Opinion | What countries aligning with Trump must ask themselves
It is becoming increasingly clear that the “America first” policy sees an inherent conflict between the US and the rest of the world
I remember a story about a bear and two hunters from years ago. As the tale goes, when the bear approaches, one of the hunters prepares to run. Shocked, the second hunter asks the first, “Can you run faster than the bear?” “Well,” the first hunter replies, “I only have to run faster than you.”
There is an important lesson to take from this story.
In a bid to sow discord, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has accused China of striking “rapacious deals” to take mineral rights from African nations and adding “huge amounts of debt onto these countries’ balance sheets”.
Why is Trump’s right hand out of sync with his left hand? The answer lies in the doctrine of “America first” that now guides US foreign policy. As Trump put it recently, “If we can make a really fair deal and a good deal for the United States, not a good deal for others, this is America first.”