Opinion | Donald Trump draws laughs at the UN, but the US’ isolationist turn should amuse no one
Andrew Sheng says Donald Trump’s UN speech articulated his vision for American patriotism, which threatens the international system of trade, travel and finance that has made us better off
Speeches to the UN have never been about foreign policy. Speaking in front of 193 member countries, the national leader is actually addressing their home audience to show that their voice is heard by the whole world.
Most national leader speeches to the UN are boring homilies. They praise themselves, pay due respect to the UN and expound upon what Miss Congeniality says in all beauty contests: “World peace!”
What we got instead from Trump was raw and edged: “America’s policy of principled realism means we will not be held hostage to old dogmas, discredited ideologies and so-called experts who have been proven wrong over the years, time and time again.”