What is the value of alienating allies?

Our news is rightly focused on the Trump administration’s attacks on American cities that vote Democratic. Meanwhile, as the Daily Herald reported, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s speech at the World Economic Forum announced that “Canada plans to diversify away from the United States with a dozen new trade deals.”

Trump’s threat to take NATO ally Greenland by force was a bridge too far after a year of punitive tariffs. Meanwhile President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has reached a trade deal with India’s Prime Minister Modi that has been 20 years in negotiation. It seems Trump’s tariffs were the impetus for both nations to resolve their many differences. The German DW News reports that both India and the European Union were “giddy” with the marketing potential involving their combined population of 2 billion.

Also troubled by Trump’s foreign policy, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with 50 UK business executives, have returned from Beijing after meeting with Xi Jinping. Starmer’s office stating Britain wants a consistent, long-term and strategic partnership that will benefit both countries.” Groundwork for a trade deal was begun.

I ask, because I really am curious, how does alienating our most reliable and long standing allies make America great?

Margaret Johnson

Rolling Meadows