Trump and a bunch of inequities; why he can facilitate Lula’s re-election
The markets understood that there will be caution on the issue of tariffs. The topic does not lend itself to a noisy measure like the first one related to immigration. But Trump was dangerously assertive on another issue: he announced that he would seize the Panama Canal, which would be under the control of China, which would especially overtax American ships. There is not a drop of truth in all this.
On the environmental issue, there is, obviously, a first shock in the possible concert of nations, already so precarious and, as we know, ineffective in preventing the planet’s average temperature from rising by 1.5º: it increased by 1.6º, which indicates new spells around the world. The old president doesn’t care: he announced the dismantling of the environmental agenda, and the American government, once again, decided to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. It is also outside, again, the World Health Organization.
Trump, if you notice, wants to be a leader against the world, including against allied countries, not a leader in the world. When referring to tariffs, for example, he came out with this excellence:
“I will immediately begin reviewing our trade system to protect American workers and families. Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will impose tariffs and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens.”
But why would other nations submit to this type of relationship? So it is…
While signing his first decrees in the Oval Office of the White House, Trump answered questions from Brazilian journalist Raquel Krähenbühl, from Rede Globo. The following dialogue took place:
Raquel: Mr. spoke to President Xi (Jinping) about the war in Ukraine? China and Brazil, together, have a proposal to bring Russia and Ukraine to talk…
Trump: Fine by me. I think it’s great and I’m ready.
Raquel: And when Mr. Are you going to talk to Brazilian partners?
Trump: Is Brazil involved? I didn’t know. Are you Brazilian?
Rachel: Yes.
Trump: Oh, okay. So that’s why they’re involved, I guess.
Raquel: When Mr. Are you going to talk to the Brazilian president? Like mr. Do you see the relationship with Latin America and Brazil?
Trump: Excellent! It must be excellent. They need us much more than we need them. In fact, we don’t need them. Everyone needs us.
Well, I don’t need to explain that the USA is a fundamental partner for Brazil. Did you notice, however, the arrogance and the meaning of the verb “to need”? One country does not interact with another, except in times of humanitarian aid, such as benevolence or charity. Let’s say countries need each other…
And know: Trump did not give this answer as a sign of disdain for Brazil. In many ways, Europe has more reason to worry about its power delusions. In a multipolar world, the loudmouth speaks as if the will of the USA were that of imperial Rome. If the USA were still what Trump fantasizes they are, face it, the supposedly most powerful man on Earth wouldn’t be threatening Panama…
