Trump's Global Dominance and the Absence of International Pushback
Pratap Bhanu Mehta, in a compelling analysis, argues that Donald Trump's transformation of world politics has been met with a surprisingly weak and enervating response from the international community. One year into his presidency, the real disappointment lies not in Trump's imperial or authoritarian tendencies, but in the lack of a serious global pushback against his actions.
The Failure of Global Resistance
While Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has described this moment as a rupture, and Europe shows signs of stirring after Trump's threats to Greenland, the overall trend is one of capitulation. Countries like India exhibit what Mehta terms a sulky but ineffectual resistance, but meaningful opposition remains scarce. This failure demands a deeper explanation beyond the usual critiques.
Beyond Liberal Hypocrisy
The charge of liberal hypocrisy in the international order holds little weight, according to Mehta, because there is no concerted effort to replace it with something fairer. Instead, the world is becoming more comfortable with international nihilism. Even for those unattached to liberal internationalism, there are compelling realist reasons to resist Trump more forcefully.
Strategic Instability and Escalation Risks
Trump's wrecking-ball approach has injected immense strategic instability into the global order. His actions, such as coveting Greenland, are not merely about territorial annexation or resource exploitation. They signal an escalation in great-power competition that will be difficult to dismount. By denying China and Russia strategic space in places like Venezuela and Greenland, Trump is not just resisting their rise but refusing to seek a managed rivalry.
These moves intensify the risks of great-power conflict rather than reducing them. The annexation of Greenland, for instance, would amount to a declaration of hot war on the existing world order, making a robust international pushback essential even for realists.
Redefining International Rules
Trump is normalizing unilateral territorial revisionism under the banner of strategic denial, which lowers the threshold for confrontation everywhere. This reduces incentives for cooperation in areas like arms control and Arctic governance. Global wars often begin with misunderstandings and gambles on controlled escalation, a situation Mehta warns we are now in.
The Illusion of Modus Vivendi
Some might hope for a modus vivendi with Trump, citing his occasional climbdowns. However, Mehta argues that this is foolish. Trump's pattern of behavior projects a willingness to test limits through maximalist threats, creating volatility. His tactical reversals, compelled by resistance, do not reaffirm shared understandings of red lines but corrode them.
Psychological Dependence and Leadership Failures
Mehta highlights that the world has become too psychologically dependent on the United States, allowing Trump to act as a patriarch. Much of the world behaves like errant children, seeking their father's good graces, as seen in the United Kingdom's responses. Another explanation might be that many world leaders want to be little Trumps, relishing the permissions he puts in place for narcissism and freedom from norms.
In conclusion, the absence of a strong international coalition against Trump poses significant risks to global peace and stability, urging a reevaluation of global leadership and resistance strategies.
