In a world beset by rapid social, political, economic and cultural change, Western democracies need leaders who emphasize diversity, fairness and the rule of law, said former British prime minister David Cameron.
Addressing attendees at the 2017 Schwab Impact Conference in Chicago on Thursday, Cameron hinted that such traits are not evident in U.S. President Donald Trump.
“The last time Britain had a prime minister as young as I was when I took office was in 1812, and things didn’t end so well for both of our countries,” he quipped. “Two years later, we landed on the Chesapeake Bay, marched on Washington and burned down the White House: We beat “The Donald” to it by two whole centuries.”
Asked if he had any advice for the American leader, Cameron was blunt: "I would hand him a telephone and switch off the television."
Cameron noted that his government was itself a victim of the populist political trend that helped elect Trump last year. After British voters rejected his call to remain in the European Union in 2016’s historic “Brexit” referendum, Cameron resigned his post to make room for new leadership.
Cameron defended globalization as an emerging economic regime, despite being an “inward-investment supporting conservative.” At the same time, he acknowledged that entire societies were being left behind by globalization.
“We mustn’t ditch globalization, but we must correct the course,” Cameron said. “Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.”
Politicians like President Trump are using populist frustration with globalization to make unrealistic assertions about trade, said Cameron, which could lead to destructive policies.
“Too many politicians talk about trade as if it’s a zero-sum game: If someone else is winning, you’ve got to be losing, and a country is only successful with a balance of trade surplus,” he said. “If every country has a surplus, who is left with the deficit? Mars? Venus? Our countries tried controlling trade in the 1930s with disastrous consequences.”
Populism shouldn’t be ignored, said Cameron, but addressed as a “warning sign” for traditional political institutions. Populism and other radical political movements are fueled not just by stagnant economies and high unemployment, but also by a failure of traditional values.