Defiance

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Letters from an American 11 min 2 speakers 6 chapters transcribed 18 hours ago

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What historical context did the UN founders cite when creating the Charter?

Heather Cox Richardson 0:07

September 22nd, 2026. In 1945, still reeling from World War II, representatives from 50 nations reached back to the U.S. Constitution when they wrote the preamble to the United Nations Charter. We, the peoples of the United Nations, were, they wrote, determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person." in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained.

Heather Cox Richardson 1:05

Central to that effort was the principle stated in Article 2 that all members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations. The U.N. General Assembly has been meeting in New York City since September 8th, and today began its high-level general debate, the annual meeting of the heads of state and heads of government that launches the General Assembly session. At the general debate, all 193 U.N. member states are invited to address the General Assembly. By tradition, Brazil speaks first because it was the first to volunteer to speak in 1955 when no other country would.

Heather Cox Richardson 2:00

Because the United States is the country that hosts the United Nations, it usually speaks second. In his speech today, President Donald J. Trump, reading haltingly off a teleprompter, said, I have a big decision to make. Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before? Maybe one of the greatest in the Middle East or even the world? Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again? Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations? Much of the Iranian delegation walked out. Trump's immediate switch to a talking point about the midterms suggests that his speech was aimed at US voters more than the UN audience, but it should not be overlooked that he stood in front of world leaders and rejected the premise of the UN.

Heather Cox Richardson 3:04

Touting his own board of peace and continuing his fiction that he has solved multiple wars, he outlined a fantasy worldview of himself as a powerful dictator, a man of action who rejects the diplomacy at the heart of the UN.

How did President Trump frame his UN address around Iran and U.S. power?

Heather Cox Richardson 3:21

I do not believe in letting problems fester, he declared. They only become harder to solve. So while others have talked, I have acted. While others have spoken of peace, I have made peace. While others have ignored threats, I have confronted them. While others have talked of courage, America has shown it. While others have promised strength, I have used it to make America the most powerful country in the world. Rejecting the principles on which the UN was founded, Trump instead embraced the idea that powerful countries will have spheres of influence dominating their neighbors. This is the worldview advanced by Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, who seeks to have control over the decisions made by the countries around Russia, including Ukraine.

Heather Cox Richardson 4:12

In this worldview, as Trump sees it, the United States will control the Western hemisphere. To the victor belong the spoils, he told the UN in a perverse echo of the world the UN founders set out to change. You've all heard that. Trump threatened Mexico and boasted of US attacks on Venezuela that removed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from power and replaced him with Delce Rodriguez, who was willing to work with the Trump administration to allow the US access to Venezuelan oil fields.

What parallels does the episode draw between Trump’s and Putin’s visions of global influence?

Heather Cox Richardson 4:47

Our actions in Venezuela are proof that the United States will no longer permit threats to America to gain a foothold anywhere in the Western Hemisphere. And if necessary, we will use our unmatched military might to secure the vital national interests of the United States.