Video: Fareed's Take: Trump's Revolution in foreign policy
Fareed summarises Trump's turnarounds in foreign policy - putting up trade barriers, antagonising allies, and cosying up to enemies for about 2 minutes.
What is interesting is that he starts by quoting Singapore's Ministers, that the US has "changed from Liberator, to Great Disruptor, to a landlord seeking rent", and "The US is no longer prepared to underwrite the global order. This makes the international environment far less orderly and predictable."
At 2:50 he turns to Taiwan, and the uncertainty of American support for Taiwan.
So one simplistic takeaway is that if China wants to move against Taiwan, it should be during Trump's presidency. China has the best chance that the simpleton Trump would not understand US Strategy vis-a-vis China, and fail to defend Taiwan as the critical linchpin of US's strategy.
Fareed then considers the emergence of a new multi-polar world. And nuclear proliferation.
Trump (the buffoon) does not understand the US's role in the world. US Presidents before Trump at least understood that with Great Power comes Great Responsibility.
For the transactional Trump, with Great Power, comes Great Leverage for Profit. For the greater part of the last 80 years, the US has imposed Pax Americana allowing the world to trade peacefully, and grow prosperous.
Trump only sees the mercantile elements, and the rent the US can seek.
As Trump isolates the US and withdraws from the world, other powers may seek to fill the vacuum left by the US. European powers may try to provide security in Europe. China, in East Asia, and India in South Asia.
A multi-polar world will be unstable, particularly at the borders where the influence of one power abuts that of another.
Trade would be precarious. Prosperity will decline. Nuclear weapons may well proliferate.
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