Trump or Biden, US foreign policy endangers the world

Many observers of American politics are understandably terrified at the prospect of Donald Trump being re-elected president of the United States in November.

The US is already showing signs of a failed democracy. Its government and politics are often dysfunctional and plagued with corruption.

A Trump victory would raise fears of a new level of decline into fascist authoritarianism. However, a second Trump presidency would not necessarily implement a foreign policy any more destructive than what is normal for the US.

Since the start of the 21st century, the US has unleashed enormous violence and instability on the global stage. This is a feature of American foreign policy, regardless of who’s president.

In 2001, in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the US launched its “war on terror.” It invaded and occupied Afghanistan, then illegally invaded and occupied Iraq.

These actions caused the deaths of 4.6 million people over the next 20 years, destabilized the Middle East and caused massive refugee migrations.

In 2007-2008, the under-regulated US economy caused a global financial crisis. The associated political and economic fallout continues to resonate.

In 2011, the US and its NATO allies intervened in Libya, collapsing that state, destabilizing northern Africa and creating more refugees.

The US tried to consolidate its dominance in Europe by expanding NATO, despite Russia warning against this for decades. This strategy played a role in the Russia-Ukraine war in 2014 and the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

President Joe Biden’s administration has been accused both of helping to provoke the war in the hopes of permanently weakening Russia and of resisting peace negotiations.

Today, Ukraine appears to