Where is the United States of America going? By Prof. Dr. Kudret Bulbul
Lately we have been busy with the crisis between Turkey and the United States of America because of detained Pastor Brunson charged with supporting terrorism. There is a widespread tendency to read this crisis over Turkey-US relations and discussions are mostly being made from this perspective.
Undoubtedly there are valid reasons to read the crisis from the perspective of Turkey-US relations. Although escalation of the crisis by the United States of America to this point has been correlated with the purchase of S-400 missiles from Russia, Turkey being the voice of the Global conscience against the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and lately the Pastor Brunson incident, the problem has not been viewed by Turkey this way. The problem from Turkey’s standpoint is the US efforts to establish a terrorist state over the terrorist organization PKK/YPG, the culprit of the FETO’s July 15 coup attempt, considered as the 9/11 of Turkey, living in a luxury residence in the United States of America and the lack of any action against him despite the provision of all necessary documents by Turkey to the United States of America. This example can be given for the Turkish public opinion to better understand US attitude: How US society would react against a country that harbours Usama Bin Laden and where he exerts efforts to establish a terrorist region on the US-Mexico border through terrorist organization Al Qaida, Turkish public opinion has been reacting the same way.
Despite all comprehendible reasons interpretation of the crisis in the context of Turkey-US relations is an incomplete evaluation. Because the United States of America is not only having a crisis with Turkey but also many other crises with China, Russia, the European Union and especially Germany. In addition rarely seen in the US history it has been having crises even with Mexico and Canada. I will not even touch US chronic crises with North Korea and Iran.
Therefore it is not right to interpret Turkey-US crisis from the perspective of relations between the two countries.
In fact it also does not look right to read these crises over the Trump administration only. Definitely there are some aspects originating from the Trump administration too. Besides, the reasons for the crises lived by the US administration with almost whole of the World should be searched in depths. These main reasons can be listed as follows.
The Trump administration has been diverting towardspre-globalization and anti-free market economy policies because of its failure to emerge sufficiently gainful from the globalization. Increasing taxes, rising tariffs and recalling of its foreign investments and firms are the extensions of this policy
Perhaps one of the most significant reasons of the crises lived and created by the United States on the Global level is its failure to emerge from the Globalization with insufficient gains. It is the lagging behind of the United States and its firms in Global competition. The United States of America and the European Union are not the countries who have been the most gainful in Global competition but the countries like China, India, Brazil and Turkey. While the US economy entered the crises for a few times during this course these countries significantly increased their national income. The ending American hegemony has been intensely discussed during this process.
While it is obvious that especially the United States has failed to sufficiently gain from the Global competition, openness and free market economy and this is an important reason for the US obstinacy, now some of our luminaries and administators must go beyond the ordinary on Globalization. They must rethink over luminary confirmism that the globalization processes have contributed more to developed countries and made the rich richer and the poor poorer.
The Trump administration has been diverting towards pre-globalization and anti-free market economy policies because of its failure to emerge sufficiently gainful from the globalization. Increasing taxes, rising tariffs and recalling of its foreign investments and firms are the extensions of this policy. While these policies are contracting World trade these steps are harmful for the other countries as well as the United States itself. The end consumer is the one to be harmed the most. Because rising taxes and tariffs would raise the product prices.
As we had written last week, the second reason could be stated as the gradually increasing influence of religious groups, congregations and cults in the US administration. Just as it has been seen in the Jerusalem and Pastor Brunson decisions there is no explainable rationality in some of these irrational decisions of the US administration. Lets remind that US Vice President Mike Pence and Former President George W. Bush are fanatic Evangelists.
The crisis US has entered can be shown as another reason. The Pentagon, the White House and the State Department may think and behave differently on many issues. The reactions and expectations of different coalitions in the American society may put the White House in a substantially difficult position that goes beyond the scope of the US administration. The important reason for the obstinacy of the Trump administration is said to be the dismissal process of Trump from the presidency in connection with these coalitions.
What should be done if the crisis between the United States and Turkey is far beyond the relations between these two countries?
Undoubtedly there are aspects of the problem that concern the United States, other countries and the whole mankind.
If it is seen from the standpoint of the policies implemented by the United States they would return to closed economies, raise tariffs and contract free market economy. This contraction would harm all of the countries and individuals. The US policies developed by the United States against China can partly be understood. Besides, the World Trade Organization, the World Bank, other inoternational institutions and the defenders of free trade and free movement should develop a joint stance against these policies which may hurt everyone. The United States playing the game against the rules is a danger for all of the countries.
2. It is obvious where the extreme ideological movements like Nazism and Fascism during the World War II had pushed the countries and the World and where today’s extreme religious movements are dragging the countries and the World. Similarly the intense involvement of the US administration with the fanatic religious movements like Evangelism that is also considered as the Zionist Christianity, will not bring any good to the mankind. The pro-freedom, pluralist and liberal segments of the American society are probably well aware of the danger. The struggle of these segments on rationality, freedom and pluralism is extremely invaluable for the mankind.
The countries may enter economic, political and cultural crises from time to time. In these circumstances the countries need visionary leaders to take them out of this kind of crises. The Trump administration does not promise much hope in this regard. The more deplorable is that the Trump administration is not alone in this hopelessness. Many European countries are also being governed by the visionless leaders who do not promise much hope.
Lets not lose our hope however unfortunately the World and Global politics do not promise any bright days ahead.
We presented an assessment of Prof. Dr. Kudret Bulbul, Dean Faculty of Political Sciences at Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University regarding the matter…