Dear Editor,
The world is still trying to digest “The Tariff Man,” Donald Trump’s successful comeback for a second term as the US president-elect and Kamala Harris’s defeat to become the first woman to rule America. What it will mean is, Trump will be traversing on the path of making America great again, tenaciously and tirelessly. With a close fist and his back against the wall, Trump promises to be carefully conservative, cleverly capricious and cautiously committed. The corporate world will be a friendly playground though. There are mixed reactions from the war-torn countries as they remain in abeyance with reservation and skepticism. Many of America’s close alliances are overwhelmed, including Canada and India, both of whom are great trading partners, the US, of course, absorbing a great deal of India’s brain drain to work in the Computer, IT and AI fields.
The Asian-Pacific zone is worried about losing a portion of their voluminous trade due to anticipated trade tariffs to be implemented and Europe is wary of America reducing its financial support to sustain the wars in their region. Venezuela is weighing its precarious position by waving the olive branch while the rest of the Latin American and the Caribbean nations are sombre as they await Trump’s reaction. Former US ambassador to Panama, John Feeley, said, “The region can expect unpredictable tariffs and cross-sectoral quid-pro-quo transactional proposals, blending migration, organized crime and trade concessions.” Trump will not be looking through the lens of “What America can do for you,” but, he will be searching with a magnifying glass for “What you can do for America.”
America First is what Trump is about. NATO is fearful that Trump will quit the organization and pull the US out. Earlier this year, Trump asserted that he would encourage Russia to do “whatever the hell they want” with NATO allies that did not pay enough in defence spending. With the North Korean leader, Trump said, “I get along with him…I think he misses me….” A former Indian diplomat, Ajay Bisaria said, “Trump is likely to deepen geopolitical engagement with India and the QUAD (a grouping of nations comprising the United States, India, Japan, and Australia), while intensifying contestation with China.” Trump is expected to attend the G20 meeting in South Africa in 2025. Africa is still nursing a wound after Trump used a derogatory reference in his first term. Will it be primacy or partnership for the African Nation as Washington may very well continue to view them through the geopolitical prism.
Will Trump pick up from where he left off in the Middle East? Trump likes to fashion himself as a “dealmaker.” “He wants to achieve the unthinkable which no American president has done — achieving Middle East peace,” according to Chatham House expert Neil Quilliam. Experts opined that Trump has three major political plans for the Middle East. First, he will focus on ending Israel’s conflicts with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The President elect’s second vision will intertwine “the establishment of a future administration of the Gaza Strip and the potential creation of a Palestinian State.” As a third major political aim, Trump wants to clinch a deal with Iran.
While America’s allies, Israel and Egypt are celebrating the return of Trump to the White House, Qatar, Iran and other members of the “Axis of Resistance” have diplomatically communicated their “political indifference.” The Arabs want to improve ties with Israel but wants the Gaza war to end and a Palestinian state established. That will be challenging for Trump.
Donald Trump is definitely set to reshape American foreign policies with international peace treaties, a revision of their aid programs and a clamp down on illegal immigration. Global warming and climate control will be reprioritized with an influence for the drilling of fossil fuel, boost nuclear energy program and concentrate less on electric vehicles. Domestic policies will reignite, remodify and restructure society with massive reshuffling of government office bearers. Elon Mosk will spear heard the cutting and trimming of Government spending. Will Trump reinterpret the constitution, exercise power and shape laws in ways that America has never seen?
Donald Trump as president-elect is all set to boost the economy, provide a safer America, make Americans stronger and to send a message to the world that, the USA is still the greatest nation in the world and he is the most powerful leader on this globe. With the advent of the “Ice Maiden” guarding the front door to Trump, will Trump’s success be contingent upon a woman’s input? After all, behind every successful man, is a woman (Susie Wiles &/Or Melania Trump).
Yours respectfully,
Jai Lall
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