In keeping with the precedent set during his first two UN General Assembly addresses, Donald Trump’s Tuesday speech doubled as a nationalist screed, delivered in a strange, menacing monotone.
“The future does not belong to globalists”, the president said, employing an anti-Semitic dog whistle, which conveniently doubles as a reiteration of the poisonous message he foisted on disaffected middle- and lower-income voters during the campaign.
“[The future] belongs to patriots”, Trump continued, employing his best autocrat cadence and adding that the “free world must embrace its national foundations”.
“If you want freedom, take pride in your country”, Trump chided, again demonstrating complete contempt and utter disregard for the very body he was addressing.
He also attempted to make globalism mutually exclusive vis-à-vis democracy and national heritage – that is, Trump again used the world’s biggest stage to suggest that cooperation among nations is somehow incompatible with the preservation of democratic governance and local culture.
The president called his policy a “vision for national renewal”. Here’s a transcript of his remarks on nationalism:
That is why the United States vigorously defends the traditions and customs that have made us who we are. Like my beloved country, each nation represented in this hall has a cherished history, culture and heritage, that is worth defending and celebrating and which gives us our singular potential and strength. The free world must embrace its national foundations. It must not attempt to erase them of replace them.
Looking around, and all over, this large, magnificent planet, the truth is plain to see. If you want freedom, take pride in your country. If you want democracy, hold on to your sovereignty. And if you want peace, love your nation,
Wise leaders put the good of their own people and their own country first. The future does not belong to globalists; the future belongs to patriots. The future belongs to sovereign and independent nations, who protect their citizens, respect their neighbors and honor the differences that make each country special and unique. It’s why we in the United States have embarked on an exciting program of national renewal.
Clearly, that has all kinds of disturbing overtones and sounds like it might have walked right out of one of the darkest periods in modern history.
Trump’s remarks to the UNGA only served to heighten fears that his vision, agenda and rhetoric are emboldening fascists and fanning the flames of isolationism and nationalism to the detriment of the kind of shared vision of a prosperous planet that’s characterized the post-War, multilateral order.
In other words, Trump was just being Trump. It was a campaign rally minus the theatrics – another stop on the MAGA stadium tour, only with world leaders begrudgingly forced to sub for thousands of red-hat-wearing acolytes.
Solidifyng his fascist credentials in advance of the 2020 election.
“Honor the differences that make each country unique, [take Saudi Arabia for example].”
Almost word for word Steve Bannon in places. I wonder if Bannon wrote the speech?
In the US, Nationalism is White Nationalism and White Nationalism is based on the foundations of White Supremacy. I feel like that’s pretty important context for this conversation.
Indeed.