Confusing signals from the US

In the backdrop of all the talk of building a wall on the border with Mexico, and its deeper implications, the world is likely to watch with a mix of confused fascination and anxiety the likely unpredictable consequences of a series of executive orders and pronouncements of President Donald Trump in recent days that relate to the broad question of immigration, and also the reintroduction of the use of torture by the CIA (presumably against undesirable aliens, of which terrorists may be just one variety).

Taken together, the rush of words speak to the image of “fortress America”, which is the antithesis of ideas on which American prosperity has been built since the Second World War and which may be said to constitute the very kernel of American capitalism, or the American civilisation, that involves trading widely with the world and despatching America’s people, materials and ideas globally — and receiving reciprocation from all territories — in an effort to expand the reach of what the US thinks of as “the free world”.

If it is un-freedom that the US seeks under Mr Trump, there might be a lot of rolling back of not just Mexicans, other Latinos, and people of Islamic background from the US, but also rolling back of American entities from around the world.

This can cause trade wars, of course, as Mr Trump blocks goods, services and people from entering his country. But as traditional friends, allies and partners begin to show their lack of enthusiasm for US policies the notion of American security is also apt to receive a setback, as existing and prospective allies grow wary in the face of uncertainties. The rudiments of US foreign policy are likely to be shaken.

Couched in the language of the executive order concerning the Mexican wall — which has prompted the Mexico President to return fire and cancel an upcoming meeting with the new US President — is the loose and general definition of “criminal” (anyone guilty of a “chargeable” criminal offence) that can lead immigration authorities in the US to deport just about any individual with a foreign background and block foreigners entering the US on the flimsiest pretext. Racism — officially sanctified — is apt to have free run in such circumstances.

And with torture about to return to CIA’s playbook after banned under the Obama dispensation, “criminal aliens” beware.

Are we going back in time to the Orwellian nightmare? This is a natural question as the US under Mr Trump walls itself off against the world. In India, we cannot now go only by the spirit of the phone call made by the US leader to Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this week. We should wait for the implications of new US policies to unfold before we contemplate our next steps.