A Nostalgic Vision: Trump’s Trade Policies and Military Displays Shape Global Dynamics

A Nostalgic Vision: Trump’s Trade Policies and Military Displays Shape Global Dynamics

Donald Trump’s campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again,” taps into this same romanticized picture of our nation. It suggests that a lot of people yearn for a time when America was perceived as her greatest. This backward looking approach drives his economic strategy, widely derided by critics as 19th century mercantilism. To an extent, Trump is on the right track with his ambitious plan to foster a second golden age in America. His policies are not only upending global trade dynamics but driving dangerous political flames.

Trump’s new agrarian nationalists regularly celebrate 19th-century America’s prosperity in the golden age. This is something he has stated publicly time and again. His desire to restore this past glory is apparent in his domestic agenda, as well as his relationships with other countries around the globe. This nostalgic framework shapes his economic agenda, most prominently his highly controversial approach toward tariffs and bilateral trade agreements.

Just two weeks ago, Trump welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin to Alaska with an enormous show of military might. The gala included a stealth bomber flyover and a red carpet covered with U.S. military jets. This production brought even more focus onto Trump’s alternative “America first” economic nationalism, which has broken down long-standing economic and political coalitions around the world.

Yet a Trump-friendly appellate court has slapped down Trump’s trade policy. We celebrated the court’s finding that many of his tariffs were predicated on an erroneous reading of federal law. The ruling belied the legitimacy of his aggressive trade shenanigans. Trump promised to take the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court. We believe he is dedicated to putting America’s best interests first.

Unfortunately, that strong admiration of Trump’s for the militaristic displays came during his presidency. It’s evident from his golden hour for America’s martial past featuring parades with World War II-era tanks and soldiers from the revolutionary era.… He inaugurated his new term by attending France’s Bastille Day celebrations, which was perhaps the clearest signal of his love for those spectacles.

Not too long ago, Trump tweeted about China’s recent military parade. He added that he was “not worried” about the forceful display being sent to world leaders like Putin and Kim Jong Un. His cavalier attitude is alarming enough when you consider the geopolitical implications of China’s increasing military aggressiveness.

“They were hoping I was watching, and I was watching,” – Donald Trump

Trump has accused Xi Jinping of conspiring against the United States alongside Putin and Kim Jong Un. These kinds of accusations reveal and fit Trump’s overall approach of casting America’s relationships in the world as a zero-sum competition and fight.

The U.S. president’s focus on a “sphere of influence” highlights his keen interest in America’s immediate geographic neighborhood. This interest spans from Greenland to Panama and Canada. Beyond filling the vacancy, it demonstrates a willingness and desire to reinforce America’s influence, presence and importance right in our own backyard.

Wilkie, a notable commentator on U.S.-Asia relations, emphasized this perspective:

“The Koreans, the Japanese, the Philippines, the Vietnamese know that the real threat is not any hiccups in a trade partnership with the United States,” – Wilkie

The pattern in Trump’s interactions with foreign leaders has certainly been a balance of bluster and restraint. Ultimately, his statements at the meetings give little to no insight into his strategic mindset on big ticket items like China’s military ambitions. This vagueness allows for a wide scope of interpretation and concern over his intentions in the long haul.

While Trump seeks to implement his vision for an America First approach, he still faces a myriad of national and global tests. His policies have indeed heatedly contested his effectiveness and the direction they’re taking America and its standing in the world.

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