Letters | A high school playbook for dealing with a bully like Trump
Readers discuss the US president’s actions since taking office, and his proposal on Gaza
When the US government, under Donald Trump, began deporting undocumented migrants as promised during his campaign, Colombia responded by refusing to allow US military planes carrying these migrants to land, claiming concern for their condition. The Colombian president escalated the situation by engaging in a war of words on social media with Trump.
Trump swiftly vowed to impose tariffs on Colombian exports to the United States. In response, the Colombian president offered to send his presidential plane to repatriate the deportees. In the end, Colombia sent its own air force planes to fetch them.
The United States remains the world’s largest economy, and the US dollar the dominant currency. This supremacy stems from the successful promotion of global trade aimed at rebuilding the world economy after World War II and countering Soviet influence through the promotion of capitalism. The Soviet Union eventually collapsed, leading the world to largely embrace this system, relegating dissenters like North Korea and Iran to pariah status.
Global growth surged, driven not only by innovation and the absence of major conflicts but also by increased efficiency through economies of scale. Many developing countries saw their living standards improve, with China being the most notable example.
Today, those who established the rules of the game seem intent on fundamentally altering them, prioritising “them” over “us”.