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| US President Donald Trump. © David Becker/Getty Images |
Seems like the news is all about Trump, all the time. Or maybe that's just the stream I am tuned into.
Fyodor Lukyanov: How Trump’s bluntness shatters the liberal world order by Fyodor Lukyanov
US President Donald Trump’s return to the center stage of world politics has once again ignited discussions about his peculiar political behavior. While the subject may feel numbing to some, Trump continues to dictate the global information agenda, underscoring two key realities about the modern world. First, the United States’ central role remains undeniable, no matter how much others might wish for a multipolar order. Second, Trump’s approach – pushing boundaries both literally and figuratively – has proven to be an effective way of achieving goals in today’s climate.
At the core of Trump’s political behavior is a rejection of hypocrisy and duplicity, replaced instead with bluntness and rudeness. He insists on getting what he wants and disregards counterarguments, often repeating the same demands relentlessly. Trump does not pretend to treat other nations as equals to the United States, nor does he hide this belief. In his worldview, international equality does not exist. The situation with China is slightly different because of the sheer size of its economy and trade volume, but even there, Trump’s mercantilist instincts dominate.
Trump’s approach aligns with the 2018 US National Security Strategy, adopted during his first term, which officially recognized modern international relations as a competition between great powers. This acknowledgment, in effect, elevates certain nations above others – a concept that had previously been acknowledged informally but rarely stated outright.
1 comment:
Imagine a world so ordinarily bereft of initiative rising above the mundane, that a guy with actual ideas stirs the occupants in unfamiliar ways. His boldness shatters their notion of their importance.
They may hrrmph, even act to rebel. The latter to try to match his fortitude, if only in part. Secretly they admire him. To varying degree, they'll seek to attach themselves to him. Even in their staid opposition of him, they have attached themselves. Their tango comes undone without his presence.
Yet watch them double down in the insouciance.
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