果は逆になった。こうした状況も当時と重なる。

 ヒトラー時代を体験した経営学の大家ピーター・ドラッカーによると、新聞はすべてヒトラーを軽侮する記事を連日満載し、ラジオ局は反ナチス番組を放送した。しかし、メディアが厳しく批判し、嘲笑すればするほど、人心をナチスの側に追いやった。

 先日の会見でトランプ氏は、自身に批判的な記者の質問を拒むなど民主主義と報道・表現の自由を尊重する米国ではありえない態度をとったが、それに喝采を送る支持者も多かった。驚きであり、残念でもある。新聞を含むメディアの報道のあり方が問われている。

 日本にとってトランプ政権は扱いにくい同盟相手となった。安倍政権が経済的な中国包囲網として期待をかけたTPPの発効は絶望的である。「世界の警察官」をやめると宣言したことで、日米安保の実効性にも影が差す。

 再び冷却化している日韓関係についても、2015年末の慰安婦合意のときのように米国の積極的な仲介は望めまい。米国頼みではなく、自らの外交努力で関係を切り開いていく姿勢が求められる。

 トランプ政権の具体的な政策は2月にかけて発表される一般教書と予算教書で明らかになる。上下両院を支配する与党共和党はトランプ氏の過激な政策を必ずしも支持していない。政策がより現実的で穏当になるよう期待をつなぐ。
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