A Trumpian Requiem for the UN?

President Donald Trump virtually delivered a requiem for the UN at the General Assembly when he declared that the UN had outlived its utility and it had become lifeless and purposeless. He stated that even its physical state was deplorable as the escalator and the teleprinter were broken. He recalled that many years ago, the UN had rejected his plan to refurbish the UN with exquisite marble floors and mahogany doors, but the UN spent many times the amount he had quoted to reach its present pathetic state. The UN had become defunct as wars continued in different parts of the world. No tears were shed for the dead UN and he proceeded to outline the contours of a post-UN dispensation.  He and the US were ready to lead the world as he had demonstrated during his first term and in the last few months of his second term as President. He sounded like an old drunk uncle burying a nephew he had never liked. The obituary was a list of the misdeeds of the dead man.

Trump alleged that not only the UN had become dysfunctional, but did not even acknowledge his successes in resolving seven conflicts. His claim was heard with disdain as they were mere flights of fancy. The world perhaps agreed with Trump about the diagnosis of the global ills, but it did not give any credibility to his claims and his formula for reform.

Among the “stupidities” of the UN were the efforts to combat climate change, which he characterized as the biggest con job perpetrated on the UN. As the President of the largest carbon emitter, he explained that the wind turbines are pathetic and start to rest and rot, as if coal plants are immortal that require no maintenance and produce nothing but prosperity and scented emissions. 

When it came to “uncontrolled migration” in Europe. he declared that accepting refugees was destroying the western civilization, citing prison statistics from European nations.  He claimed that he had removed 17,000 criminals from Washington DC in twelve days! He attributed all the evils on the earth to the United Nations, but stopped short of declaring its end. But clearly, the only choice of the world was to find an alternative to the United Nations, according to Trump.

A threat was delivered to Brazil by saying that it was doing poorly and will continue to do so in keeping with his suspicion that BRICS was an anti-US grouping. He was sure that without the US, Brazil will fail. He criticized the energy policy of Europe as wind farms were destroying their beautiful country side.  He claimed that Europe loses 175000 people yearly to heat deaths because electricity is too expensive for air conditions.  He asked everyone to fight for freedom while having just threatened multiple nations with economic destruction for disagreeing with him. He demanded that other nations should adopt his policies or face tariffs. He presented America not as a super power but as a liability, not as a nation, but as a nightmare. 

Trump proved beyond doubt that the greatest weakness of democracy was that it occasionally produces leaders who make autocracy look tempting by comparison.  The UN has survived  world wars, a cold war and countless crises, but whether  it can survive Trump remains to be seen.

Trump cited many examples of his achievements to demonstrate that he will able to replace the UN, which has miserably failed to stop conflicts around the world.  He listed for the first time the seven wars he had stopped, including Operation Sindoor launched by India.  The list was faulty as some fights took place long before Trump came on the scene or he took the names of countries who were never at war.  He had no doubt that he would be entitled to a Noble Prize for peace.  He regretted that the UN did not send even a message of congratulation for all his accomplishments. But he was ready take on the UN responsibilities for Peace and International Security.

Surprisingly, Trump did not announce either the withdrawal of the United States from the UN or its abolition. But according to him, the foregone conclusion   was that the new UN would be a body led by the United States. The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres conceded that Trump had, in fact, brokered the ceasefires between Thailand and Cambodia and Armenia and Azerbaijan said to Trump, “We are entirely at your disposal to work toward a just peace.”

When Trump addressed the General Assembly during his first term, he claimed that he was the best President the US ever had. The Assembly was stunned into silence for a while, but then laughter broke out from one corner and spread to the whole Assembly. A bewildered Trump joined the laughter for a while and then confessed that he had not expected such a reaction! This time, it was total silence in the hall, perhaps overwhelmed by the anticipated demise of an Organization “which was not created in order to bring us to heaven, but in order to save us from hell.” (Dag Hammarskjold)