By now it should be clear to most rational people that the emperor has no clothes. His naked ambition to rule the world is becoming quite, quite clear. And unless nations stand in unison against him, Emperor Trump will have his way.
Take his massive abuse of power, currently wielded by the cudgel of tariffs. Consider, for example, his treatment of Brazil, as reported by the New York Times.
The United States on Wednesday made good on its threats to apply 50 percent tariffs on Brazil two days ahead of schedule and slapped sanctions on the Supreme Court justice overseeing the criminal case against former President Jair Bolsonaro.
Trump appears to have two reasons for going after Brazil. First, its president, Lula Da Silva, will not bow down before Rome, openly criticizing Trump's heavy-handed tactics.
“I think it’s important for President Trump to consider: If he wants to have a political fight, then let’s treat it as a political fight,” Mr. Lula told The Times. “If he wants to talk trade, let’s sit down and discuss trade. But you can’t mix everything together.”
Secondly, the Emperor doesn't like the way Brazil is treating his friend, former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro.
Mr. Trump is targeting Brazil for what he calls political persecution of his ally, Mr. Bolsonaro, and illegal censorship of conservative voices online. In an executive order on Wednesday, he said actions by Brazil’s government and Supreme Court “threaten the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.”
The Supreme Court Justice, Alexandre de Moraes, is facing sanctions.
The Treasury Department sanctions against Justice Moraes would revoke his U.S. visa and freeze any U.S. assets, as well as generally prohibit many financial institutions from doing transactions with him.
The sanctions against Justice Moraes were issued under the Global Magnitsky Act, a measure that is usually meant to punish foreigners accused of serious human-rights violations or corruption.
Interfering with the sovereignty of other nations is apparently now part of the Emperor's remit, and it is now striking closer to home as well. Canada's tentative recognition of Palestine as a state has provoked his anger and consternation.
Donald Trump has threatened Canada after it moved to recognise a Palestinian state, reacting to Mark Carney’s announcement by saying that signing a US trade deal would now be “very hard”.
Despite other nations, including the U.K., moving to recognize Palestine without trade retaliation, Trump seems to have Canada specifically within his sights.
Trump ... reacted to Carney’s decision by posting on social media: “Wow! Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine. That will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them.”
Trump’s latest broadside at Canada comes amid other attempts to use tariffs as leverage over the domestic and foreign policies of other nations.
The 20th century saw a broad coalition of countries banding together against the threat of world domination by power hungry, depraved forces. Can the 21st century afford to do anything less?
I am hoping Carney immediately opens trade negotiations with Brazil now!
ReplyDeleteI just looked up Canada's trade relationship with Brazil, and found this, Cathie:
DeleteCanada’s trade and investment relationship with Brazil has seen steady growth in recent years. Major two-way foreign investment flows continue to expand, as does the bilateral trade of goods and services.
Brazil is the third largest economy in the Americas (after the U.S. and Canada) and Canada's most important trading partner in South America. In 2024, bilateral merchandise trade totaled $12.7 billion, with Canada’s exports to Brazil at $2.5 billion, and imports from Brazil at $10.2 billion.
I'm informed by a Brazilian friend that Brazil has some fabulous beaches and excellent seafood all along the coast. not just in Rio de Janeiro. Fortaleza, a good bit farther north looks nice.
DeleteBrazil might make a great alternative to Florida or the other Gulf states for a winter getaway.
A capital suggestion, Anon. To vacation in a land refusing to submit to Trump would indeed be attractive.
DeleteIt may be a bit late but Canadian membership in BRICS sounded like a good idea a while ago. And we almost certainly should get out of NATO.
ReplyDeleteThe fascinating thing is that what for the USA passes as diplomacy has been working well, just not for the USA.
So far, US policy over a number of years, not just during the Trump and Biden regimes has forged very strong political and economic bonds between China and Russia. More recently, Israel and the USA have managed to strengthen ties between Russia and Iran beyond their BRICS association strengthening Iran militarily and probably a bit economically and helping protect Russia's southern flank.
The NATO/Western sanctions have been working well. Germany's economy seems in a noise-dive, Russia through a combination of product-substitutions and expanded trade with the countries not involved in the sanctions fiasco is doing quite well. I understand European cars are not selling all that well in Russia but you can see a lot of Chinese cars. Can you say "Own goal"?
China was already economically involved with Iran through the Belt and Road initiative but I suspect it's getting closer politically since the beginning of the Tariff War.
Even the North Korea has benefited. The world's pariah nation now has a military alliance with the Russian Federation and looks to be at least selling ammunition to Russia. Not a great thing but for a country that is as lacking in foreign exchange as the DPRK is is likely welcome. Russia is short of workers in the Far East so there may be a chance that it can import DPRK labour.
Then there were the North Korean troops in the Kurst Oblast. Frankly I thought it Ukrainian/US propaganda. Integrating any significant number of foreign troops into an existing army in a nightmare and Russia, clearly, did not need the troops. Then, I suddenly realized what must be happening.
How wars are fought has changed drastically since February 28, 2022 and the only militaries with any significant experience of the new ways are Russia, Ukraine and now the DPRK. Russia seems to be taking that defence treaty seriously.
I am currently waiting to see if US pressures will bring about a reconciliation between India and China.
Coming back to Brazil, if I am reading a couple of tables correctly Brazil exported US$94.41B to China during 2024 and US$49B to the USA during the same time period. Figures are from different sources so may not be directly comparable but probably close enough. If we add to that, the extremely likely involvement of the CIA in getting Lula convicted on fraudulent corruption charges, the current Brazilian Gov't may not be all that kindly disposed to the USA.
It is hard not to be amused by the sanctions on Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Does he want to visit the USA? Does he have any assets is the USA? Probably not to the latter.
A good description of US foreign policy:
If you ever feel useless, remember it took 20 years, trillions of dollars and 4 US Presidents to replace the Taliban with the Taliban.
Attributed to Norman Finkelstein
Thanks for the information and analysis, Anon. Very informative. it does seem that everything the U.S. touches backfires. In terms of the sanctions against de Moraes, my understanding is that he does not have any assets in the U.S. and likely no plans to visit the increasingly despotic state.
DeleteIt does seem that everything the U.S. touches backfires.
DeleteWell, they and the British managed a very successful coup d'état in Iran in 1953. It was so successful that the US Air Force is now bombing Iran.
And let's not forget their big mistake in refusing to acknowledge Cuba before they fell into the Soviet orbit. The appropriation of American lands and businesses was considered a mortal sin in the kingdom of unfettered capitalism, I guess, Anon.
DeleteSo, no trade "deal" (other than the existing one) between US and Canada? No problem. Trump wasn't going to keep to one anyway.
ReplyDeleteUU
I completely agree, UU. Canada is playing by the old rules, and Trump is playing by no rules. And given his success at strong-arming countries so far, my guess that this will continue and get even worse.
ReplyDelete