My Take | American elites may fear Trump return, but the rest of us need not
- The US has become a more dangerous nation and Donald 2.0, with his instinctive aversion to war, may even be less threatening to the world
Joe Biden’s presidency has very little to write home about. When it comes to foreign and trade policies, he has not only continued his predecessor’s, but also maximised them. While Donald Trump started mainly a trade war with China, Biden has switched to full-spectrum containment short of a hot war.
Trump was rude to the Europeans. But thanks to the war in Ukraine, Biden really sticks the knife into their backs, leaving most of them with a once-in-a-generation cost-of-living crisis while forcing them to buy oil at inflated prices from American sources.
Trump started no war. Biden has committed America to two unwinnable proxy conflicts, in Ukraine and Palestine. With his almost unconditional support for the slaughter by Israel, the United States will never recover its claims on human rights and democracy. Those claims will not require considered rebuttals in future; they will just invite universal ridicule.
Both proxy wars may end up costing the US’ depleted global credibility as much as or even more than George W. Bush’s disasters in Iraq and Afghanistan.
While Trump was trigger-happy with sanctions and tariffs against foreigners, including even some allies, Biden has weaponised the entire world economy, its US dollar-dominated financial system and supply chains, especially with those related to hi-tech such as advanced computer chips.
Indeed, he has done more to reverse globalised trade by tying up established supply chains – thereby significantly increasing costs for everyone – to contain China as it forces reluctant allied governments and firms, both foreign and domestic, to join in.