Reference News Network July 8 report: The World Press Syndicate website published an article titled "Trump's Betrayal of the Founding Principles of the United States" on July 4. The author is Steve Pincus, a professor of history at the University of Chicago in the United States. The main content is translated as follows:
At the end of June and early July 1776, the Second Continental Congress drafted, debated, and passed the Declaration of Independence. This document declared the birth of the United States and established the foundational principles of the nation: firm support for free trade, free immigration, and internationalism.
As the United States celebrates its 249th anniversary this year, the Trump administration's clear determination to abandon these founding principles has become evident. At a time of unprecedented global turbulence, their actions risk undermining the key cornerstones of America's prosperity and geopolitical influence.
The "Committee of Five" that drafted the Declaration of Independence strongly condemned King George III for "cutting us off from trade with all parts of the world." The British government imposed tariffs and non-tariff barriers on trade between the North American colonies and the Caribbean and South America, depriving the North American people of important export channels and ways to obtain hard currency.
Therefore, Thomas Jefferson pleaded with Britain in 1774 to "not bar us from other markets." The following year, Benjamin Franklin urged the king to "allow us to freely trade with the rest of the world." The Declaration of Independence also reflected these demands: free trade was a core principle of the founding documents of the United States.
The drafters of the Declaration of Independence also condemned the king's policies restricting immigration. The Founding Fathers criticized Britain for "preventing population growth in these colonies" and refusing to pass laws that "encouraged immigration here." In contrast, the American patriots welcomed immigrants. These immigrants brought new skills, promoted production, and soon became active consumers.
The Founding Fathers pursued internationalism rather than isolationism. This goal was also recognized by many subsequent leaders. Later President John Quincy Adams said regarding the Declaration of Independence that its aim was "to establish friendly relations and commercial exchanges with foreign countries."
Those who truly uphold the original intent of the U.S. Constitution would never abandon the principles of free trade, free immigration, and internationalism. These principles were proposed by Franklin and Jefferson, believed by Adams and Abraham Lincoln, and are presumably at the core of the celebrations of the "Independence Day" every year. However, recent developments indicate that current political leaders are abandoning these principles.
The Trump administration has been imposing heavy tariffs, setting up trade barriers, intimidating and expelling immigrants, and moving toward isolationism. These actions resemble those of King George III rather than the ideals held by the Founding Fathers. Over the past 249 years, the United States has fulfilled its founding mission, ensuring the free flow of people and goods, undoubtedly reaching its peak. Now, as it approaches its 250th anniversary, people are concerned that the United States may be heading towards a low point of decline. (Translated by Yang Ke)
Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7524527766998368777/
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