Donald Trump has decided to go through with his threat to defund the United Nations in retaliation for making a decision he didn t like.America has been the foremost leader on the international stage ever since World War II. After the war, the United States led the way in creating a more united and cooperative world by founding the United Nations to serve as a peacekeeping and humanitarian organization.The United Nations headquarters in located in New York and America has veto power and a seat on the prestigious United Nations Security Council.But now Donald Trump is preparing to slash funding to the United Nations by 50 percent, a move that would be a major blow against international cooperation and our reputation around the globe.Not only will the United Nations be cut by $5 billion, Trump s plan also makes a 37 percent cut to the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development budgets.And it s all in an effort by Trump to increase the already bloated military budget.United Nations expert Richard Gowan warned that cutting the funding would cause chaos and could cause agencies and programs within the United Nations to implode as other countries struggle to fill the gaps. Cutting the U.S. contribution would leave a gaping hole that other big donors would struggle to fill,  Gowan said.  Multiply that across other humanitarian agencies, like the World Food Program, and you are basically talking about the breakdown of the international humanitarian system as we know it. Indeed, the budget cuts could be devastating to the United Nations and threaten to bury international cooperation as we know it.Republicans have even drafted a bill directing Trump to withdraw the United States from the organization entirely.That means the United States would also be withdrawing from the World Bank, the International Court of Justice, the World Health Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the International Atomic Energy Agency, among many others.And because the United States is cutting funding, the United Nations may look to China or Russia to replace the funding, which could pave the way for a new power structure as the United States withdraws support.It s not only a serious blow to humanitarian efforts and global peacekeeping efforts, it s a serious rejection of international diplomacy and cooperation.And it s all because Trump and Republicans did not like that the United Nations passed a resolution condemning the continued building of Israeli settlements on Palestinian territory even though such resolutions have passed before.Trump is literally defunding the United Nations because they didn t comply with his demands despite the fact that President Obama was still in office at the time.This is absolutely humiliating for the United States and it should horrify the American people that Trump is withdrawing our country from the international community. Our influence and respect throughout the world will wane because of this decision and it will be difficult to regain it.America is once again becoming an isolationist nation, and the last time we ignored the world around us over 100 million people were killed in two world wars. By ignoring the world again and the growing humanitarian crisis, we are paving the way for World War III. And make no mistake, such a war today will make the first two world wars look like minor skirmishes.Featured Image: Wikimedia