New Sheriff In Town Will Trump Disrupt Or Destroy

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The way the US has tried changing the world’s economy, politics, and security simultaneously is a clear sign of a coordinated affair between all their top leaders designed to shake up the world and push it in the US’ chosen directions.
There is insufficient thought as to how their allies might react to this. No quarter is given to the well-being of others over important issues, and the limits have been pushed like they have never been before.
US President Donald Trump has adopted disruption in diplomacy to force change, just as some of his prominent business partners have chosen to use that in many of their business undertakings, toppling old-school practices and putting many out of business.
Diplomacy, however, is a much more delicate matter than business. Companies and their leaders prosper and die and new ones take their place all the time. It’s an ongoing process in business - disruption has taken place from time immemorial, only much more rapidly in recent times.
Unlike businesses, most nations don’t die, they remain. When disruption takes place, they reinvent themselves and move forward or don’t and slide back. Some long-cherished things get realigned or even destroyed.
When diplomacy, tact, understanding, and a desire to see another’s viewpoints are compromised and blunt words are spoken with no thought, they destroy longstanding alliances and bonds of codependency and friendship.
Flag of the United States of AmericaDistrust is sown when the very reliability of the US as a trusted ally begins to be questioned. When blatant interference in the internal affairs and elections of a country occurs, the reaction will be strong.
US Vice President JD Vance’s address at the recent Munich Security Conference, the foremost security meeting in the world, represents perhaps the strongest attack against the European Union by a top US official. Trump sanctioned the attack as “brilliant” while EU leaders retaliated in kind.
As is common with the Trump administration, Vance’s speech was laced with half-truths and lies, effectively advocating the airing of what is considered fascist views in Germany. It criticised many aspects of European policy.
The Guardian of UK reported Vance’s speech as a “brutal ideological assault on Europe, accusing its leaders of suppressing free speech, failing to halt illegal migration, and running in fear from voters’ true beliefs”.
That was only part of what he did. To add insult to injury, and in clear interference in Germany’s internal affairs ahead of its election on Feb 23, he met with the leader of the extreme right-wing party, AfD, which is often said to be Nazi-like.
Germany responded immediately with its chancellor Olaf Scholz saying he had a historic duty to fight against the return of parties with roots in Nazism. A firewall was not about censoring AfD but it was about refusing to work with them in government, he said.
New sheriff in town
Vance criticised Western Europe’s dealing with immigration implying they should be far tougher, rather undiplomatically referring to a tragic vehicle attack in Munich days earlier by an extremist which killed two and injured dozens.
US Vice President JD VanceHe had the gall to refer to Trump as a sheriff, implying a superiority it confers on the US. “There is a new sheriff in town. Democracy will not survive if their people’s concerns are deemed invalid or even worse not worth being considered.”
Can Trump actually work a lasting peace in Ukraine by talking only to Russia and without involving Ukraine and the European community? Obviously not, and what is it with this new love affair with Russia?
He has made other moves such as a proposal to annex Gaza and threatening Iran in the Middle East, indiscriminate tariffs, withdrawing from the Paris Agreement on climate change and the World Health Organization, issuing executive orders against the International Criminal Court, etc.
Are these a bargaining point to bring others to the negotiating table and to come to a deal nearer the US’ desire? Perhaps, but it will not have the desired effect as countries are in the mood to push back on US demand, much of it based on deliberate misinformation.
The Guardian devoted an article to counter Vance’s misinformation in his speech. Trump’s strategy of asking for the moon first is not working, and countries are seeing right through it and pushing back.
Leaders have said it is totally unacceptable that the Trump regime is giving support unequivocally to potential fascists, adding weight to the belief that this is the most extreme of US governments in modern times.
European Union Parliament in Strasbourg, FranceThe EU has made it clear that it would not be threatened by Trump’s tariffs and that they would be reciprocated. China has made its position similarly clear too.
The EU’s economy is larger than the US’ in terms of purchasing power parity and so is China’s. Projections are for China to overtake it in the early 2030s and there is every chance that the EU will too.
A new global disorder
If indeed Trump is the new sheriff, he is not as powerful as he makes himself out to be - his swagger may be a bit exaggerated but his options are not unlimited.
Nobody seems to be able to make sense of what Trump is doing. That seems to be pushing others together. There seems to be growing support for a multilateral arrangement which provides for rules and regulations to be followed.
The world is not prepared to let the US run riot over it. If push comes to shove, they will unite to stop that. Trump is not likely to shove it that far - he will push but he has to stop somewhere.
The question is how far. Hopefully, US public opinion and lawmakers will soon see the danger that Trump brings and stop him if he goes too far.
For us, the minnows, we need to be aware of what’s happening and make our moves carefully after considering all angles. It may be good to go with the flow. A wait-and-see attitude is best.
Meantime, Trump is thrusting the world into a new disorder which spells not disruption but destruction - unless he pulls back. - Mkini
P GUNASEGARAM says leaders who think they know everything are the most dangerous.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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