I read with interest the article “Rise of anti-trade populism” (April 11) by Kenneth Rogoff. Republican front-runner Donald Trump’s isolationist policies will not only affect the growth of the United States but also hamper the development of other parts of the world. In today’s world, interests of all countries are interlinked. No country can live in a vacuum. No matter how self-sufficient a nation becomes, it will somehow need to depend on other nations for one thing or the other.

Trump and his likes are basically underestimating the potential of the United States. I do agree that the previous US administrations’ wrong policies have had adverse effects on the US economy and society but that does not mean that the Americans should change the very nature of their great country.

Instead of pushing the US into isolation, Americans should work together to once again make the United States a land of opportunities.

Trump apparently abhors diversity. He should be reminded of his own origin and the fact that America is the nation of nations. — Yaqoob Hassam, Dammam