Putin-Trump Summit: World Moves From Military Wars To Trade Wars

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By Dr. Sawraj Singh

Many people are blaming Trump for starting trade wars. However, very few realize that in reality Trump is not starting new wars he is actually changing old wars into new wars which are actually less dangerous than old wars. During the presidential election I was one of those few people who believed that Trump was less dangerous than Hillary because she was more likely to start a war with Russia. Trump seems to have understood the fact that in a military confrontation with Russia America has more to lose than Russia and nobody will be a real winner. Therefore, Trump, for all practical purposes, ruled out a military option while dealing with Russia.

The American media has really come hard on Trump for the way he conducted himself at this summit. The media feels that Trump has surrendered American interests and prestige before Putin. Arnold Schwarzenegger compared Trump to a child who wants to get an autograph from Putin. Even the Fox news which has been considered pro Trump joined rest of the media in severely criticizing Trump. However, we have to try to understand whether the media or Trump is closer to reality.

Trump does not want to risk a direct military confrontation with Russia whereas the media is asking for it. It is clear that the American media as well as many main stream politicians are still heavily influenced by American arrogance and hegemony. They fail to see the changed world realities. America is in a state of decline and strategic retreat rather than in a state of rise and expansion. Therefore, these people are living in a state of illusion and are not ready to accept the new realities of the world. Compared to these people Trump is closer to reality.

In the last two centuries, the West has used a combination of military and economic power to control the world. Its policy can be summarized by the term “Gunboat Diplomacy”. Even in the 21st century, the West has never hesitated in using force and coercion whether it was in Iraq or in Afghanistan and Libya or is in Syria. The West has never accepted the fact that everybody was created equal. It continues to hold on to its belief that there are two kinds of people in the world; the West and the Rest. This thesis was neither true in the past nor it will be true in the future.

Let us look at the history of the last two thousand years. Barring the last two centuries (the nineteenth and twentieth), the East has always been in the leading position. Even in the 21st century, the East has already taken over the leadership of the world. Moreover, the world has already become multipolar. Therefore, the old concept of allies and adversaries has already changed. The old concept of them against us was a product of a bipolar world. Trump is again right when he says that China, Russia and Europe are our rivals.

It is a good thing that Trump has realized the new realities of the world. However, Trump’s understanding of these realities is still incomplete. He has realized that America cannot win in a direct confrontation with Russia and it no longer can marginalize Russia. Russia should be recognized as a world power. However, Trump still has not accepted the reality that America cannot win a trade war with China and has more to lose than China if such a war breaks out. Like he has recognized Russia as the supreme military power, he has also to recognize China as the supreme economic power of today.

I agree that Trump is better than the American media and those American politicians because he has at least recognized and accepted half of the truth. However, America and the West should realize and accept the whole truth that the world has really become multipolar and they can no longer dominate it. Let us all learn to live in this new world as equals and learn to solve problems and face challenges by trying to reach a consensus with a dialogue rather than force our will on others.

Dr. Sawraj Singh, MD F.I.C.S. is the Chairman of the Washington State Network for Human Rights and Chairman of the Central Washington Coalition for Social Justice. He can be reached at [email protected].