Jan. 18, the Ambassador of the European Union to the United States David O' Sullivan will be coming to speak at IU. Those who are not international studies majors probably haven't given much notice to this talk and probably do not give much thought to the EU.
However, with the possibility of Russian meddling in our election, the U.S.'s trade war with China in full swing and President Donald Trump's decision to hastily withdraw U.S. troops from Syria. Now is a better time than ever to start paying attention to international events and politics.
According to a Gallup poll taken during the 2016 presidential election, only 28 percent of Americans viewed foreign affairs as an extremely important factor in their vote. Furthermore, the Pew Research Center found that 47 percent of Americans believe "we should focus on problems at home".
Although Americans are adamant about not getting involved in foreign affairs, problems overseas can soon become problems at home. On the day of the Brexit referendum, the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU, the Dow Jones plummeted over 600 points.The U.S. does not exist in a bubble.
Our economy is interlinked with the rest of the world whether we like it or not. Officials like O'Sullivan are still trying to determine how to handle the effects of the U.K. leaving the EU. However, Brexit could provide economic benefits for the U.S.
London has succeeded as a financial center, in part, because global banks using the city as a base from which to sell their services throughout the EU. As Brexit brings new trade restrictions, EU-based companies and banks may look to the U.S. to do business in order to avoid new restrictions in the U.K.
Because the U.K. is a major financial center and one of the richest nations in the EU, leaving it would cause economic and political instability in Europe. Due to the financial strain Britain's exit will have on other EU member nations' economies, we may see other nations leave the EU as well.
History has shown us that economic and political instability in Europe has major security consequences for the rest of the world.
Since many Americans do not place great importance on how foreign affairs are handled, this gives the president a great deal of leeway to make foreign policy decisions without worrying about any political consequences. Regardless of the policy field, our leaders should be held accountable and their decisions should be scrutinized.
For example, Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria was scrutinized less than many of his domestic decisions. American forces have been helping Kurdish fighters defeat the Islamic State in in that country. ISIS is on its last leg but without crucial support from the U.S. military, ISIS fighters could potentially regroup in parts of Syria and Iraq where security forces are weak. A resurgence of ISIS would put Americans both at home and abroad in serious danger.
Additionally, we would be abandoning the Kurds, a key U.S. ally. Not only would this damage American influence in a region where the U.S. already does not have many allies but it also makes us appear untrustworthy.
The next time America needs help tackling a global problem, this sends a message to any country willing to help us to think twice. America has repeatedly shown it will turn its back on its allies to serve its own interests.
There are no longer isolated incidents, and the world we live in is interconnected. One faraway event can easily impact the lives of Americans.
Our world is fastpaced, however, having a basic knowledge of world capitals and leaders would ensure that you can follow global events. It would also hold our leaders accountable for their foreign policy decisions that may one day affect you.
O' Sullivan's talk will be at 11 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 18, in Shreve Auditorium in the Global and International Studies Building.
