Donald Trump has never been one for subtlety. His approach to diplomacy, economics, and leadership has always been rooted in the same crude, brash, and fundamentally ignorant tactics that made him famous in the first place. Now, with his latest barrage of trade tariffs, he once again proves that he doesn’t understand or simply doesn’t care about the fundamental principles of global trade and economic cooperation.
For decades, the world has operated on the understanding that free trade benefits all. It creates wealth, drives innovation, and fosters economic stability. But Trump, with his outdated, protectionist mindset, believes he can strong-arm the global economy into bending to America’s will. His tariffs on cars, parts, steel, aluminium, and a range of other imports are not just an attack on economic logic but a direct insult to America’s allies and trading partners.
And yet, too many leaders are responding with hesitation, hand-wringing, and weak appeals for ‘negotiation’. This is not the time for diplomacy. It’s time to call his bluff. The only rational response to Trump’s reckless economic nationalism is to retaliate in kind. The EU, China, Canada, and every other nation affected by his tariffs should slap America with their own punitive measures. If he wants a trade war, give him one. The alternative is appeasement – and history has taught us how that ends.
Trump’s belief that he can bully the world into submission is based on the assumption that the rest of the world is too spineless to stand up to him. It’s time to prove him wrong. There’s no need for sugar-coated statements or diplomatic niceties. Tell him to fuck off and hit back hard. Anything else is weakness.
