Why? Well…
He’s jealous.
J.V. Last points out the upside:
At least Trump wasn’t at the parade, standing next to Xi, Putin, and Kim, clapping like seal.
That’s right: When the world’s most powerful dictators gathered for a show of force, they wouldn’t let Trump sit at the big kids’ table with them, even though he’s spent the better part of a decade angling to join their club.
So we’ve got that going for us ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Trump declared economic war on the entire world. It’s not the only reason for this show of solidarity among the tyrants. But it sure didn’t help.
As Last writes:
We often discuss whether Trump is symptom or disease. The answer depends on the context. When it comes to foreign affairs, he is most definitely a symptom.
Trump’s second election was confirmation to the world that the American people can no longer be relied upon. We are too—well, you can fill in your own descriptor. Vapid? Decadent? Unserious? Inconstant? Whatever word you choose, the idea is the same: America as it existed from World War II to 2016 is a spent force. That age is over.
Other nations can no longer make long-term plans based on America. And so the world is now in the process of making alternative arrangements.
The Canadians are binding themselves to Europe. The Europeans are decoupling from America. The Russians are attempting to dominate the Europeans. The Middle East is getting ready for a post-petroleum future in which they function as the world’s hedge fund. The Indians are trying to become the Chinese.
And the Chinese have expanded their horizons. A decade ago they hoped to become a regional hegemon. Now they want to take the vacated seat at the head of the table and reorder the entire global order to their interests.
We elected this clown twice and no longer get the benefit of the doubt. I don’t think we can ever regain the position we once held. And maybe, in the end, that’s a good thing. The post-war consensus ran its course a while ago. The mere fact that we could be so unserious as to elect a wealthy imbecile to the highest office in the land is the proof.
Last says that he thought there might be a real partnership of despots in the world’s but realizes now that Xi was just playing the orange clown:
I don’t know about you but I’d rather live in a world led by Chinese authoritarians than one led by an axis of Chinese and American dictators.
This way, at least it’s possible that America might regain its footing and recommit to liberalism. That’s a nice thought, isn’t it?
I wish I thought that would be easy. But America isn’t the polite British as the sun sets on its empire. We are still a military hegemon, we’re drowning in guns, and we are still very wealthy. But we’ve become completely irresponsible and unpredictable and that’s a dangerous combination. If we are to return to a liberal order in America we’re going to have to sober up. And there’s no time to waste.