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The Speech Heard Round the World
President Trump’s first address to the UN could have been called The Gathering Storm, the title of Winston Churchill’s 1948 book. While many separate elements of the speech hit on the challenges of our day and time, taken together, there was thunder, wind, and warning combined with hope. Trump first thanked those who have supported our country’s hurricane recovery efforts and mentioned record job creation, market growth and drop in unemployment, then got down to message. “We live in a time of extraordinary opportunity, potential waiting to be unleashed. Yet, we meet at a time of both immense promise and great peril.”
Military Strength – One of Trump’s first statements (which he reiterates in all his speeches), was sending a message to those present, and especially to those not present, namely Russia, China and North Korea, whose delegation walked out, that he is restoring and upgrading our defenses, which were reduced under Obama — Peace through strength.
Pillars of Peace – Trump reminded the UN body of their original mission. No. 1 under Article 2 of the UN Charter: “The Organization is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its Members.” The UN was designed to keep the peace through the collective effort of all the member countries, it was not designed to ignore the sovereignty of each member or placate countries that ignore the goals that created the institution. Sovereignty – Security – Prosperity. “The Marshall Plan was built on the noble idea that the world is safer when nations are strong, independent and free.”
http://www.un.org/en/sections/un-charter/chapter-i/index.html
He mentioned the United States is celebrating the 230th anniversary of our Constitution, and said the most important part is its first “three beautiful words – We the People.” “In America, the people govern, and it was founded on sacrifice. Our citizens have paid the ultimate sacrifice to defend the freedom of our country, as well as of many nations represented in this great hall, to the beaches of Europe, the desserts of the Middle East and the jungles of Asia.” That was a powerful reminder of a cost that we are still willing to pay today. I felt he was driving the message that freedom is not free, but it comes with a great cost, including facing up to rogue regimes and ideologies that seek to harm the common goals of world peace.
Confronting Terrorism – “If the righteous many do not confront the wicked few, then evil will triumph. When decent people and nations become bystanders to history, the forces of destruction only gather power and strength.” He then called out the grave behavior of North Korea, whose delegation at this point left the room, and Trump continued that “this is what the United Nations is for – let’s see how they do.” He then took on Iran, called out for their export of terror around the world. He called out radical Islamic terrorism next; no one was spared in this speech. You could have heard a pin drop. It was Bush’s statement calling Iran, Iraq and North Korea the Axis of Evil on steroids. Putting the responsibility of confronting terror among all the nation members was a key and courageous moment.
Reform – President Trump highlighted the various international organizations that the United States funds, that bring humanitarian relief, to end human trafficking and embolden women among third world countries. “Yet many in leadership can do much more in confronting terror,” and he said the UN Secretary General acknowledged that reform is needed to meet the new and continuing escalating threats that impede peace, safety and prosperity, even with these efforts. “For example, it is a massive source of embarrassment to The United Nations that some governments with egregious human rights records sit on the UN Human Rights Council.” Indeed.
He stated that the US is one out of 193 participating countries, but pays more than 22 percent of the whole budget. He followed that “this investment” would be more than worth it, if the UN could accomplish all of its stated goals toward peace. He also announced that he will not lift sanctions until Cuba makes fundamental reforms for the Cuban people. This was a loud call for a more results-oriented process, more accountability, and less bureaucracy. Again, no one was spared in this speech.
Socialism – in all its various forms. He called for “the full restoration of democracy and political freedoms in Venezuela. “The problem in Venezuela is not that socialism has been poorly implemented, but that socialism has been faithfully implemented.” There was silence, then uncomfortable laughing. “From the Soviet Union to Cuba to Venezuela, wherever true socialism and communism has been adopted, it has delivered anguish, devastation and failure.” Who has had the courage to say that in a public forum lately?
Economic Prosperity – President Trump stated that trade can only happen if it is fair and reciprocal. “While Americans were told to embrace mammoth, multi-national trade deals, unaccountable international tribunals and that powerful global bureaucracies were ways to promote success, millions of jobs vanished and thousands of factories disappeared.” It wasn’t a declaration of pulling up the drawbridge, but revisiting old and current systems of trade with all countries to look for a more balanced approach.
His final statements ended with quoting President Truman, and stating, “In remembering the great victory that led to this body’s founding, we must never forget that those heroes who fought against evil also fought for the nations that they loved.” Patriotism, love, to sacrifice for all that is best in the human spirit, confronting evil, building strong families, sharing responsibility, preserving the best of our cultures and traditions, insures a peaceful world — old fashioned words that echoed into the modern, globalist psyche of each representative in that room.
Originally, I listened to the speech on the Ricochet POTUS Pod, but went back and watched it on YouTube. I wanted to re-assess the content while observing the participants. The looks on the faces, representing the many called out nations, spoke volumes – Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, and others. I saw the world’s nations witnessing courage and conviction, with eyes that sometimes don’t see and ears that sometimes don’t hear. They suddenly sat up straight or shuffled, started taking notes or pretending to, or stared expressionless. President Trump’s first UN Speech was a call to opportunity and reform that we have not heard in a long time, to change the collision course of history that we are now on.
https://youtu.be/3gqyPOuVHD0
What stood out to you, and is the speech having any results?
Published in General
What stood out to me (aside from what you ably mentioned): his delivery. Almost bland and monotone especially by his standards. I wonder if that was intentional as a way to counteract the boldness of the words themselves.
Speak softly and carry a big stick?
Probably more like: speak blandly in hopes they don’t call me an insane war monger complete with memes showing Hitler giving a stemwinder.
Excellent synopsis. This is the beginning of the great work that we Americans are poised to do now that we have a president who is not hemmed in by so many of the stupid “experts” that have not lived up to the generation that won the Cold War. The single biggest problem in this present generation of politicians is their abject fear of the media and the leftists in this country. It colored everything they did. Here’s Trump saying things that we ordinary Americans have been saying for several decades and yet our “leaders” are scared to death to even utter a one of them (like radical Islamic terrorism). Trump stands astride the world as a Goliath ready to force the kinks out of the spaghetti spined world skeleton!
Yes, this was a great synopsis, FSC. And your comment, Larry, was worth more than just hitting the ‘like’ button.
Too late – the Washington Post already did…
I believe Einstein best summarized America’s North Korea policy as “doing the same thing over and over again, while expecting a different result”.
The President, a man often derided as unbalanced, appears to have opted for trying something different.
Is this an example of cognitive dissonance?
I forced myself to watch Jim Acosta blatantly lie about the whole thing. Sickening.
Great synopsis.
Yeah, Bill Clinton thought he signed the deal that would stop NK from getting a nuke. That was in 1994. In order for the carrot and stick type approach to work, you have to show you actually have a stick.
He had a stick — he and everyone involved knew that he would NOT use it.
I’m wondering what part of the speech Bernie Sanders liked the most? What do you think? I’m guessing it wasn’t the part on socialism, since he once said the following, as an example of socialism working: In 2011, Sanders said that “the American dream is more apt to be realized in South America, in places such as Ecuador, Venezuela and Argentina.” Sanders also once praised countries with food lines, saying that rationing was a sign of equality and success…….
Ramirez nails it.
Did he really say those things? Geez, our side sucks at PR. He’s a big name right now, and we should be tying those weights around his neck while we look for more to add on.
I loved the speech. He nailed everyone. And thanked the good guys. There are good guys and bad guys. What relief after what’s his name (Oganda? Omanda? Gobonda? I simply can’t remember.)
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That is so funny!!