The Don's new world disorder
Liberal norms wither. Tough tactics thrive. And a novel on why neither may matter
The Big Story:
No prizes for guessing which country would get the most nominations right now for the world’s not-so-super superpower: the United States.
Some say that an America (mis-) led by Donald Trump is on a blunder-fest of epochal proportions because it is:
dismantling the rules-based trade and political world order it created.1
bullying and insulting countries in its own hemisphere (Mexico, Canada,2 Panama) , in Europe (Britain, France, Germany, Denmark), in the Middle East (Jordan, Egypt, the Palestinian territories) and in Africa (Lesotho).3
embracing authoritarian Russia as a near-equal partner.
Russia’s dramatic elevation on the world stage includes:
Vladimir Putin graciously receiving respect from Trump’s America, on Ukraine and sanctions.
Hollywood, a bastion of American soft power, making much of an actor who’s been called the “Russian Ryan Gosling”.4 Yura Borisov who plays the henchman with a heart in the Oscar-winning film Anora, is one of Russia’s biggest heart…
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