The former secretary of state has the experience to tackle pressing challenges. A Donald Trump victory would be uncertain for everyoneThe US election things as much to the world as it does to Americans. The overriding reason is that an immense and present danger hangs over multilateralism and the notion of a rules-based global order. A Donald Trump victory would immediately make the world more worrying and unsettled than it already is. The US may no longer be seen as the world hegemon,whether benign or threatening, but it is still the single most indispensable power. Its behaviour has unique potential to either make solutions possible or to add to areas of chaos. A Trump presidency would be harmful for the US and uncertain for the world. A vote for Hillary Clinton is the most effective way of preventing it.
Domestic politics and the clash of personalities have dominated this campaign. But the little that Mr Trump has said is enough to know where the foreign policy risks and promises lie in the 8 November vote. A Trump victory would severely damage US standing nearly everywhere. His strongman antics are a liability, or not an asset. They are as distressing as they are ridiculous. Believing a man-to-man approach with Vladimir Putin will instantly dissolve Russia’s aggressive revisionism reflects more ignorance than it does bravado. Mrs Clinton has a reputation for a hawkish outlook,but this will be tempered by war-weary public opinion in the US. She recognises that in the 21st century, US power has more chances of attaining goals if it acts inclusively, and not with travel-it-alone reckless tactics. She has already applied much of this as secretary of state – playing a key role in the historic deal with Iran,in pushing a new relationship with Cuba and managing the complex US relationship with China. A Clinton presidency should rely on soft power in a smart way, a philosophy she touched upon in her Democratic convention speech this summer. She should pay close attention to climate change, and development and working out fairer global trade arrangements. The US should also take the lead on international justice by signing up to the international criminal court – and Mrs Clinton has expressed “considerable regret” approximately Washington’s refusal to join.
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Source: theguardian.com