The Second Trump Administration, Humanitarian Aid and World Peace

It has been less than a month and the world is already reeling from what commentators describe as the chaos unleashed by Donald Trump’s second presidency. His critics say that his contempt for the rule of law and his assault on America’s civil service and democratic institutions are straight from the authoritarian dictator's handbook.  His supporters cheer him on, insisting Trump is 'Making America Great Again'.  Whatever your politics may be, it is worth asking as Rotarians whether in all that Trump now says and does,Is this consistent with the Four Way test?

Since it was established by President John F Kennedy in 1961, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been emblematic of the best of American values – to provide humanitarian assistance wherever needed in the world. USAID has been gutted by a Trump executive order and branded a ‘criminal organisation’ by Elon Musk who has said ‘it is time for it to die’. Trump’s idea for ending the Israel/Gaza conflict involves the forced removal of Palestinians from Gaza and the creation of a ‘Riviera of the Middle East’ on the prime real estate of Gaza’s shores. His plan for ending Russia’s illegal war of aggression in Ukraine is to give Putin all that he wants.

We are privileged to have Professor Brendon O’Connor speak with us about what to make of Trump 2.0, where it came from and where it might be going. Who will fill the gap in humanitarian aid left by America’s retreat, and what are the prospects for world peace with the USA abandoning internationalism for isolationism?

Brendon O’Connor is a Professor of US Politics and US Foreign Relations. He is jointly appointed between the United States Studies Centre and the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Sydney. He is the editor of seven books on anti-Americanism and has also published articles and books on American welfare policy, presidential politics, US foreign policy, and Australian-American relations.

Can we do anything more than doomscroll the daily news? Yes, we can. Find out more at this important club meeting, presented by the Sydney Rotary Peacebuilding Group.