Is America leading the world towards the law of the jungle?
Donald Trump's election as the US president initially seemed to please many. However , many, especially experts, did not even expect that he would come to power three weeks ago and bring with him " surprises " that were not seen or heard before . Currently, his opinions and decisions on domestic and foreign policy issues, one from the garden, the other from the mountain, are causing surprise to many. While the frenzy of various prominent countries is increasing, some small and influential countries are watching the events with sadness. In this situation, it is natural for many to have a reasonable question: will Trump's actions lead to the establishment of the law of the jungle in the world?
The Saudis are furious. The Danes are in a panic. Colombia has backed down. Mexico and Canada are caught in the middle of a tariff war with the US. China has responded, starting a trade war between the economic giants. The British, proud of their "special relationship" with the US, are relying on traditional peaceful diplomacy.
It's as if President Donald Trump has thrown a sack of straw at the feet of foreign leaders who co-created the eighty-year post-war global order.
It seems like no one is able to respond to Trump right now - even the Australian prime minister. Last week, hours after Trump announced that the US would "occupy" the devastated Gaza Strip and turn it into a "Middle Eastern Riviera", he told reporters when asked for his thoughts:
"As Australian Prime Minister, I am not going to comment daily on the statements of the US President . "
Although not openly acknowledged, world leaders are contemplating the post-Cold War order, following Trump's brutal treatment of some institutions of the American government .
What will be the US's place in NATO, the UN, the World Bank, and other pillars of the international order?
As for the US-controlled NATO, Trump has long questioned the alliance's importance , arguing that it should not protect members that have failed to meet their defense goals . Trump also began withdrawing the US from the World Health Organization for the second time on his first day back in the Oval Office. The move would leave the UN agency without its largest donor. WHO leaders have taken action In order to find a solution , diplomats were asked to influence Washington to reverse Trump's decision. The German ambassador was worried and said: "The roof is on fire. "
"Trump's actions suggest that the situation is constantly changing - these are not just changes that will be reversed in four years , " writes Chatham in London. House Heather Hurlbert, a political and international affairs expert at the think tank.
The international community is realizing that Trump's attempt to end the United States Agency for International Development ( USAID), which has been stabilizing countries through humanitarian aid for six decades , will have life-threatening consequences for those who rely on US food and medicine . In particular, the Vatican charity expressed strong opposition on Monday, calling US plans to dismantle USAID "far from humane."
"We are waiting for decisions, but we are not very hopeful ," said Arjana Kosaj Mustafa, a representative of the Kosovo Women's Network, which consists of 140 non-governmental organizations . " But , nevertheless, we are resilient. That is why we are doing the best we can . "
Buoyed by his re-election, Trump, with the help of his close friend Elon Musk, is creating a certain amount of chaos and disorder in the world with his own unique style of distraction . Disorder means lawlessness.
"Filling the territory" and setting an example
The president's orders and pronouncements—his proposals to annex Canada and take over the Panama Canal—are happening at a pace that could wipe out dissent. No one can keep track of them all. All of these events are the result of what Trump supporters call "land grabbing."
People are certainly protesting these things. But Trump has a ready answer: "Fafo" stands for "make a mess of things and see what happens," except the first word is not "mess." The president posted the acronym on social media alongside a photo of himself in a fedora hat and pinstriped suit.
A country as brave as Colombia said "no" to Trump. But it came with serious consequences. It resisted accepting a wave of migrants during President Trump's first week in office for a while - until the 47th president of the United States threatened to impose tariffs of up to 50 percent on the country. Eventually, Colombia was forced to accept the migrants. Here's a lesson.
This kind of coercion has long pleased Trump supporters. According to APVotecast, they voted for him in the 2024 election out of concerns about the economy and their personal finances. Trump, on the other hand, says he is trying to save taxpayer money and spend it on issues that are in America's best interests.
Take Greenland and Gaza. The isolationist, "America First" president says the United States can do it . He has said he will not use military force to relocate Gaza's nearly 2 million residents, but he still appears to be sticking to his plan to turn the coastal enclave into a luxury resort .
Friends and foes alike , from the volatile Middle East to China and the stable UK, see the idea as unworkable. "Mighty" Saudi Arabia has "absolutely rejected" it. The plan could jeopardize the post-Israeli genocide prisoner swap agreement and Egypt's peace treaty with Israel. It could also violate international law.
Moreover, many Palestinians returning to their homes after 15 months of brutal airstrikes say they do not want to leave. But Trump's plan has found support in Israel, where leaders insist the move would be "voluntary" and not a forced deportation that would be a war crime.
World leaders who don't want to give up leadership
On Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures," US Vice President Jay Vance said Denmark was "not being a good ally" and that America could take over Greenland. In response, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told reporters last week, "We are not a bad ally."
This comes after Frederiksen visited European capitals last month to urge other countries on the continent to respond unanimously to Trump's promise to annex Greenland to the United States. Denmark has also passed a law to eliminate racism against Greenlanders and allocated $2 billion to ensure the security of the Arctic island.
Frederiksen also posted a photo of European leaders eating at her home on Facebook on January 26 , with the caption: "We Nordic countries have always been together. In the new and unexpected reality we are facing, good and close alliances and friendships are even more important."
This sentiment is spreading to larger groups. At a recent meeting of European Union leaders in Brussels on strengthening defenses against the Russian threat, the focus was on Trump.
"We must do everything we can to avoid this completely unnecessary and stupid tariff or trade war," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told reporters . He said Trump's tariff threats against the European Union were a "serious test" of the European Union and "this is the first time such a problem has arisen between allies." European leaders said they were looking forward to a closer look at what Trump is proposing.
In Greenland, Trump's statements have reignited a generational struggle for full independence from Denmark and have become a primary issue ahead of elections in March. Some of its leaders have said the world's largest island, home to 57,000 people, does not want to be part of the United States or Denmark.
"These inappropriate statements have caused great concern and concern, not only in Greenland but also in the rest of the Western alliance," Greenland's Minister of Business and Trade, Naaja H. Nathanielsen, told The Associated Press .
But not everyone is on the same page . European far-right leaders applauded Trump's agenda at a "Make Europe Great Again" rally in Madrid on Saturday, including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, and French National Rally leader Marine Le Pen.
Some leaders played down Trump's threat to impose tariffs on European imports, arguing that EU taxes and regulations pose a greater threat to the region's prosperity. But every speaker addressed illegal immigration, a painful and divisive issue in both Europe and the United States.
Le Pen believes that the Patriots for Europe group has the best chance of working with Trump. "We are the only force that can communicate with the new Trump administration," Le Pen said.
Given this situation , it can be rightly said that Trump, on the one hand, intentionally or unwillingly dragging the world into a vortex of lawlessness, while on the other hand, it is leading the American "empire" towards ruin. This is currently a matter of concern to many political and social experts.
For example , former British civil servant and current political economist Richard Murphy says:
"We are watching with our own eyes, in real time, a great nation being deliberately torn apart by its elected president and his unelected 'co-president.' This is a moment in history, and we are front-row witnesses to it . We are faced with a very dangerous situation. Chaos always poses a danger. The dangers could not be higher right now."
Trump's current policy also clearly shows what civil war, internal chaos, the sudden collapse of the political center, real fascism, real corruption, real right-wing politics look like . From a political point of view , first of all , these actions threaten to seriously damage a powerful country like America, but on the other hand, they raise the issue of the need for the relatively powerful Muslim countries of the East to unite in common. After all, it is not unlikely that the predator, who threatens his immediate surroundings, neighbors, and true friends by making territorial claims, will soon set his sights on the property of impartial leaders and honest peoples far away and of other religions and cultures.
