The United States of America is involved in numerous global alliances that are military and defensive in nature. Unfortunately, most of our military allies are not necessarily economic, free trade, allies, partners, or friends. When it comes to international trade and economic agreements, the unstated contention of President Trump is that the United States is primarily confronted by international trading opponents or enemies. In my opinion, true global alliances should be totally reciprocal, politically, economically with respect to trade and monetary policy, and militarily. After all, true allies or friends don’t take unfair economic and trade advantage of allies or friends. Allies do not drain the economic resources and strength of their allies.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is one of the largest military alliances to which the United States is a signatory. My contention is that the majority of the military allies in NATO are not economic friends of the United States. The European Union (EU) members of NATO, members of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and other trade partners act more like economic enemies. The same could be said of most Pacific Rim military allies. The Chinese, North Koreans, Iranian and other Middle East countries, and socialist South American nations are also trading advisories. With trading friends like these, who needs trading enemies?
Consequently, when our so called global allies threaten to challenge our proposed tariffs at the World Trade Organization (WTO), we should immediately challenge their existing tariffs, trade barriers, and subsidies to selected industries that provide a competitive advantage for their products on the world market with the WTO. To protect our agricultural products, if allies place barriers or tariffs on our agriculture products, we should not allow competing products into our nation to protect prices for our farmers. With the largest economy in the world, our allies need to trade with us more than we need to trade with them. Again, truly strong global alliances are fully reciprocal.
When critics and global free trade proponents say that it is bad policy to start trade wars with allies, they fail consider the possibility that military allies are not necessarily economic or trading allies or friends. These allies are already waging a trade war with the United States. They also fail to acknowledge that global free trade is a myth. Military allies that levy tariffs that are ten times what the United States levies on the same category of goods or erect trade barriers for United States products or commodities are not economic or trading partners and allies. Military allies that fail to contribute equitably to their military obligations within global alliances are questionable allies. Free trade and military obligation should be reciprocal in all areas.
The Merriam-Webster, On-Line Dictionary definitions of two terms related to this discussion are relevant. Globalism is defined as “a national policy of treating the whole world as a proper sphere for political influence.” Influence is defined as “to affect or change without use of direct force or authority.” In my opinion, globalism is currently used most often in reference to global trade or the global market that is not characterized by free trade. The reality of international trade is that the United States has little significant influence that positively affects our economy, manufacturing, labor force, and personal or family income. That is why the United States has a huge trade deficit. That is why President Trump is renegotiating most of our international trade agreements and putting America first. Consequently, globalism only applies to military and defensive alliances but not to economic and international trade agreements.
In my opinion, it is time that our global alliances are composed of military allies that are also our economic and international trade allies rather than our economic and international trade adversaries. Our allies need to stop depending on the United States to finance their defense needs and economies in general. The world needs open, fair, reciprocal, and truly free trade.
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