Yossarian
Test Debutant
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2007
- Runs
- 13,897
- Post of the Week
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Time and again, left, right and center, the USA is withdrawing from or canceling international agreements that it has signed or agreed to, on the basis of "might is right".
Although much of this is due to President Trump, nevertheless it shows that any US President can rip up any international agreements made by its predecessors. And due to it's military and economic power, there's not much the other parties to any agreements ripped up can do anything about it.
So, how can anyone trust the USA to honor it's side of any agreements it makes given it's recent history?
Here's some recent examples:
The TTP.
The USA has unilaterally pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership which includes Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam
NAFTA
The USA is threatening to pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement unless Canada and Mexico agree to renegotiate the agreement on terms more favourable to the USA.
Paris climate change agreement
The USA has pulled out of the Paris agreement, which involved over 190 countries (including the USA) negotiating for years to reach an agreement. The ramifications of this for global warming is significant given that the USA alone is responsible for over 15 percent of global emissions of carbon.
Iran Nuclear Deal
The USA is on the verge of withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) which was agreed between Iran, the "P5+1" (China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States—plus Germany), and the European Union, despite the fact that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says that Iran is in compliance with it's side of the deal, meaning Iran is honoring it's side of the agreement.
Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership
After years of negotiations between the USA and the European Union, resulting in the TTIP, the largest bilateral trade initiative ever negotiated, involving the two largest economies in the world, the USA has suddenly halted indefinitely any further negotiations when both parties were on the verge of reaching a final agreement and putting pen to paper.
I'm betting even Kim Jong-un of North Korea will have doubts about trusting the USA to honor any agreements it makes with the USA. How ironic!
Although much of this is due to President Trump, nevertheless it shows that any US President can rip up any international agreements made by its predecessors. And due to it's military and economic power, there's not much the other parties to any agreements ripped up can do anything about it.
So, how can anyone trust the USA to honor it's side of any agreements it makes given it's recent history?
Here's some recent examples:
The TTP.
The USA has unilaterally pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership which includes Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam
NAFTA
The USA is threatening to pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement unless Canada and Mexico agree to renegotiate the agreement on terms more favourable to the USA.
Paris climate change agreement
The USA has pulled out of the Paris agreement, which involved over 190 countries (including the USA) negotiating for years to reach an agreement. The ramifications of this for global warming is significant given that the USA alone is responsible for over 15 percent of global emissions of carbon.
Iran Nuclear Deal
The USA is on the verge of withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) which was agreed between Iran, the "P5+1" (China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States—plus Germany), and the European Union, despite the fact that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says that Iran is in compliance with it's side of the deal, meaning Iran is honoring it's side of the agreement.
Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership
After years of negotiations between the USA and the European Union, resulting in the TTIP, the largest bilateral trade initiative ever negotiated, involving the two largest economies in the world, the USA has suddenly halted indefinitely any further negotiations when both parties were on the verge of reaching a final agreement and putting pen to paper.
I'm betting even Kim Jong-un of North Korea will have doubts about trusting the USA to honor any agreements it makes with the USA. How ironic!
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