Implications of America's coming isolationism

OPINION Rarely has the world been in the throes of political upheaval with such breadth, intensity, and duration as has been experienced in the first quarter of this century.

- DANIEL WAGNER

Its impact has been made all the more profound as a result of the impact of social media, instant communication, the advent of AI, fake news, alternative facts, and a propensity among a large percentage of the world's population to embrace 10-second sound bites as the sole source of their world view. This has occurred as geopolitical sands continue to shift significantly, with the US, China, Russia, Iran, and the EU all jockeying for positions of influence.

Now that Trump 2.0 will be reintroducing an isolationist America to the mix, it will become even more difficult to predict the future course of political change. Trump's inclination to pursue his domestic agenda at all costs is likely to translate into a willingness to take a zero-sum approach to international relations. America's allies will, once again, be forced to reckon with an American President with the subtlety of a sledgehammer who is gleeful at the prospect of being able to use tariffs as bargaining chips and weapons. Trump's unpredictability will keep America's enemies on edge, although he previously exercised restraint in times of crisis.

This time around, he will act with the knowledge that his legacy is at stake, which could imply a greater likelihood that he will be even more extreme and robust in his approach to international relations.