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  • Email Form Page
  • Walter's Blog.
  • Home
  • Introduction
  • About Walter
  • 1980 Joining Up - Grafton Street
    • Arrival and First Impressions
    • First Week
    • Training
    • Passing Out
    • Yaumati Cowboy >
      • Getting on the Streets
      • Jumpers, pill poppers and the indoor BBQ
      • Tempo of the City
      • Into a Minefield.
    • Why Tango in Paris, when you can Foxtrot in Kowloon? >
      • Baptism By Fire
      • Kai Tak with Mrs Thatcher.
      • Home; The Boy Returns
    • 1984 - 1986 >
      • PTU Instructor & Getting Hitched
      • Having a go: SDU
      • Starting a Chernobyl family
      • EOD - Don't touch anything
      • Semen Stains and the rules
    • 1987 to 1992 - Should I Stay or Go? >
      • Blue Lights, Sirens & Grenades
      • Drugs, Broken Kids & A Plane Crash
      • 600 Happy Meals Please!
      • Hong Kong's Best Insurance
      • Riding the Iron Horse
  • Crime in Hong Kong
    • Triads
    • The Saga That Rocked Hong Kong's Legal Fraternity
    • Yip Kai-foon - No Hero
  • History of Hong Kong Policing
    • History 1841 to 1941
    • History 1945 to 1967
    • Anatomy of the 50 cent Riot - 1966
    • The Fall of a Commissioner.
    • History 1967 to 1980
    • Three Wise Men from the West
    • The Blue Berets.
    • The African Korps and other tribes.
    • Getting About - Transport.
    • A Pub in every station
    • Bullshit Bingo & Meetings
    • Godber - The one who nearly got away.
    • Uncle Ho
  • Top 20 Films
    • 2001 - A Space Odyssey.
    • The Godfather.
    • Blade Runner
    • Kes
    • Star Wars
    • Aliens
    • Ferris Bueller's Day Off
    • The Life of Brian
    • Dr Strangelove.
    • Infernal Affairs
    • Bridge on the River Kwai.
    • This Is Spinal Tap.
    • Chung King Express
    • An Officer and a Gentleman
    • PTU
    • Contact
    • Saving Private Ryan
    • Family Guy Star Wars
    • Zulu
    • Hard Day's Night
  • Blogs Greatest Hits
    • Vennells - In the Faustian Realm Page
    • A Bond Is Broken
    • The English Eccentric Lives On
    • How is democracy working for you?
    • Occupy Central - A creature void of form
    • Brave New World
    • Bob Dylan and Me.
    • Sweet Caroline - Never Seemed So Good!
    • Postmodernism - Spiraling down the sink hole.
    • Why Dad is so important.
    • Man Overboard
    • Suffer the Children
    • Tony Blair, the turd that won't flush
    • Algorithms and Robots - the changing face of work
    • Campus Warfare
    • Are We Alone?
    • There is no motive.
    • The State of Play
    • Crisis, What Crisis?
    • Milk Powder - A Test of public sentiment.
    • Hello Baldy - Free Speech.
    • THe Other Side of the Story
    • The Merry House of Windsor
    • The Utility of the Windsors
    • Civil War?
    • Big Lily - The Headscarf Hero
    • RTHK - Spinning.
    • Occupy Leaders Convicted - What Next?
    • Hypocrites
    • Hong Kong's Lady Macbeth
    • Beijing Says Enough Is Enough
    • The Gardens of Fuyang
    • Beating the Devil - under a flyover
    • Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast
    • Gweilo 鬼 佬​
    • What goes around, comes around!
    • The Cobra
    • Liz Truss - A Cosplay Thatcher
    • Liz Truss trashes and crashes.
    • Hong Kong Judicary - has something gone wrong
    • Hubris, arrogance and failure.
    • Carry On Up the Khyber
    • The Unseen Hand
    • The Laptop that won't shut down
    • Legacy Media - the end is near
    • Malcolm Tucker Tribute Act
    • Journalism - Something has gone wrong?
    • Decline of the West? Maybe?
    • Canada's Killing Machine
    • English Uprising
    • South Yorkshire Police Madness
    • Deceitful BBC
    • Fair Dee Well
    • British Policing Needs A Reality Check.
    • Being a man is not a crime yet!
    • Putting Old Oak Common on the map.
    • When the winds stops blowing
    • The Long Read >
      • The Big Game
      • The Hidden Leader
      • British Policing - What's to be done?
      • How The Walls Come Down
      • War in Ukraine - the narrative and other stuff.
      • New World Order - Something is going on!
      • The Post Office; Lie, Deny, Cheat, Hide & Steal
      • To Scare the Monkeys
  • Email Form Page
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14/2/2025 2 Comments

It's Only Week Three!

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"It's Donald's way or the highway."
Three weeks into Donald Trump's second presidency, the rules-based international order, established after the Second World War founded on multilateral institutions such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organisation (WTO), is in jeopardy. This system emphasises cooperation, the rule of law, and collective problem-solving, and its principles are integral to understanding the current political dynamics.

Trump is having none of that. It's Donald's way or the highway. If, as some scholars believe, Machiavelli composed The Prince not as a practical guide for ruling but as satire — and essentially a guide on how not to rule — is Donald Trump having a laugh?

For sure, the conventional wisdom holds that The Prince examines statecraft through a realpolitik lens, suggesting that the ends often justify the means to maintain power.

The Prince, a seminal work written as early as 1513 but published only in 1532, five years after the author's death, firmly established Machiavelli as the father of political science. His name became synonymous with scheming and intrigue, yet, ironically, Machiavelli was less than adept at securing power.

Machiavelli began his career as a government bureaucrat in Florence. However, the recently re-established republic was under threat, and the city's former rulers, the powerful Medici family, were poised to regain their power.

With assistance from Spain, the Medici defeated Florence in battle and dissolved its government. From there, things quickly went downhill for Machiavelli.

In 1513, he was accused of conspiring against the new rulers, jailed, and tortured. He was only freed when a general amnesty was declared to celebrate Cardinal Giovanni de'Medici's election as Pope Leo X.

However, upon his release, Machiavelli didn't have much to celebrate. He was still unemployed. The former bureaucrat strived to work for the very family that brought about his downfall. He wrote The Prince in an attempt to impress the Medici with his grasp of the political climate.

The Prince resembled a failed job application. Machiavelli remained unemployed for much of his life. He is now renowned for his writings rather than the work he undertook for the Florentine government. Unlike the noble princes of fairy tales, Machiavelli argues that a successful leader must be brutal, calculating, and, when necessary, completely immoral.

Machiavelli asserted that leaders should not rely on luck but forge their destiny through charisma, cunning, and strength. In his view, life revolved around two main variables: fortune and virtù. (Virtù refers to bravery, power, and the ability to assert one's will.)

Nietzsche put forth ideas similar to his assertions about the "will to power."

Indeed, Trump 2 is harnessing all the traits highlighted by Machiavelli and more. By adopting Steve Bannon's strategy to "flood the zone with shit," a tactic that keeps the media off balance while both friends and foes fret about what it all means, Trump is exhibiting a Machiavellian approach to power.

This approach, characterised by cunning, manipulation, and a disregard for moral norms, has significant implications for global governance.


To see the impact, consider the backflips and reversals of feckless politicians such as British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Lord Peter Mandelson, who attempt to rewrite history by retracting their earlier ill-judged tirades against Trump. I would have more respect for them if they maintained their position instead of genuflecting, like a quisling.

If Trump admires strong men, as many claim, those who kowtow will not earn respect.

Trump may acknowledge the fundamental truth of the big game — might be right. Yet, there is a compelling argument that the "rules-based world order" and its adjacent claims to universal human rights were nothing more than a fig leaf with which powerful Western nations could evoke to interfere with the affairs of other countries.

The much-applauded liberal international order centred itself on the "rules-based order." However, the rules—especially those of the post-Cold War economic order—were created by the West and "rigged" in their favour. During the Obama administration, the term became popular among Western diplomats and experts to criticise perceived rule-breaking by non-Western powers, especially China and Russia.

By withdrawing from international agreements, the U.S. diminishes its leadership role and creates power vacuums other nations have sought to fill. It is often overlooked that Biden initiated this process with his hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan, which signalled that the U.S. had no staying power. Meanwhile, China opened a direct rail link from Chongqing to Afghanistan this week.

Trump's policies and rhetoric inadvertently make his supposed allies tremble as much as any enemy. Threats to seize Greenland by force should invoke warnings from other NATO countries. Instead, they bow their heads and hope Trump doesn't come for them. Greenland sits under the protection of Denmark, a NATO country. Article 5 of NATO states that if you attack a NATO country, all other NATO countries must come to your defence. Indeed, the only time NATO evoked Article 5 was after 9/11.

However, Trump understands that NATO is ineffective without the U.S. military. As such, he can threaten Greenland without fear of consequences. After all, some estimates indicate that the U.S. contributes 50 per cent of NATO's funding.

It's crucial to note that the challenges to the rules-based order did not begin with Trump. Issues like rising inequality, the backlash against globalisation, and China's growing influence have been brewing for years. Trump's presidency has undoubtedly amplified these trends, but they are part of a broader shift in global dynamics with long-term implications.

While Trump's policies have undoubtedly challenged the rules-based world order, they have also sparked a renewed debate about the future of global governance.

Ultimately, the survival of the "rules-based order" hinges on the willingness of nations to collaborate, uphold shared values, and adapt to new realities. The U.S. plays a critical role in this endeavour, but no longer as the titular leader.
For all his rhetoric of "America First," I can sense a recognition in Trump's actions that a multipolar world is emerging. This week, he initiated negotiations regarding the Ukraine war with Putin, notably only briefing Zelensky as an afterthought.

This move tacitly acknowledges that Ukraine is beholden to the U.S. rather than the Europeans, a sign of the shifting power dynamics in the international arena. Trump's direct approach to Russia signals that he recognises Putin's power. In response, the Europeans are in meltdown and throwing a tantrum.

Likewise, his pronouncements on Gaza were presented without even consulting the Israelis, never mind representatives of the Palestine people. If he's watching, Machiavelli will smile.

Meanwhile, the other major player, China, remains notably quiet, observing and biding its time. It has reciprocated Trump's tariffs and taken him to the WTO while moderating any statements. Playing the long game, I suspect it recognises that Trump's Machiavellian approach is unsustainable. It breeds mistrust and resentment and undermines credibility.

It's only three weeks in!

Post Script

As I posted this blog, news arrived of Vice-President JD Vance's blistering speech at the Munich Security Conference. The U.K. and Europe are now on notice that the U.S. will no longer tolerate their ideological antics while expecting the American taxpayer to pay for their defence. The free ride is over.
2 Comments
Chris Emmett
15/2/2025 07:48:39 pm

There are two Donald Trumps: one – the odious character who would be blackballed by the village bird watching club; and two – the president who says what most Americans believe: it’s time America’s allies stopped treating the USA as their personal piggy bank. Vance’s speech on the erosion of free speech was bang on point. However, no one (except the right wing leaning, GB News) has commented on the irony of the German defence minister’s condemning part of Vance’s freedom of expression speech as ‘... unacceptable...’

Reply
Lyall
13/3/2025 02:46:32 pm

American interest in increased Allied defense spending only came about as a result of the endless post 911 wars. The Americans would’ve been very happy for other NATO troops to be kicking in doors in Iraq, Afghanistan, and getting blown up by IEDs. America has never had any interest in other NATO countries
developing serious high level, military capacity, and has blocked any such initiatives. Superpowers don’t like competition. So the notion that Europe has been freeloading is essentially nonsense. And Europe is only rearming now because America can no longer be trusted.

And Vance did not make a single valid point in his Munich speech. But he did confirm that the age of the American superpower is over.

Any pensioners who conflate Vance with their grumpiness about Social media debates in Britain, are just grumpy pensioners.



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