… A bullying tactic in an incoherent geopolitical game of Throne
Wale Alonge
It is beyond ludicrous, the reason purportedly given by the US consular office for the recent revocation of visas already issued to Nigerians. When did Nigeria and Nigerians become a national security threat from which America and Americans must be protected?
In term of contribution to America’s economy as measured by GDP, number of patents, contribution to technological innovations, to academia as measured by number of published articles in reputable academic journals and numbers of leading professionals in critical areas to American economy from medicine and health care delivery, to the finance and fintech sector, to academia and many others, Nigerians rank among probably the top three of all immigrant community in the USA.
Like his Tariff policy, President Trump is weaponizing immigration and visa issuance as retaliatory tools in pursuit of his incoherent foreign policy agenda and enemy list.
With the warm embrace between Presidents Lula of Brazil and Tinubu during his recent state visit, Nigeria and Nigerians should be prepared for more visa revocation and other retaliatory policy measures. Brazil has become enemy number one for Trump and he Trump seeks to interfere in Brazil’s domestic policy in the court case against its erstwhile dictator wannabe Trumpian Bosenario.
Additionally Brazil is one of the arrowheads of BRICS which Nigeria has signified interest in its membership.
What President Trump is underestimating in his blunt and bullish use of American power, is the power of national power and pride. It was on full display in his now iconic Oval Office verbal brawl with seemingly weak, outmatched and cornered Ukrainian President Zelensky who stood up boldly to Trump and his tag team refusing to subject Ukraine national pride to bullying by Trump.
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Nation states have almost inexhaustible elastic pain tolerance when it comes to defending their national pride and sovereignty. It is the only logical reason Ukraine is still standing against all odd from Russian bombardment just like Great Britain did against Nazi German bombardment during world war 2.
Trump will soon learn like other bullies that the game is over once you stand up to them. President Trump needs to know that diplomacy is a very nauced delicate game of carrot and stick, overuse either of the two, you lose.
In the words of incomparable Maya Angelou
You can revoke Nigerian visas. You may even impose punitive tariff. You may trod us in the very dirt
But still, like dust, Nigeria Will rise.
Sadly for America, a country that I love and to whom I have pledged my loyalty as a naturalized citizen for decades, while not forgetting or abandoning my Nigerian roots, Trump’s policy is not advancing American wider foreign policy objective. Rather it is weakening and dissipating the deep well of friendship, goodwill and loyalty from its many allies across the globe and pushing them into the waiting embrace of its most potent competitor for global dominance, China. We are seeing that on display as India, Russia and China are engaged in full romantic embrace for the whole world to see.
Our collective hope is that this mind numbing season of anomie in US global reputation would not do so much damage that it is becomes almost unrecoverable.
