Commentary by Stephen Macaulay

With discipline on par with someone suffering from an acute case of logorrhea, Donald Trump addressed the United Nations General Assembly with a wide range of topics ranging from grievance that the UN didn’t pick the Trump Organization for a rehab of the headquarters back in the ‘00s to an observation, “During the campaign they had a hat, the best-selling hat ‘Trump was right about everything,’ And I don’t say that in a bragging way but it’s true. I’ve been right about everything.”

Consider: 

• “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
• “Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.”
• “I’ve been right about everything.”

During his remarks he was critical of countries because of their immigration policies.

He was critical of countries who are trying to reduce carbon emissions because he says that climate change is a hoax.

(Here’s something you might want to look at because it is likely to be taken down ASAP: On the Department of Commerce website there is this page that includes, among other things:

• “The United States' foremost scientific agencies and organizations have recognized global warming as a human-caused problem that should be addressed.”
• “NOAA, NASA, the National Science Foundation, the National Research Council, and the Environmental Protection Agency have all published reports and fact sheets stating that Earth is warming mainly due to the increase in human-produced heat-trapping gases.”

No wonder these organizations have had their budgets cut. How can they possibly disagree with him when he’s right about everything?

There were other claims, like the price of groceries being down in the US, when the Bureau of Labor Statistics latest figures include:

“All six major grocery store food group indexes increased in August. The index for fruits and vegetables rose 1.6% over the month as the index for tomatoes increased 4.5% and the index for apples rose 3.5%. The meats, poultry, fish and eggs index increased 1.0% in August with the beef index rising 2.7%. The index for nonalcoholic beverages increased 0.6% and the index for other food at home increased 0.1%. Both the dairy and related products index and the cereals and bakery products index also rose 0.1% in August.”

He said “energy prices are down,” but again, the BLS has this:

“The index for energy increased 0.2% over the past 12 months. The gasoline index fell 6.6% over this 12-month span and the fuel oil index fell 0.5% over the same period. In contrast, the index for electricity increased 6.2% over the last 12 months and the index for natural gas rose 13.8%.”

Boast and bluster though he may, the American public is paying the price at the grocery store and when their utility bills come due.

In addition to being highly critical of the UN in general and other countries that aren’t the United States (except in his conclusion -- which was certainly a bizarre script as he rhapsodized about how each country is magnificent in its own way -- as though he had just come off the “It’s a Small World” ride at Disneyland), he mentioned all of the “deals” he’s made with countries as regards tariffs.

So with the European Union, ostensibly our friend and ally, there are 50% tariffs on steel, copper and aluminum, 25% on automobiles and parts, 15% on pharmaceuticals, and more. Not that the EU countries are paying those costs. US businesses and individuals are, but the tariffs do have the effect of reducing sales of those products because of the higher prices for US consumers. (No, there isn’t some sort of sudden reshoring of manufacturing capability — smelters and assembly plants and formulation plants — that will make those prices irrelevant.)

Trump continued the notion that the US has long been taken advantage of by countries, something that there is not a whole lot in the way of evidence to support.

While all that bluster was going on Politico reported something that may be the first sign of allied countries beginning to pull away from the US — something that will have negative impacts from a defense point of view.

According to the outlet, “Berlin will steer its massive rearmament drive primarily to European industry, with only 8% going for American weapons.”

This is an €80 billion (US$94.5 billion) program.

It will buy €6.8 billion (US$8 billion) worth of equipment from US contractors.

Heretofore, reports Politico:

“In recent years, Germany has been one of Washington’s biggest defense buyers.”

Apparently that’s changing, to the disadvantage of the US.

This could be the start of something decidedly not good.