North Korea has declared South Korea an enemy and shown no interest in responding to US overtures. Without the baggage of hostile relations, the European Union can engage North Korean in dialogue and at least learn about Pyongyang’s intentions.
The debt limit stand-off poses implications for the world, as the uncertainty may bring a US recession that affect the country’s trade partners. For the US to play a more active role abroad economically, as China has, Washington must get its financial act together.
The tragedy of Afghanistan has inspired all kinds of speculation about Taipei’s supposed helplessness, possible military action by Beijing and the US’ rumoured passivity. But the US withdrawal from the ‘graveyard of empires’ does not signal its impending betrayal of Taiwan.
US policy on China and Taiwan is much clearer, Quad allied have drawn closer, the Korean peninsula status quo has been vindicated – and John Bolton has been politically neutered.
Criticism of the US human rights record has grown and, while it is nowhere as dismal as in countries like China or North Korea, if America is to represent a higher standard, it should behave as though it does and reform where it does not.
Unlike Hongkongers who challenged their government with large-scale protests this month, the US has not seen major demonstrations over the American president’s threats of military action against North Korea and Iran.
From the ‘fire and fury’ days of Donald Trump’s opening year as president, the US seems to have come full circle to the Obama era’s approach on North Korea. Slowing the country’s nuclear programme and adjusting militarily to the presence of nuclear weapons on the peninsula are more realistic than demanding complete denuclearisation.
Donald Trump got elected promising he could solve disputes in the US’ favour without repeating the Iraq mistake or sacrificing the economy. One by one, other countries have realised he does not have a backup plan when the bluffing fails.