We see the world through the prism of the media (newspapers, television) and social networks. There, Donald Trump is all the rage, overall he seems to have some control over the whole world in such a way that everyone should take a look at him to keep informed.
What could one man, would it be Trump, really do?
- American industry is in crisis: Boeing is in big trouble, car manufacturers are losing ground because of delays in industrial transformation, industrial labor costs are rising.
- Tight oil, digital industries, services seem to support the economy, but private investment slowed in 2024 last quarter.
- Labor costs are rising as the standard of living increases and the population ages. As a result, some manufacturing is outsourced to neighboring countries, with the United States retaining only high value-added activities. The United States owns capital, receives dividends, and sends back migrants because they are the labor force over there.
- More than 80% of the American debt is held by Americans, who have room to borrow more and invest again as long as American assets continue to go up in value.
All of this shows that there is no one man behind what is happening, but that it is the result of forces that are at work in our societies.
A new imperialism ?
All the previous observations describe the roots of a new type of imperialism. It is no longer a question of territories, but of transnational chains of production that must be secured, even at the cost of military intervention. Exporting its production when you are leader, like digital technologies for United States, is a way to have a hand on foreign countries. It is all the stake of the dispute with the China, the technology challenge US leadership.
The same is happening in Europe at a lower level, between Western and Eastern countries.
This new way of gaining power on others started few decades ago with the prospects of decline of the Occident due to all introductory observation. Fair commerce failed because it gave a lot to poor and middle countries which take over the big ones of west, in this system poor and middle countries became the plants of the big ones, so they should be kept under control. It is the biggest stake of nowadays to rearrange the production chains to relocate them as much as it is possible into controllable small or middle countries.
This is the new imperialism and it is also playing for energy commodities.
The United States’ commitment to Israel, Iraq, and the Middle East is primarily motivated by energy resources. Trump has not changed anything, except the prospect of getting Palestinians out of there. The current treaty was ready for months, except that the United States never accepted that the colons continue to get foot in Cisjordanie against all previous agreements. Trump just removes these sanctions and allows the colons to get more cisjordanian lands again, which will end up with the disappearance of the palestinians or the rise of terrorism. Netanyahu couldn’t refuse such an offer while Trump didn’t solve anything, more he threw oil in the fire.
So far, Trump does not change anything in the world, except that he does the show, otherwise he continues what was started before him. Don’t waste time watching the Trump man show, look at the world.