Telling performance

Trump’s speech reflects the UN’s decline

- 

‘The farcical drama of a stalled escalator and a failed teleprompter symbolised the dystopian state of global politics as United States (US) President Donald Trump delivered his speech at the 80th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly.

The speech, which ran to 56 minutes against the 15 minutes allotted to each world leader, was vintage Trump; disjointed, rambling, mostly fact-free and infused with MAGA (Make America Great Again) tropes. The golden age of America had begun; migration is a threat and countries that accepted migrants were “going to hell”; climate change was the “greatest con job perpetrated on the world”; he was responsible for stopping seven wars; Shariah law would be imposed in London; Christianity was under threat; recognising Palestine was a boost to Hamas; European countries were major buyers of Russian oil, and so on. With variations, the speech hewed to the toxic version delivered at his second inaugural in January.