{"id":155244,"date":"2026-03-19T16:55:57","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T23:55:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=155244"},"modified":"2026-03-19T16:55:57","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T23:55:57","slug":"dear-allies-of-america-please-dont-confuse-our-president-with-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2026\/03\/19\/dear-allies-of-america-please-dont-confuse-our-president-with-us\/","title":{"rendered":"Dear allies of America, please don\u2019t confuse our president with us"},"content":{"rendered":"

Opinion by\u00a0Robert Reich <\/span><\/span><\/span>Courtesy The Guardian<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

Donald Trump is alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s different from the United States <\/em>being alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We \u2013 that is, the vast majority of Americans who were against Trump\u2019s war from the start, and who support Nato<\/a> and the United Nations<\/a> charter and the post-second world war system of alliances and rules \u2013 are not alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the people of the United States stand with most democracies of the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related: Trump wants to strongarm Nato into another Gulf war. Here\u2019s why Europe must resist<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Trump\u2019s call to America\u2019s traditional allies for assistance clearing the strait of Hormuz was rebuffed by those allies, those allies didn\u2019t rebuff the United States. They rebuffed the person in the Oval Office who didn\u2019t even consult them before launching this war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, said<\/a> his country will never take part in operations to open or liberate the strait of Hormuz in the current context\u201d. (Trump responded, He\u2019ll be out of office very soon.\u201d) Canada\u2019s foreign minister, Anita Anand, said<\/a> that Canada was not consulted prior to the offensive operation\u201d and has no intention of participating in\u201d it. The British prime minister, Keir Starmer, has said the UK would not be drawn into the wider war\u201d.Recommended video: Trump insists he’s not ‘putting troops anywhere’ in Middle East (Daily Mail)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, like an angry five-year-old whose friends refuse to come to his party because he shouts at them and never shares his toys, Trump exploded: [W]e no longer \u2018need,\u2019 or desire, the NATO Countries\u2019 assistance \u2013 WE NEVER DID! Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea.\u201d He added: In fact, speaking as President of the United States of America, by far the Most Powerful Country Anywhere in the World, WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

May I be so bold as to address myself to America\u2019s allies and friends?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In point of fact, we the people of the United States do <\/em>need your help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need your help fighting the global climate crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need your help heading off pandemics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need your help countering global criminal gangs that are trafficking people and dangerous drugs and weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need your help fighting global poverty, hunger and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>We need your help safeguarding freedom and democracy from authoritarian regimes intent on extinguishing freedom and democracy around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s important that you, the citizens of other democracies, know that the vast majority of us \u2013 the people of the United States \u2013 are embarrassed and offended by the oaf who now occupies the highest office in the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He does not speak for us. He is not making decisions based on our welfare, let alone the wellbeing of the rest of you. Please don\u2019t confuse him with us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are trying our best to resist him, contain him, protest against him and remove him from office as quickly as we possibly can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you for your patience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n