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"U.S. hegemony is entering full predatory mode."

Views expressed in this geopolitical news and analysis are those of the reporters and correspondents.  Accessed on 31 January 2025, 2020 UTC.

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Russ Roberts (https://trendsingeopolitics.blogspot.com).

 

View this email in your browser. January 31, 2025 Hello, everyone. Today at WPR, we’re covering how Donald Trump’s presidency is changing U.S. hegemony and the RSF’s targeting of Sudan’s Christian community. But first, here’s our take on today’s top story: Then-Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump makes a campaign appearance at the southern border with Mexico, in Sierra Vista, Ariz., Aug. 22, 2024 (AP photo by Evan Vucci). North America: President Donald Trump reiterated yesterday that the U.S. will impose 25 percent tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada tomorrow, with the only possible exception being for oil. Trump initially said in November that he would impose the tariffs on his first day in office if Mexico and Canada did not stop drugs and migrants from crossing over their borders with the U.S., before later pushing the date back to Feb. 1. (AP) Our Take: Trump’s threat against Mexico and Canada was among his first major declarations after winning the U.S. presidential election last year, and it took many observers by surprise. While a threat to impose... Subscribe to WPR to read our take on today’s top story. Since taking office less than two weeks ago, U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened a trade war with Colombia over immigrant deportations, had a “fiery” exchange with the Danish PM over the status Greenland, signed an executive order freezing most foreign aid, pulled the U.S. out of the WHO and appointed a secretary of defense who calls for restoring a “warrior ethos” to the U.S. military. Trump has long been seen as transactional and a dealmaker. While such behavior was evident during his first term, it seems heightened this time around. The demands are now more coercive, almost predatory. Columnist Paul Poast asks: If the United States is still the most important country in the international system—that is, if it is still the hegemon—then can the current international order survive having a predatory hegemon at its center? Under Trump, U.S. Hegemony Is Entering Full Predatory Mode By Paul Poast Trump is taking the U.S. into full predatory mode, abandoning even paying lip service to the liberal international order. Should the world worry? ***** Sudan’s civil war pitting the country’s armed forces against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, is approaching the two-year mark with no resolution in sight. Both sides in the conflict have been accused of committing atrocities, with the administration of former U.S. President Joe Biden having determined that the RSF had committed genocide in Darfur and the Sudanese military had perpetrated war crimes. Nevertheless, despite the moral imperative to act, the international community has done little to halt the conflict and its associated violence against civilians. And amid the widespread atrocities committed by the RSF in Darfur and central Sudan, one tragedy remains egregiously overlooked: the plight of Sudan’s Christian community. The atrocities inflicted on this minority by the RSF make the international community’s lack of urgency all the more egregious. U.S. President Donald Trump, whose previous administration prioritized religious freedoms, has a unique opportunity to change that by taking decisive action to bring justice and relief to the victims of this devastating conflict, Yasir Zaidan writes from Port Sudan. The U.S. Should Protect Sudan’s Christian Minority From the RSF By Yasir Zaidan The paramilitary RSF has committed atrocities against Sudan’s Christian community. The U.S. can and should do more to stop it. This week, we asked: Which bilateral relationship will be the most significant in shaping the global order over the remainder of the decade? The results: A growing number of German politicians are calling for the nearly 1 million Syrian refugees living in the country to return to Syria now that former dictator Bashar al-Assad has been ousted, as immigration has emerged as a top issue for voters ahead of snap elections next month. The growing wave of anti-migrant sentiment in Germany, including among mainstream parties, is a striking shift from 10 years ago, when the country began welcoming Syrians fleeing civil war at the height of the 2015 European migration crisis. As Aaron Allen wrote earlier this month, this moment could represent the end of Germany’s modern Willkommenskultur—a culture of welcoming and inclusion. Ahead of Germany’s Elections, Syrian Refugees Are Back in the Spotlight By Aaron Allen Jan. 9, 2025 | After the fall of the Assad regime and in the run-up to elections, Germany is once again debating the status of nearly 1 million Syrians in the country. ***** France handed over its last military base in Chad to local authorities yesterday, marking the end of its decadeslong security presence in the country. The withdrawal comes just over two months after Chad announced it would end its military cooperation with France, a move that reportedly took French authorities by surprise. The move is just the latest blow for France, whose forces have been ousted by a number of its former colonies in the region in recent years. But it is also a risk for Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby, as France has historically protected Chad’s regime. As Nathaniel Powell wrote last month, Deby’s decision, though popular among Chadians, could come at the cost of long-term regime security. Chad’s Deby Is Taking a Big Risk in Kicking France Out By Nathaniel Powell Dec. 18, 2024 | The withdrawal of France’s military from Chad may be popular, but it comes at the risk of regime security for Deby. ***** Myanmar’s military government today announced another six-month extension of the state of emergency that was first declared on Feb. 1, 2021, when the armed forces took power in a coup. The past year has seen a dramatic shift in momentum in the civil war that started after that coup, with the armed resistance gaining ground. But as Michael Hart wrote last month, despite a growing narrative that the military regime could soon fall, it is much more likely that the conflict becomes a stalemate. ***** Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea led to a surge in usage of Spanish ports last year, as ships with goods bound for Europe instead took the southern route around Africa to reach the continent. Still, as Miquel Vila Moreno wrote last year, while the disruption to shipping through the Red Sea was a setback for the Mediterranean region, other developments may further efforts to make the Mediterranean a nodal point of global trade. More from WPR Richard Gowan on Trump, the U.N. and China. Francisco Serrano on anti-immigrant fearmongering in Portugal. Nathalie Tocci on Trump, Europe and the war in Ukraine. Michael Hart on Laos’ growing ties with its neighbors. Read all of our latest coverage here. Copyright © 2025 World Politics Review LLC, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you are subscribed to our free daily newsletter. Our mailing address is: World Politics Review LLC 401 E. Jackson St, Ste 3300 Tampa, FL 33606 USA To be sure this email isn't filtered as spam, add newsletter@worldpoliticsreview.com to your address book or contacts list. Want to change how you receive these emails? 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