US shock and awe: India must reinforce its shield

The Trump presidency has unsettled core assumptions of the world's future. As peace and prosperity stare at uncertainty, New Delhi should do its utmost to secure Indian interests

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The term 'shock and awe' is usually attributed to George W. Bush, who purportedly used it to describe the US Army's prodigious and forceful ability to initiate regime change, before deploying it in Iraq almost 22 years ago.

In reality, the term made its appearance first in a 1996 Pentagon briefing to paint a picture of the US Army's devastating firepower that could swiftly dominate an enemy. What the document did not predict, nor anybody envisage, was a future US leader using shock-and-awe tactics even at home.

America's 47th president, Donald Trump, has been blitzing through his administration as if it's a T20 cricket match with limited overs. The breakneck spate of executive orders from the White House over the past 20 days makes the usual news cycle look pale.

Some observers suspect that Trump wants to remake the US presidency in the image of an imperium, vesting the Oval Office with absolute authority that transcends the limitations imposed by a balance of power between the executive, legislature and judiciary.