In his UN speech, Trump said that the “United States is stronger, safer, and a richer country” than it was when he assumed office less than two years ago. He went on to say:
We are standing up for America and for the American people. And we are also standing up for the world.
This is great news for our citizens and for peace-loving people everywhere. We believe that when nations respect the rights of their neighbors, and defend the interests of their people, they can better work together to secure the blessings of safety, prosperity, and peace.
Each of us here today is the emissary of a distinct culture, a rich history, and a people bound together by ties of memory, tradition, and the values that make our homelands like nowhere else on Earth.
This is reminiscent of Alexander Solzhenitsyn's Nobel Lecture.
That is why America will always choose independence and cooperation over global governance, control, and domination.
I honor the right of every nation in this room to pursue its own customs, beliefs, and traditions. The United States will not tell you how to live or work or worship.
We only ask that you honor our sovereignty in return.
Alex Ward [Email him] writing in Vox, called the later parts of the speech "patriotic word salad". I'll take that over Obama's speeches—unpatriotic word salad. Ward then goes on to say "But perhaps a boring speech is still better than the fiery screed he gave last year, in which he vowed to “totally destroy” North Korea for threatening the US and its allies." You may remember what Ward has forgotten—that North Korea has come to the negotiating table since then.
But back to the whole "sovereignty" thing—here's a typical Leftist reaction:
Chilling to hear Trump use “sovereignty” and “patriotism” as dogwhistles in his #UNGA speech.
— Karen Attiah (@KarenAttiah) September 25, 2018
Gives rhetorical ammunition for the nationalistic parties around the world who want to keep immigrants and refugees out.
The person who tweeted that, Karen Attiah [Email her] isn't a random Twitter user—she works for the Washington Post as its "Global Opinions editor", and her bio describes her as "Ghanaian. Nigerian. American".
And here's the reaction to that:
When “sovereignty” and “patriotism” are redefined as coded hate speech — and those who deploy them as secret racists — it’s time to take the power away from the redefiners.
— Mulder’s Long Fight for Account Reinstatement (@proteinwisdom) September 25, 2018
Or you lose your country.
So. What are you going to do about it? https://t.co/9qloiOoOXS