英国《卫报》: 特朗普会为了连任不择手段

以下图文来自英国《卫报》专栏作家西蒙·蒂斯达尔(SimonTisdall)9月27日发表的社论

“特朗普第一”现在推动美国外交政策。 即使导致战争……

Trump First now drives US foreign policy. Even if it leads to war…

显然，唐纳德·特朗普（Donald Trump）会为了连任不择手段。对RBG的垂死愿望撒谎？加油。称拜登（Joe Biden）是激进的社会主义者吗？荒唐的，但是值得一赌。与中国或伊朗发动战争？在这里暂停。考虑到他需要取胜，这并不超出可能性范围。

随着11月的投票临近，特朗普正在为外交政策提供武器-不是捍卫美国的安全和国家利益，而是帮助他争取第二个任期。这不是 “美国第一”。一切都围绕着“特朗普第一” –通过任何危险的手段，不惜一切代价。

特朗普没有在国际上取得重大成就。相反，他破坏了美国的全球声誉，疏远了它的朋友。他的朝鲜庆功会全部都是吹牛。他的阿富汗政策是不光彩的退却。以色列在白宫撮合下与海湾独裁政权的卑劣交易，破坏了对中东和平的追求。

特朗普对传统外交不屑一顾，缺乏重大成就，因此选择了对抗。就像在国内竞选时一样，他利用了发自肺腑的恐惧：对邪恶的外国敌人的恐惧，对他人的恐惧，对差异的恐惧。

他上周在联合国激怒中国是典型的恐吓者。他说，美国自2016年以来已在国防上花费了2.5兆美元。“我们拥有世界上最强大的军事力量。”

这是威胁吗？也许整个星球应该举起手来投降。

这种粗暴的选举操作对全球产生不可预测的影响，尤其是对于台湾这样的爆发点。现在不同的是，特朗普煽动了双方的迅速武装升级。最近几周，美国拟议出售数十亿美元的武器，派遣高阶的使节前往台北，并部署了强大的海军部队。

特朗普的蓄意挑衅可能主要是出于展示，这是他政治化的反华仇恨的一部分。谁相信他真正关心台湾的自由？

特朗普残酷而且一意孤行的刺激伊朗，进一步表明他愿意在连任的圣坛上牺牲明智的，协商一致的政策。上周美国在没有联合国支持的情况下，努力重新施加联合国对德黑兰的制裁的惊人的自大，只是徒劳无功。每个主要国家都在反对华盛顿，不是因为它们是反美的，而是因为在这个问题上，美国根本是错误的。

到目前为止，伊朗政权还没有上钩。

特朗普沮丧地将尼米兹号（US Nimitz）号航母打击群派遣到海湾，肆意巡航在波斯海岸附近。伊朗仍然没有开火。

为了选票交换了庄严的承诺和长期确立的外交政策目标，特朗普为整个海湾地区的选举后混乱装雷管。

伊朗总统哈桑·鲁哈尼（Hassan Rouhani）将美国的压力与明尼阿波利斯警察杀害乔治·弗洛伊德（George Floyd）进行了比较。

他对联合国说：“我们立即意识到，跪在脖子上的脚就是跪在独立国家的脖子上傲慢的脚。”

特朗普希望破坏015年伊朗核协议到无法修复，以免拜登重启该协议。但是，再一次，正如他暗杀革命卫队将军卡西姆·苏莱马尼一样，他在赌伊朗的强硬派不会越过鲁哈尼并开始射击。

或者，也许在最后的敲门声中，他将有目的地展开一场冲突以挽救他艰难的选举。他已经与英国，德国和法国选出一个目标，后者公开指控美国非法行事。如果他连任，这种前所未有的分裂只会扩大。

特朗普以庄严的承诺和悠久的外交政策目标换票，为整个海湾地区的选举后混乱作了准备。在阿拉伯联合酋长国-巴林-以色列的“突破”之后，这种前景可能会越来越近。

特朗普将自己描绘成伟大的戴维营式和平使者。他更像是廉价的露天市场的小贩兜售会很快破裂的破旧地毯。

持久和平不是建立在不公正，占领和盗窃的基础上，特别是对巴勒斯坦梦想的贬低。这种粗暴的背叛是对所有志趣相投的人的冒犯，并且是暴力极端分子的招募海报。

关于沙特阿拉伯的无法无天的独裁者可能很快与以色列右翼领导人成为共同事业的建议，因为他们期望获得有利可图的美国投资，武器和核交易，并对他们的人权和性别权利恶习视而不见，这突显了特朗普的伪造和平根本上反民主的本质。

这可能会给他赢得一些基督教和犹太福音派选民的票，但不会让他获得渴望的诺贝尔奖。他的笨蛋奖将是永久的臭名昭著。

具有讽刺意味的是，特朗普为个人利益重新调整美国外交政策的努力可能丧失大多数选民。民意测验显示，他们优先考虑经济，医疗保健，Covid-19，犯罪和种族平等，而不是对外关系。选民们对美国的全球角色也抱有极大的矛盾。接受特朗普的恐惧政治的许多人都认为世界充满敌意和不可靠。

可悲的是，这也是当今世界对美国的看法。不管他是赢是输，“特朗普第一”的歪曲和阴谋所造成的广泛国际损害将难以消除。

It’s clear Donald Trump will do almost anything to cling to office. Lie about Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s dying wish? Go for it. Label Joe Biden a radical socialist? Silly, but worth a punt. Start a war with China or Iran? Pause right there. This is not beyond the realms of possibility, given his pathological need to win.

As November’s poll nears, Trump is weaponising foreign policy – not to defend US security and national interests, but to help him grab a second term. It’s not about putting “America First”. It’s all about putting “Trump First” – by any dangerous means, and at any cost.

Trump has no big international successes to his name. On the contrary, he has trashed America’s global reputation and alienated its friends. His North Korea jamboree was all hot air. His Afghan policy is retreat without honour. Israel’s shabby deals with Gulf dictatorships, stitched up by the White House, undermine the quest for Middle East peace.

Scornful of traditional diplomacy and lacking significant achievements, Trump chooses confrontation. He exploits visceral fears, just like he does when campaigning at home: fear of nefarious foreign foes, fear of the other, fear of difference.

His China-baiting at the UN last week was typical scaremongering. he said, had spent $2.5tn on defence since 2016. “We have the most powerful military anywhere in the world.”

Was this a threat? Maybe the entire planet should put its hands up and surrender.

Such crude electoral sabre rattling has unpredictable global implications, not least for flashpoints such as Taiwan. What’s different now is a rapid, armed escalation on both sides, stoked by Trump. In recent weeks, the US has mooted billion-dollar weapons sales, sent high-profile envoys to Taipei, and deployed powerful naval forces.

Trump’s calculated provocations may be largely for show, part of his politicised anti-China vendetta. Who believes he truly cares about Taiwan’s freedom?

Trump’s relentless, reckless goading of Iran further illustrates his willingness to sacrifice sensible, consensual policy at the high altar of re-election. The breathtaking arrogance of last week’s US bid to reimpose UN sanctions on Tehran – without the support of the UN – was matched only by its futility. Every major country lined up against Washington, not because they are anti-American but because, on this issue, America is simply wrong.

So far, Iran’s regime has not risen to the bait.

Frustrated, Trump has sent the USS Nimitz carrier strike group into the Gulf, ostentatiously cruising off the Persian shore. Still Iran holds fire.

Trading solemn promises and long-established foreign policy objectives for votes, Trump has primed the entire Gulf region for post-election mayhem.

Hassan Rouhani, Iran’s president, cannily compared US pressure to the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd.

“We instantly recognise the feet kneeling on the neck as the feet of arrogance on the neck of independent nations,” he told the UN.

Trump hopes to vandalise the 2015 Iran nuclear deal beyond repair, lest Biden reboot it. But once again, as with his assassination of Revolutionary Guards general Qassem Suleimani, he is gambling that Iran’s hardliners do not outflank Rouhani and begin shooting.

Or perhaps, at last knockings, he will purposefully start a fight to salvage his struggling campaign. He has already picked one with the UK, Germany and France, who publicly accuse the US of acting illegally. This unprecedented schism will only widen if he is re-elected.

Trading solemn promises and long-established foreign policy objectives for votes, Trump has primed the entire Gulf region for post-election mayhem. This prospect may be moving nearer following the bogus UAE-Bahrain-Israel “breakthrough”.

Trump portrays himself as a great Camp David-style peacemaker. He more closely resembles a cheap souk huckster peddling threadbare carpets that quickly fall apart.

Lasting peace is not built on injustice, occupation and theft, specifically the despoliation of Palestinian dreams. Such gross betrayal is an affront to all fair-minded people – and a recruiting poster for violent extremists.

Suggestions that Saudi Arabia’s lawless autocrats may soon make common cause with Israel’s rightwing leadership, in anticipation of lucrative US investment, weapons and nuclear deals, and a blind eye turned to their human and gender rights abuses, underscore the fundamentally anti-democratic nature of Trump’s fake peace-ifying.

It may win him a few evangelical Christian and Jewish votes but not the Nobel medal he craves. His booby prize will be lasting infamy.

Ironically, Trump’s efforts to re-purpose America’s foreign policy for personal advantage are probably lost on most voters. Pollsters suggest they prioritise the economy, healthcare, Covid-19, crime and racial equality over foreign relations. The electorate is also deeply ambivalent about America’s global role. Many who have bought into Trump’s politics of fear view the world as hostile and unreliable.

Sadly, this is how much of the world now views America, too. Whether he wins or loses, the widespread international damage wrought by “Trump First” distortions and machinations will be hard to erase.