EconAir

  President Trump’s rhetoric seems to be more bellicose, or unhinged, every year he speaks to the world’s leaders at the United Nations. Last year, he summed up his opinion of the entire world with “Your countries are going to hell.” Whether he was making a religious statement or just a political threat was unclear. This year’s theme was to make clear that the United States would exert its military and economic power without any regard to other countries, international norms, or any personal constraints. On Iran. The U.S. will “annihilate the Islamic republic.”  “Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations,” Besides the usual incoherence of his speeches, he seems to be advocating something close to genocide. On Venezuela. “If necessary, we will use our unmatched military might to secure the vital interests of the U.S.” “To the victor belongs the spoils.” Trump characterized America’s takeover of Venezuelan oil as the “big...

President Trump Might Washington, like Rome, fall victim to imperial overstretch? Could military force abroad eventually have to be withdrawn because of bankruptcy at home? Might the whole idea of America eventually be challenged and destroyed by some charismatic new faith: some fundamentalist variant on Christianity? Or will nature disrupt America’s new world order? Robert Harris, "Does Rome's fate await the US?," The Mail on Sunday , October 12, 2003 (1) INTRODUCTION:  FOREIGN POLICY AND DOMESTIC POLITICS This post will discuss American foreign policy, with an emphasis on economic aspects. It will focus on the structure of America's trade treaties and policies, and the interaction of America's foreign economic policies and domestic politics. The companion post,  "Pax Americana": The World That America Made , the will discuss America's projection of global power and influence through military power, security arran...