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His triumphalist posturing is not without challenge. Some in fact say that his political project is more fragile than his supporters or the demoralized opposition realise. A counter fight is on. From within America, and from without
By Sandeep Chachra and Joseph Mathai
In 1995, in a speech titled. ‘Racism and Fascism’ delivered at the Howard University, author Toni Morrison describes fascism as a conversion of “all public services to private entrepreneurship… so that the narrow chasm between governance and business disappears. It changes citizens to taxpayers, neighbours into consumers and produces the perfect capitalist, one who is willing to kill a human being for a product, or, to kill generations for control of products….”
True to his promise to be a “[a dictator] on day one. …After that I’m not a dictator”, Trump celebrated his return to power with a “flurry of executive actions”. It would be useful to review prospects for global peace, cooperation and justice, when Trump rules the most powerful country in the world in the light of Toni Morrison’s linking of fascism with capitalism.
Thumping his victory to an adulatory audience, the spectre drawn by Trump includes an expanding ‘empire’ of America, muscular, weaponized and unhinged. A nation glorifying its settler colonial occupations with a self-imagined destiny of greatness, its imperialist face unmasked of all pretence.
To be fair to him, the 47th president of the United States had made all this amply clear in the run-up to the elections. His address the day before taking over, and in the first spate of presidential orders on the day of assuming office, further demonstrated that his project of Make America Great Again (MAGA) will obfuscate boundaries set by hard fought victories of working peoples’ struggles across the world, and liberated nations of the global South.
America will look inwards, close it borders to migrant workers who were stereotyped as criminals and murderers, propel a hegemonic role in the world presenting this resurgence as a fait accompli to all – USA’s allies and followers in the global north included.
Reminiscing about past glory, Trump threatened to annex and rename Panama Canal, make Canada, USA’s 51st state, buy Greenland — threatening tariffs on Denmark if it refuses to sell Greenland, and send troops to Mexico. Days after Cuba’s designation as a ‘State sponsor of terrorism’ was revoked by Biden, it was re-instated by the Trump administration.
He also threatened a global tariff and tax war. After taking office, the new president repeated his tariff warning to BRICS nations with 100 per cent tariff should they continue de-dollarization efforts. “If the BRICS nations want to do that, that’s OK, but we’re going to put at least a 100 per cent tariff on the business they do with the United States…. It’s not even a threat. In fact, since I made that statement, Biden said, they have us over a barrel. I said, no, we have them over a barrel. And there’s no way they’re going to be able to do that,” Trump said. Almost 25 per cent % tariffs impositions on Canadian imports were repeated.
A fight is indeed on. “We will fight, fight, fight and win, win, win…. so much so that you will tell me, we are not used to winning so much,” he said a day before being sworn in.
Fight and win what?
Fight against what he called woke and Left ideas, policies and advances. A fight against policies defending and promoting diversity, equity and inclusion. Only ‘merit’ will matter, he said. A fight against ‘supposed’ criminals, immigrants and refugees who land on to the promised land of USA. A fight against environmental regulations and climate justice. A fight to glorify settlers – the cowboys, railroad workers and guns.
Trump withdrew from the Paris Agreement on climate change, from World Health Organization (WHO), enforced a national emergency at the southern border of USA, ordered an investigation on the feasibility of making an external revenue service to collect tariffs, duties and other foreign trade related revenues. He eliminated electric vehicle mandate, unleashed the idea of ‘American Energy’ to solidify America as a global energy leader, ordered realignment of US refugee admissions to only those who can fully and appropriately assimilate.
He ordered for building walls and deportation of illegals; restored death penalty, ordered re-evaluating and realigning foreign aid, asked for plans to unleash Alaska’s extraordinary resource potential, and ordered steps for defending women from ‘gender ideology extremism’. Trump also declared that officially US government will recognize only two genders: male and female. Going a step further, he announced ending birthright citizenship to children of illegal immigrants and others.
In a message, he also granted unconditional and complete pardon to all – whom he called hostages — 1,500 plus Trump-supporters convicted of offenses related to the January 6 insurrection at or near Capitol hill, after Biden’s victory in the last polls, giving a signal of his absolute power to defend republican supporters.
The richest men in human history will multiply their wealth several fold in USA, the not so implicit Trump promise asserts. Four of them stood behind in homage, one even spoke at the Trump’s address to supporters, ending with what was reported in some sections, as a Nazi salute.
A dozen billionaires will have official roles in the Trump administration. Acting together with the federal government of the US, billionaires will now have an alliance to help them operate without fear or restraint. Capital seems to have fully risen above political authority, above the American nation and cannot be checked, leave alone controlled. The raw power of American oligarchy is now fully out in the open.
With a view that other countries were pouring in products at lower prices and American products were being pushed out, along with American workers, and basing his review on an old provision in the US tax code, Trump threatened to double tax rates for foreign companies and nationals in the US to hit back at “discriminatory” levies on American multinationals those countries made. This move, together with a policy memo withdrawing US support for last year’s OECD global tax pact, signals a challenge to the tax regimes and global tax rules. A move that will be contested by all including allies.
There can be little doubt that the idea of a global wealth tax, that Brazil championed at the G20, will see no future with the US push-back, and the richest will continue with tax reliefs.
However, his triumphalist posturing is not without challenge. Some in fact say that his political project is more fragile than his supporters or the demoralized opposition realise. A counter fight is on. From within America and from without.
Within days of announcing the end of birthright citizenship, a federal lawsuit is being filed to challenge his executive order. Attorney generals of 22 states, joined by immigrants’ rights advocates have come together to challenge this despotic change in settled law. Calling it blatantly unconstitutional, a US district judge issued a temporary restraint, till further consideration.
Speaking for “scared people” at the widely shared inaugural prayer service at the Washington’s National Cathedral itself, Right Rev. Mariann Budde, the Episcopal Bishop of Washington, urged Trump to “have mercy” on people, including families with LGBTQ+ members and immigrants. Afghans who fled after Taliban takeover immediately appealed to him to exempt them from an order suspending the relocation of refugees to the US, with some even saying their families had risked their lives to support US troops. Similar appeals are being made by Indian immigrants.
Halting of US development aid, till it is reviewed for conformity with the ‘USA First’ principle is being contested both domestically and in several Least Developed Nations. Protests erupted in several cities of the US, against Trump’s inauguration and the agenda he has promised to fulfil. Though small, given the narrow margin of the popular vote victory, these are likely to grow even as diversities of working people impacted by the fall-out of policies come together.
Trump’s hegemonic threats are already being contested by other nations. While some have articulated their indicative positions already, others are for the moment quiet. In response to a threat that his administration will impose a 25 per cent tax on goods from Canada and Mexico that may come as soon as February 1 (a move that could raise prices for American consumers), Canada’s outgoing prime minister said that his country would respond robustly. The sentiment in Canada will likely grow even more ‘nationalist’ with the upcoming elections.
In a point by point rebuttal to the American executive order on migration, trade and other issues, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said, “What we will defend is our sovereignty and our independence.” The issue of naming the Gulf of Mexico as Gulf of America has been mocked by public in Mexico. Sheinbaum herself joked saying that the US should then be called “Mexican America”.
As Trump was sworn into office openly declaring his plans to seize the Panama Canal, Panamanians took to the streets in protest, vowing to resist the US and defend their nation’s sovereignty. The Columbian President, Gustavo Petro, though, he later backed down, had said that his country will not accept deportation flights from the US unless the Trump administration ensures that repatriated Colombian migrants are treated with the “dignity that a human being deserves”.
He reciprocated Trump’s tariffs with 50 per cent tariffs on all US goods entering his country, articulating a sentiment which the people of Latin America are asserting — “our blood carries the resistance of black people made slaves by you. Colombia is the first free territory in America, before Washington, before all of America, and there I take shelter in its African songs”.
The trouble with tariffs and trade wars is that ultimately the cost will be borne most by workers and working class consumers, including in the USA, while profits will pass on to the owners and oligarchs. Oligarchic drift is not new in the US, or, for that matter, elsewhere in our world. While Biden did warn US citizens of a tech- industrial complex and extreme concentration of wealth posing a threat to democracy, he and his democrat predecessors, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama did little to challenge and change it.
Trump has been more forthcoming; there is no attempt to hide oligarchy or check their power. Nakedly asserting its rent-seeking hope, the USA of Trump presidency is doing the world a favour by removing the mask hiding America’s imperialist face. The removal of all pretence will serve a historic role of putting one more nail into the coffin of imperialism.
This, at the time when popular classes, and several nations of the global south — Asia, Africa and Latin America, advance the idea of a ‘second phase of liberation and decolonization’ with just and equal futures for all humankind, and survival of our planet in the framework.
Undoubtedly, the triumph of Trump, will, sooner rather than later, ring hollow.
Sandeep Chachra is Executive Director, and Joseph Mathai is Head of Communications, ActionAid Association. The views expressed here are personal and do not necessarily reflect those of ActionAid Association.
Photographs: 5. Flag of Canada. 6. Flag of LGBTQ movement. 7. Flag of Mexico. 8. Panama Canal.