If President Donald Trump had taken over Greenland, there would be no more NATO. An attack on an ally is something NATO cannot survive. Recently, Trump said that NATO faces a dark future if European countries do not help him keep the Strait of Hormuz open. What Trump is doing amounts to outright blackmail and reckless gambling with European security. The only winner is Russia.
Blackmail has become a hallmark of the American administration. Last week, he pressured the government of Zambia by threatening to cut off HIV aid unless the United States gains access to raw materials. By blocking oil supplies, he is also attempting to force Cuba into a corner.
Trump appears uninterested in the prosperity and security of others, focusing only on American power. His goals are partly materialistic, such as gaining access to raw materials and energy reserves. At the same time, he is driven by revenge and a nationalist ideology rooted in extremely conservative values that do not align with the views of most Europeans. That ideology does appeal to the radical right, including in the Netherlands. But Trump’s supporters should realize that this president is steering the world toward a disaster of historic proportions.
Some economists predict an economic crisis worse than the financial crisis of Global Financial Crisis. Under Trump, an explosive mix has emerged: an AI bubble, wars threatening the supply of energy and raw materials and driving up prices, and geopolitical dynamics that could ultimately lead to a Chinese attack on Taiwan. If that happens, it will constitute a global conflict, and chip production would largely grind to a halt.
There is also clear incompetence. Trump is known for making decisions within a small circle, excluding real expertise. He is driven by baseless hubris and extreme overconfidence.
This was once again evident in his Iranian venture. Any expert could have told him that Iran developed a doctrine of asymmetric warfare in the 1980s in response to its weak position relative to Iraq, with which it fought a prolonged war. In those same years, an asymmetric maritime doctrine was developed and applied during the “Tanker War.” The top U.S. military officer, General Caine, rightly stated last week that any member of the Revolutionary Guard or militia can attach a mine to the hull of a tanker or warship from a speedboat and thereby close the Strait of Hormuz. There is little that can be done to prevent this. European leaders were therefore right to reject Trump’s request for support. This is not our war.
Any expert could also have told him that Iran’s power structure is designed to withstand external attacks. The Revolutionary Guard and the paramilitary Basij are large, cannot easily be destroyed, and will continue to suppress the population with increased intensity. Trump has walked into a trap from which it will not be easy to escape.
This is the moment to stop appeasing Trump, to sideline the United States within NATO, and to make Europe more economically autonomous. And Trump’s supporters must be made to understand that their hero has turned against them.
Experts
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