President Trump recently posted that the U.S. could join the Commonwealth of Nations. The idea is intriguing and one that, once the prejudice against it is sorted through, has tremendously positive implications for America and its members.
First, it is important to know what the Commonwealth is not. It is no longer a British organization by power or practice and has not been for decades.
The Commonwealth has evolved mightily through the years and now is a group of 56 independent nations dedicated to political freedom, human rights, free trade especially among members and using English as the language of the institution.
Being a member of the Commonwealth does not declare American allegiance, in any way, to the Crown of the United Kingdom (India, a Commonwealth member, has certainly said the same thing). King Charles is the titular Head of the Commonwealth and while the British monarch is acknowledged in this role by the decision of the 2018 Commonwealth meeting, he holds no formal power over it. The King’s Reserve Powers are held only for nations that specifically have Charles as their monarch, those being the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Belize and ten other smaller nations and even then such powers are mostly a formality. Four Commonwealth member nations even have their own separate monarch.
Most of the other Commonwealth Nations (almost 66% of them), are republics like the United States as opposed to constitutional monarchies and many of those republics have vastly different policies (i.e. African member nations being much more socially Conservative as opposed to Britain, Australia, etc.). As noted previously, the head of the Commonwealth is not set in stone but decided by its members. Another leader could one day be the titular head of the Commonwealth.
The organization even no longer requires that a member or potential member must have been at one time a British colony. Mozambique, a formerly Portuguese colony, joined the Commonwealth in 1995. Rwanda, once a Belgian possession and before that a German Colony, joined the Commonwealth in 2009 and in 2022. The former French possessions of Togo and Gabon also became members. France, a republic itself, explored becoming a Commonwealth member during the Suez Crisis of the 1950s.
Regardless of form of government, all member nations retain complete sovereignty. Like any other treaty or association that the United States may enter, America is free to leave the Commonwealth as it desires. Nations such as the Republic of Ireland and Zimbabwe left the Commonwealth in 1949 and 2003, respectively. In short, the Commonwealth is much different than some cultural conceptions of it as somehow eroding sovereignty.
Closer ties to other, primarily English speaking, nations could serve military and economic purposes for the United States. Britain has always been primarily a sea power and many Commonwealth nations, in or near water chokepoints and other important sea faring areas, as well as the lands of Africa that have been sought by China, provide possible strategic openings through closer ties.
More so, America joining the Commonwealth would send a powerful message against globalism that has been seen in the UN, G20 and other organizations which America rightly has a place, but is often drowned out by nations that have no business setting a human rights or economic agenda. The Commonwealth is an organization that can be strengthened by America’s participation, as in many ways NATO has, with Trump’s influence.
The economic openings are worth exploring in the areas of resources, minerals, technology, trade and other areas as seen in the largely diverse areas of the Commonwealth. Also, with increasing politicization of the Olympics, American participation in the Commonwealth Games, held every four years, would provide another showcasing of American talent, poise, skill and strength.
Trump may have some disagreements about the Commonwealth principle of free trade as well as many of their environmental and diversity goals. However those are just that, goals. No Commonwealth nation has ever been expelled for its differences of opinion and it would be interesting to see the United States pushing back on any unfairness contained in these goals. The president certainly is a fan of the English language and American power, having championed both for a long time. American membership could further promote liberty and democracy in a time where many nations are vulnerable to Chinese and Russian designs. It may even reinvigorate the Commonwealth in newer ways that would not have been possible decades ago.
The United States joining the Commonwealth of Nations is an idea that is certainly worth exploring and ultimately implementing.
Larry Provost is a columnist and commentator in Washington, D.C. A 25 year Army Veteran who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, he holds a Masters of Divinity from Liberty University, an M.P.S. in Legislative Affairs from The George Washington University and an M.A. in Defense and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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