China, Iran and Russia are worried as Trump just sent a VERY strong message - Kwasi Kwarteng
Kwasi Kwarteng was the former Chancellor of the Exchequer for the Conservative Party
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The image of the week was undoubtedly from the world of UFC ultimate fighting championships. President-elect Donald Trump attended the championship bout, flanked by his new liegemen, Elon Musk and RFK Jr. Both men have been Trump opponents in the past but have lately come to heel.
At the fight, which took place at the renowned Madison Square Garden, the winner Jon “bones” Jones presented Trump with the championship belt, an act of deference that the president-elect clearly relished.
Trump must have felt like a Roman emperor at that moment: basking in adulation and applause as the crowd cheered, the winning gladiator paying homage.
Yet beyond the photo ops and theatrics, Trump was sending out a clear message: “Here, I am the boss. Don’t mess with me, don’t mess with America."
The assorted cabinet members, who had no doubt been “encouraged” to attend, knew emphatically who was in charge.
The message of this incident is precisely the one Trump intends to convey to the world: “Peace through strength." But the strength comes first.
Like a lot of what Trump does, the concept of “peace through strength“ is not new. Yes, Trump packages these ideas and then sells them in his own unique style.
The Muhammad Ali-style braggadocio comes straight out of the 60s and 70s entertainment world, while his bombast and exaggeration owe their origin more to New York in the 80s. His short, elliptical sentences, which often lack verbs, were derived from his years on the apprentice in the 2000s and 2010s, where everything had to be kept straightforward and simple to appeal to the dimmest viewers: “You’re fired!”
“Peace through strength” is from President Teddy Roosevelt in the 1900s. “Speak softly and carry a big stick “, he used to say. Donald omits the “speak softly” bit, but he’s eager to show American might. As he said on the campaign trail, as far back as 2015.
What does this mean for the world? It means more stability. It also means more caution from America’s would-be challengers. China, Russia and Iran are all feeling a little less secure and a little more wary of what pressure the new President might put on them.
China is worried about more tariffs and a trade war. President Xi has been good enough to voice his concerns. The tariffs, Xi said last week, risk “going back in history”. The reticent Chinese President must be afraid, as he rarely comments publicly on the policies of foreign leaders, still less before they have taken office.
Russia awaits with some dismay as to what Trump meant when he said he would end the war in Ukraine in “24 hours”.
Zelensky, the Ukrainian leader himself, has asserted that Trump would likely end the war “sooner” with him in the Oval Office, though nobody knows the shape of the deal hatching in Trump’s head.
In Iran, the mullahs await anxiously, not knowing what the return of the Donald portends for them. There are well-founded accusations that they tried to have Trump killed. What retribution, if any, will he dish out to them?
In Gaza, Trump will take a pro-Israel stance. He has, however, been critical of Israel more recently and Bibi Netanyahu will also be nervously anticipating how Trump acts in this controversial and appallingly violent conflict.
“Peace through strength” is a powerful slogan, but it doesn’t tell us what the “strength” will do.
It will keep everyone on their toes, Trump believes. Everyone, he expects with good reason, will be on their best behaviour afraid to second-guess Trump’s reactions.
As Trump said on the campaign trail in 2015, the US military will be so strong and powerful that “nobody will mess with us”. That in a nutshell - in the crude vernacular - is what “peace with strength” is all about. It's menacing, but vague enough to leave Trump with the widest room for action.
