Seychelles in a Politically Topsy-Turvy World
AS President Danny Faure boarded an Air Seychelles flight on Sunday 13th November, 2016 to Abu Dhabi with his delegation of advisers and experts to tackle the global warming problem at a summit meeting in Morocco, I found myself a little later boarding another Air Seychelles flight destined for Paris to take part in a European think-tank concerning the future of the world.
Just a few days ago, we saw Donald Trump becoming the 45th President Elect of the mighty USA at the moment very sadly divided on racial grounds. Whilst more than half of the population of the USA voted against Mr Trump, the President Elect still qualified as the winner by securing a majority of the required collegiate votes.
Of course it is one thing to make loud and bold declarations as one would do during the election campaign but victory in the circumstances prevailing today does not provide the President elect with a magic wand to simply achieve what he had in mind.
First the commitment to build a border wall along the frontier line with Mexico which would stretch distance wise from Seychelles to the coast of Kenya. Not unexpectedly hundreds of thousands of people are taking to the streets from Los Angeles to San Francisco, Miami, Chicago, New York and Washington D.C. to register their protest. The same anger is also felt across the border in Mexico which has been traditionally a great trading partner of the USA, and this is indeed a far off cry from the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the breakdown of the Iron and the Bamboo Curtains. This time, sad to say so, it is America who would be building a wall!
President elect Trump also stated that one of his top priorities would be to revoke the Obamacare legislation as soon as he would assume the office of President. However at his later meeting with President Obama in the White House he agreed not to revoke but to amend as appropriate certain proviso of the legislation. Obviously there is no place for arrogance when one is on the field of compromise.
In his campaign speeches Trump also had made it clear that he was against same sex marriages as was allowed under the law of many States. Homosexuels, lesbians and others were obviously deeply hurt and unhappy specially coming from someone who appears to have been quite sexually oriented in his days. Of course the President Elect would not wish to see a gathering of LGBT from morning to night in front of the Trump Tower.
However the devil must be given his dues. It would appear that President Putin of Russia who was the first to congratulate President Elect Trump is also very mindful of lessening the high level of tension which today characterises the USA-Russia relationship.
The world would be a winner if these two super powers agreed to do away with nuclear armament. And of course there would be no question of a reckless and unpredictable President Trump pressing the button that could start a nuclear war.
President elect Trump also promised to put a stop or to substantially reduce American imports of Chinese made goods. This is easier said than done because of Chinese technological capacity today as well as their competitive prices. China has a lot of money invested in American treasury bonds and other essential infrastructure which if they were to cash or sell, would in turn create a deeper immediate financial crisis in the USA, President elect Trump would have to take note of the fact that China constitutes one fourth of the human race.
China is certainly not going to espouse democracy "a l'américaine"...
It would only have to point to the current so called democratic turmoil in the USA to convince most of its people and other nations that the best way forward is the Chinese way.
President Barack Obama made two diplomatic breakthroughs over recent months. One was his rapprochement with India in order to beat the challenges faced by the growing military might of China. The second foreign policy achievement was the recognition of Cuba and the establishment of diplomatic ties. In both instances he has been criticised by several republican representatives in Congress. It is doubtful how eager president elect Trump would be to move further on these two issues particularly in the light of the support he obtained from the rich Cubans in the USA who oppose any kind of rapprochement with the Castro regime.
Across the Atlantic we also find an unsettled UK in the background of the Brexit particularly after the high Court judgement that Theresa May cannot deliver a Brexit without the approval of Parliament.
And again Trump's rapprochement with Putin is a worrying factor so far as NATO is concerned as it threatens the whole security and defence arrangements of the European community.
From the United Nations standpoint, the anti-immigration mood of Trump's America, in Europe and in Australia is a source of great concern for the international community.
As many expected Trump was quick to modify his anti-muslim stance and he has now stated that the only Muslims who would not be allowed to enter America are those with a criminal record.
Well the world is certainly in an upside down situation. The Seychelles Ship of State must be navigated through many currents and we must sort out our own problems and challenges intelligently and in the spirit of Seychelles First.
The outside world is not going to interfere in our internal affairs except for geopolitical advantages.
James R. Mancham
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of OCEANUSLive
Subscribe to our newsletter. Receive a weekly round-up of all piracy-related & maritime situational awareness news.
OCEANUSLive.org
Information, Security, Safety; Shared
Submitted by Team@oceanuslive.org