This Is How America Deals With Countries That Disagree

This is how America deals with a country when that country does not fall in line with America.

You may agree with America’s position on Russia and Ukraine. You may disagree with it. You may believe that Russia should be punished for its invasion of Ukraine. But does that give America the right to dictate to India or China where we should buy our oil?

Today, US Senator Richard Blumenthal tells India and China to “clean up your act” and buy oil and gas somewhere else. This comes after the US House passed legislation that could give the President the power to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on countries that continue buying Russian energy. 

I refuse to believe that American foreign policy is driven primarily by the interests of Ukraine.

America has historically put American interests first. That is not necessarily surprising. Every country should put its own national interests first.

But then America cannot demand that India sacrifice its energy security, economic interests or foreign policy choices simply because Washington has decided what is acceptable.

To my understanding, the immediate objective is to squeeze Russia economically by reducing the revenue it earns from energy exports. India and China are being pressured because they remain major buyers of Russian energy. 

But coercion has consequences.

The arrogance of believing that the world can be bullied indefinitely will eventually have consequences too.

The world is changing. Economic power is becoming more distributed. Countries are looking for alternatives, building new partnerships and questioning a global system dominated by a single currency and a single centre of power. 

The dollar may currently be enormously important. But no currency remains dominant forever.

America should understand one simple thing. 

The world is not America’s backyard.

And the day the world stops accepting that it is, may not be very far away.