America, Will It Be Always Great? – OpEd

America has always been great and generous towards the rest of the world. It unselfishly, helped Europeans, during the WWI a centenary ago. Without its help Germany would not have been defeated and brought to its senses.

American Generosity

Yet, again, without its massive intervention during WWII, with men, armor and funds, Germany would have conquered Europe. American generosity and humanity put forward the Marshall Plan in 1948 (Foreign Assistance Act of 1948) and without it Europe would not be what it is today, a power to reckoned with.

When the billionaire businessman Donald Trump went on the presidential elections campaign trail, he invoked the idea of making America great again, but it was already great with its political ideals, its technological advances, and human solidarity. For Trump “making America great” again was only a pretext for his “making America first”, whereby “first” , here, rhymes with “selfish” — and if one is selfish, he can, in no way, be a role model for the rest of the world.

A leader by definition is a tolerant, generous, loving and brave individual. Someone who thinks about the others more than he does about himself. This was America, until Trump came to power through the democratic process, of course.

America Inc. Or America Great?

Trump, a successful businessman, wants to turn America into America Inc. A country that makes money left and right and shuns anything that does not bring green bucks. He wants to turn his country into a big company, but what if this company does not make money will it go bust and disappear?
A country is a land, people, languages, culture, feeling, ideals that are not money-making concepts, but a supreme philosophy.

American Melting Pot

He does not want immigration because as the good WASP that he is, he is scared, to death, that the white race loses its supremacy in the near future, but America was always multi-colored and that is what highlights its strength and greatness.

At the entrance of the New York harbor there is a proud lady holding a torch of American greatness, welcoming migrants, wayfarers of all colors creeds and idioms, but since Trump arrived to the White House she is wondering what, on earth, is she doing there?

When the white Europeans came to America in the 15th century, the Native Americans did not chase them; on the contrary, they gave them food and welcomed them. But, as more whites came in and moved west, they grabbed the territories of the Indians and pushed them into reserves when they did not massacre them or made them addicted to alcohol, on purpose.

Trump wants to build a massive wall to keep Mexicans from migrating into America, but the strong American economy needs the cheap Mexican labor and the Mexicans need the little money they make in the US to feed their families back home.

No Free-Riders

Trump in his business drive does not like free-riders. Indeed, right after his election he traveled to the Gulf States and made them pay for American protection billions of dollars. He, also, made a very undiplomatic move, recently, when he said publicly that the Al-Saud household, in power in Saudi Arabia, will not last two weeks without American protection. Did he say that to put pressure on the Saudis to increase their oil output on the eve of the American oil sanctions on Iran, or to show American power?

He, also, wants Europeans to pay for the American nuclear umbrella and when, recently, Macron and Merkel spoke of creating a European army he did not like the idea, in the least. So, in many ways Trump seems to want his cake and to eat, too, as the saying goes.

Destroying America’s greatness

Is Trump’s erratic diplomacy destroying the greatness of America just to make a buck?

This question seems to have been answered by a big YES during the midterm elections. Indeed, the American people gave the House of Representatives to the Democrats to counterbalance the massive power of Trump.

This result leads the American public, at large, to two possible options:

Option 1: This is a prelude to booting out Trump out of office in the next presidential elections in 2020.

Option 2: This is a stern message to Trump to review and change his politics and course, to stay in power.

Will America remain always great?

What will be the results of the next presidential elections? “America is first” does not, in anyway, come first before “America is great”, for the following reasons:

• America is the leader of the free world;
• America is the beacon of democracy and human rights;
• America is the country of democratic institutions; and
• America is the country of checks and balances.

America is a country where anyone can come to power by democratic means, but will, also, be reminded by democratic means that he has gone too far.

You can follow Professor Mohamed CHTATOU on Twitter: @Ayurinu