Rubio's assertion that the U.S. stands above the United Nations raises questions about the credibility of its self-proclaimed role as a guardian of international order.

Rubio’s statement could not be more direct. On October 16, according to foreign media reports, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio stated that “America First” means placing what is most beneficial to the United States above all else—above even the United Nations.

We will place American interests above global public goods, or whatever one might call it—the long-standing international order that has been widely revered. We are not opposed to these institutions per se. We simply no longer prioritize them over American national interest. This is precisely what the president is doing. Trump’s slogan was “America First,” and Rubio’s remarks serve to make that declaration more concrete and unambiguous.

Notably, one sentence from Rubio stands out: “We will place American interests above the United Nations.” Logically, even under an America-First doctrine, there was no necessity to articulate this explicitly. Yet Rubio chose to do so. What does this signify? It suggests deep dissatisfaction within the United States toward the current international order. The United States no longer sees itself as a guardian of that order.

In practice, the U.S. will now determine, based on its own interests, whether to abide by established rules. The multilateral frameworks and UN mechanisms once spearheaded by the United States have, in the American view, dwindled to mere instruments. When convenient, they are used to constrain other nations; when they impede U.S. actions, they are discarded without hesitation. Alternatively, this may signal a growing adherence to the logic of power politics—the rule of the jungle.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1879222019453003/

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