War on Every Front – The Painful Global Reset
Updated: 3 days ago
Riots in Syria Gas Line Ups in India Philippines Burning Tires
Riots in Syria, gas line-ups in India, and burning tires in the Philippines—around the world, we continue to move toward a more unsteady future. The world has changed dramatically since Trump took power for his second term, and let me tell you, it’s been a wild ride.
The Forces Behind Trump's Rise
The forces that propelled Trump back into power are as varied as they are alarming. We’ve got the Steve Bannon-led Alt-Right in America, the Far-Right Republicans, and the fanatical Christian Evangelicals—yes, the ones who seem to be waiting for the Rapture to swoop them up to heaven. Then, of course, there are the all-powerful Jewish/Israel lobbies, like AIPAC, and let’s not forget the big-money business elites who, as they got richer, wanted more profits without pesky things like taxes, regulations, or worker rights. All these groups worked together to bring Trump back into the White House, despite his criminal fraud convictions, his encouragement of the Capitol insurrection, and his sexual assault convictions—yes, the man has quite the résumé.
This unfit and twisted individual was their ticket to controlled chaos, allowing them to further their agendas without the legal constraints of a properly functioning democratic rules-based order. Trump was brought to power to fulfill the aspirations of these disparate groups, all united in their goal to circumvent regulatory and legal institutional constraints. Their mission? To effectively rule the world with unconstrained wealth and political power. They used their wealth and technological prowess to get Trump elected against all odds, and perhaps even against the voters' wishes.
The Dismantling of America
But let’s pause for a moment and consider the question: what exactly does “Make America Great Again” even mean? To what time are we referring? The vagueness of this slogan camouflaged the real intent: to create an administration with unprecedented control over America’s governing apparatuses. The result? A wealth and power grab that is practically unmatched in America’s political and economic history.
This is generally well-known, but it’s worth reiterating because Trump’s re-election, against all odds, made his second term dangerously focused on advancing the agenda of his backers on a war footing. And boy, did they declare war—on everything. Through a weaponized Department of Justice, the FBI, ICE, and various law enforcement agencies, Trump, with his unconditionally devoted political base and a Republican Party that has become uncritical and bordering on treasonous, ran amok. They offered no resistance as he destroyed America internally and wrecked long-standing relationships with allies and trade partners, negatively impacting global trade and supply chains.
The Internal Strife
Internally, we witnessed the destruction of almost all American institutions designed to protect the rights of ordinary people. The regulatory frameworks that held in check the most irresponsible excesses of profit-oriented American businesses were dismantled. Civil rights were rolled back, aiming to re-establish white male supremacy in America, leading to the erosion of women’s rights, minority rights, and the very idea of diversity and equality. The war on “outsiders”—immigrants, migrants, and refugees—was waged with little regard for their legal or quasi-legal status.
All this was undertaken in a dictatorial manner, with scant regard for the Constitution, the courts, or the laws of the land. While Trump and his insiders profited—often in questionable ways—the United States, once the great global superpower, ruptured along ideological, political, racial, and religious lines.
The Global Impact
This internal strife, spearheaded by Trump and his insiders, began dismantling the old America, its internal structures, and its external relationships with traditional allies and long-standing adversaries. The result? A new United States that is unrecognizable, and the world is in turmoil because of it.
The internal war that Trump ignited not only broke America as the world had known it since WWII but also spread chaos into all aspects of the established world order. Alliances were broken, trade relationships upended, and conventions tossed aside. This was the controlled chaos that Trump and his backers had hoped for, and they succeeded in getting it.
Now, American democracy is under incessant attack. Thugs roam the country, forcefully manhandling people suspected of being illegal aliens without due process, while legal citizens who object have been mistreated or even shot dead. America is operating internally as a fascist country and externally as an unapologetic global bully. But here’s the kicker: things are starting to spin out of control, both internally and externally. The greedy excess with which Trump and his backers have fulfilled their fantasies of unchecked power is beginning to boomerang, facing stiffening opposition.
The Iran War and Its Consequences
Let’s talk about the Iran war that Trump and Netanyahu started as a weekend gambit. This conflict has spiraled largely out of their control, spreading to neighboring countries like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Yemen, and even as far as Jordan, and possibly Egypt and Turkey. The entire Middle East is now embroiled in a war that nobody wanted except for Netanyahu and Trump.
The net result of this expanding war has been a severe constraint on energy, critical chemicals, and capital coming out of the region—resources on which a significant portion of the world heavily depended. This has added to the global shortages already being felt due to the damage to energy infrastructures caused by the Russia-Ukraine war.
In effect, the Iran war has nearly shut down the most important energy and related chemicals region of the world indefinitely, threatening the economic and financial stability of the entire global system. The crisis that is building is dangerously imminent, potentially leading to a severe global economic recession, a financial crisis, and possibly famines in parts of the world where energy, fertilizer, and money that people depended on for decades are suddenly unavailable due to events far beyond their control.
The Canada-U.S. Relationship
Now, let’s shift our focus to the relationship between the United States and its northern neighbor, Canada. This relationship has been extraordinary in modern times. The two countries were not only friendly but trusted each other enough to maintain the longest undefended border in the world—almost 8,900 kilometers long—with just a handful of border enforcement checkpoints. Americans and Canadians living along this “open border” were used to crossing into each other’s countries multiple times a day, conducting business freely.
But then Trump became president. From his first term, he worked tirelessly to damage the relationship and trust that had developed over nearly a century. The relationship is now heavily damaged, and trust has been broken, as Trump incessantly attacked Canada as a “nasty” country and its people, raising eyebrows globally. Canadians are known worldwide for their politeness and trustworthiness, so this was quite the departure.
Trump’s war on Canada, and to a lesser degree on Mexico, has broken the greatest free trade agreement in the world, creating distrust in America. Canada and Mexico, while acknowledging their geographical realities and interdependence with the United States, are actively seeking to diversify their trade and defense needs. They want to lessen their decades-long reliance on America, at least until America can return to its more normal self, if that’s even possible.
Economic Consequences
The economic consequences of this “war” on Canada and Mexico are significant. Trump’s tariffs disrupt the smooth flow of goods and services, and his attacks and insults leave a lingering distrust where there once was goodwill and political trust. The integration of their economies with America has been deeply affected.
The sum total of Trump’s efforts to isolate America has led its former unconditional allies to seek detachment as much as possible, forging new co-reliant relationships with other like-minded countries in business, trade, and mutual defense pacts. Over time, this leaves America increasingly isolated, relying solely on itself to achieve his stated goal of “making America great again.”
The Rise of Adversaries
As for America’s traditional adversaries—namely Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran—they find themselves in an unexpectedly advantageous position. Except for Iran, which is currently embroiled in conflict, the others are enjoying a surprising level of strength. Trump’s open admiration for Russia and China has only solidified their positions on the global stage.
In all this chaos, China has benefited the most. As the fast-rising second-largest economy and military superpower, China had expected to compete fiercely with America for years, if not decades, before surpassing it. But with Trump voluntarily pulling America back from its leadership role, China has effortlessly stepped in, now seen by many countries as a more stable and trustworthy leader than the United States.
A Fractured World
Almost overnight, the world transitioned from being overseen by America, the dominant sole superpower, to a fractured multipolar world. While China is moving into a leadership position, other blocks of power—Russia, the European Union, Latin America, and Asia—are emerging, preventing any one country from becoming entirely dominant again.
Trump’s rationale for pulling America back was that its closest allies had been taking advantage of it by “not paying their fair share” of the costs associated with maintaining America’s global hegemony. But let’s be real: this decades-old arrangement was largely a product of America’s own post-WWII design, benefiting America more than anyone else.
The Lessons of History
Despite the lessons of history—where America’s open trade and society led to its greatness while the Soviet Union’s closed system resulted in its collapse—Trump and his cohorts believe that an isolated America operating as a belligerent bully is the path to future greatness. This is a broad-strokes economic and political analysis, but it’s more accurate than not.
As Trump famously avoids reading, perhaps it’s all too murky and boring for him. His half-baked advisors, motivated by far-right ideology and a desire to claw back power for the wealthy few, see the direction of societal change as a threat. They’ve decided that their interests are best served by deconstructing America and global democracies, steering the world toward a more fascist regime ruled by the wealthy elite.
Israel's Role in the Chaos
Of course, Israel has been living like an apartheid military state, completely controlling the superpower that is the United States. Since its founding, Israel has systematically engaged in ethnic cleansing of Palestinians and expanded its territory through military violence. In the name of self-defense, Israel has attacked and destroyed neighboring countries, all while accusing those who resist of terrorism.
With its recent attacks on Iran, in conjunction with America, Israel may have bitten off more than it can chew. Iran has not only endured the heavy punishment but has also struck back, forcing both Israel and America to ease off. Now, Iran and its allies are taking the fight to the enemy and steadily winning.
In Iran, America seems to be in full retreat, and Israel is cautious about mounting significant attacks. Meanwhile, Iran and its allied proxies are making life increasingly dangerous in the region. The Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, are reeling from the damage caused by this “Iran War.” If it continues, some of these Gulf countries may no longer function as stable states.
A New Power Structure
With Iran and its allies disrupting the functioning of Gulf states and their vital energy infrastructures, the American security umbrella that the region relied on is no longer dependable. The entire region is vulnerable for the first time, facing a complete reset of the established power structure, with Iran emerging as the dominant power, increasingly backed by Russia and China.
So, on every front, Trump has obliged his backers, igniting fires that have burned through established norms and declared war on all fronts. To please Israel, he went to war on Iran. Now that war has spiraled out of control, with the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea effectively closed off, American bases and Israeli forces are under threat.
Trump may or may not lose control in the United States after the mid-term elections, but one thing is certain: he has lit the world on fire, and it will never be the same again.
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