America is no longer civilized, and it’s not just because of Donald Trump. The real problem is that the Republican-controlled Congress has refused to reign him in. Through both tariffs and threats Mr Trump has treated America’s allies incredibly poorly. Through praise he has treated America’s enemies incredibly well. He has taken food out of the mouths of America’s poorest children and has tried to separate prospective immigrant children from their parents at the border. He’s blatantly racist; The Washington Post said that he is normalizing racism. And he lies in a way we have not seen before. He just doesn’t seem to know what the truth is.
So what to do? Politicians and diplomats may say that arguments over trade should not spill over into security arrangements. But that just doesn’t make sense. One thing that this President has made abundantly clear to everyone, including allies, is that he cannot be trusted to honour agreements. So how can allies trust that America will honour its security agreements?
It’s time for a new world order in the Western world. Like minded countries, like those in Europe, along with Canada, Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand, should combine together in a political, economic and security bloc. Time for Europe and Canada to leave NATO. Time for Canada to leave NORAD. Time to give the United States the cold shoulder and leave Mr Trump to his new-found friends like Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin.
If the United States ever re-discovers its moral compass then, by all means, let’s discuss including it within a new global order. But, if not, let the US fester on its own. In the short term it will be a costly exercise for Western countries to pay for an expanded military and to live with reduced trade with the United States. But it will make the world a better, stronger place in the long term.
It’s a shame. But it’s necessary.