Tag: Multilateralism

In terms of actual support of active U.S. involvement within the UN, a 2017 poll by the the non-partisan Better World Campaign, which works to strengthen US engagement inside the UN, shows that 88 percent of Americans support an active role of the U.S. within the UN to solve difficult global challenges. If anything we should use our involvement with the UN to promote American values, democracy, the rule of law, and human rights. A lack of U.S. involvement, however, does not help for increased multilateralism and institutional reform; rather, it will greatly exacerbate it and leaves a gaping void of U.S. leadership in its stead. Save some small to medium conflicts there has been no world war since World War II, and most importantly no nuclear war since before the creation of the UN. Even if these meetings don’t produce favorable results, it still gives all parties an opportunity to seek alternatives to escalation, sanctions, and worse case scenarios such as another world war. Ever since its founding, the UN and its predecessor, the League of Nations (LoN), have both largely drawn scorn and repudiation from those critics skeptical of U.S. involvement in global institutions. These strains of skepticism have carried into modern politics as well, particularly from former Congressman Ron Paul who has time and time again called for the U.S. to withdraw from the UN. Both of these documents have libertarian themes throughout, and they’re based on certain inalienable human rights and the rule of law. Furthermore, the very purpose of the WTO is to promote reducing trade barriers and tariffs in order to promote global free trade. We should actively promote democratic values, the rule of law, peace, free trade, and immigration, but we should do so within these various international bodies where the world comes together.