Keeping Trump 2.0 in Check: A Global Approach
A Call to Action
Uniting Against Autocracy
US President Donald Trump has consistently demonstrated a disregard for the checks and balances that have protected American democracy for centuries. His power grab has sparked concerns worldwide, as his administration’s illegality and corruption threaten not only the US Constitution but also the post-1945 international order. The return of great-power spheres of interest seems increasingly likely.
However, foreign governments, businesses, and civil-society groups have more power than they think in the face of a revisionist America. By taking five strategic steps, they can create external checks and balances on the Trump administration and anti-democratic forces globally.
Step 1: Make Noise and Unite
Denouncing Trump’s Designs
Anti-democratic forces thrive on division and fear. Imagine if governments in the Americas, except for a few exceptions like Argentina, collectively denounced Trump’s actions on the Panama Canal and renamed the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of the Americas. Similarly, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and European Union governments could issue a joint statement repudiating Trump’s claim that Ukraine started the war with Russia, instead affirming Russia’s violation of Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty.
Step 2: Escalating to Absurdity
Pushing Back on Trump’s Provocations
If the US raises tariffs from 100% to 200%, governments should respond by raising them to 400%. This is a game of chicken, not a negotiation. The US may have the world’s largest economy, but the combined economies of the EU, the UK, Norway, Switzerland, Canada, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, and Australia are 25% larger. Instead of begging for exemptions, world leaders should present a united front.
Step 3: Using Law to Counter Lawlessness
Challenging Trump 2.0’s Illegality
The rule of law is not just a set of rules; it’s a system that channels disputes away from the battlefield and into the courts. Foreign governments, businesses, and civil-society groups can use their courts to enforce their rights and counter the Trump administration’s lawlessness. Lawfare can be particularly effective in combating corruption and economic malfeasance. When US officials violate cross-border contracts or give illegal advantage in international business deals, local prosecutors should apply their national law.
Step 4: Creating a Thriving Domestic Tech Sector
Diversifying Global Commerce
Governments and citizens should have options other than US or Chinese tech, especially in the AI phase of the digital revolution. This requires time, but few things are more important in the long term. Governments and citizens should remove trade barriers and integrate capital markets to enhance regional power on the global stage.
Step 5: Taking Over Multilateral Institutions
Reforming the Global System
The Trump administration has rejected the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and questioned the value of UN agencies. Rising middle powers like India, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia should seize this moment to take over these institutions and make them their own. They should insist on equal representation and promote decision-making based on weighted majority rule, giving every country a genuine voice.
Conclusion
These are radical moves, but the leader of the world’s most powerful country is implementing a radical agenda. The US system of checks and balances is the primary means of protecting democracy. The world can help by uniting against autocracy, escalating to absurdity, using law to counter lawlessness, creating a thriving domestic tech sector, and taking over multilateral institutions.
FAQs
- Q: What can be done to counter Trump’s actions?
-
A: Unite and make noise, push back on his provocations, use law to counter lawlessness, create a thriving domestic tech sector, and take over multilateral institutions.
- Q: Why is it important to have a thriving domestic tech sector?
-
A: It allows governments and citizens to have options other than US or Chinese tech, especially in the AI phase of the digital revolution, and enhances regional power on the global stage.
- Q: What is the significance of taking over multilateral institutions?
-
A: It allows rising middle powers to have a genuine voice and participate in decision-making based on weighted majority rule, promoting a more representative and equitable global system.
- Q: How can we keep the US from disregarding national and international law?
- A: By using lawfare and applying national law to counter the Trump administration’s lawlessness and violating cross-border contracts or giving illegal advantage in international business deals.