This article appeared first in The Corporate Dispatch Week
New Yorkers are a tough crowd. If you ask them, they will say that nothing scares them – at least, not until the UN General Assembly is in session in September. Over 190 delegations fly into New York, with security arrangements causing traffic gridlock every year, with leaders taking this opportunity to outline their visions for their country, their region – and the world.
This year, nationalist leaders, such as Donald Trump of the United States, Boris Johnson of the United Kingdom, Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, and Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey all highlighted the various ills they felt were facing their respective leadership. Often, they took the opportunity to hit out at domestic opposition and causes, whilst pushing a strong nationalist tone.
One of President Trump’s remarks, particularly reminiscent of his previous addresses to the UN General Assembly, was poignant and highlights the divide in global cooperation:
“If you want freedom, take pride in your country. If you want democracy, hold on to your sovereignty. And if you want peace, love your nation. Wise leaders put the good of their own people and their own country first. The future does not belong to globalists. The future belongs to patriots. The future belongs to sovereign and independent nations, who protect their citizens, respect their neighbors and honor the differences that make each country special and unique.”
His statement assumes that global leaders put the interest of other nations first, putting that of their own country in a firm second. The entire premise of “globalism” is the notion that global cooperation has gone too far on issues such as trade, global governance rules and climate change, and that it was about time that more powers were returned back to national capitals.
In truth, all elected national leaders do seek to put their country first in negotiations, even if not apparent to their electorate. Sometimes, they have to make compromises on issues which seem as though they’re going to cause immediate harm, but usually to obtain other concessions in the medium to long term. Horse trading 101.
But what leaders like Trump underestimate, ignore, or are willfully ignorant of is that there are certain issues that require global cooperation. Global trade and financial stability are two of these issues. Climate change is another. By now, many of us have heard of the young Swedish girl, Greta Thunberg, who has chastised global leaders in no uncertain terms in recent weeks for their inability to make any real progress on tackling climate change on a global scale. However, she has inspired many young people to conduct “school strikes” as she had done herself in order to raise awareness and demand action from their leaders on addressing an issue which over 95% of the scientific community agree is a real problem. In fact, the US military has published a report last year outlining the likely impact of climate change on US military bases around the world, with problems ranging from flooding to damages from unpredictable storms, which goes to show just how seriously this issue is taken.
Climate change is a reality. There is little doubt that our reliance on fossil fuels and unsustainable global economic models which put economic growth above all other considerations does not necessarily lead to happier, healthier societies.
Whilst some have attacked Greta for what they perceived to be her theatrical behaviour, and that she is being used as a puppet belies an underlying lack of knowledge on the manifestations of Asperger’s Syndrome, which now falls under the Autism Spectrum Disorder. My son is 4 years old, and has been diagnosed with the same condition. Rest assured, her blunt approach is not an act – it is how she truly feels. Individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome have difficulties with social interactions and suffer from anxiety in social scenarios. But Greta has overcome these difficulties to have her voice heard on the highest stage possible. For that, she gives hope to parents like myself who want to see our children succeed and live a good life, and has sparked a renewed interest in the younger generation to tackle climate change.
Global leaders may continue to focus on the immediate problems they face by going back to the ideologies of the mid-twentieth century – but the next generation seems highly motivated to push them out of the way, to tackle the problems of the future. I, for one, am glad.
Matthew Bugeja is CiConsulta’s Geopolitics Consultant for Diplomatique.Expert.
