Trump Is A Laughingstock.
Trump Has Lost The Plot.
“Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” The cover of The Economist on April 1 condenses a good part of the current geopolitical moment into a single image: Trump, in the foreground, blurry, twitching, almost swallowed by his own gesticulation; In the background, Xi Jinping, clear and serene.
During the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805, Napoleon applied the maxim of not interrupting the enemy when he makes a mistake, slowing his generals to allow the Russian and Austrian armies to abandon the strategic heights of Pratzen. This opposition tactical error allowed Napoleon to counterattack at the right moment and secure one of his most brilliant victories.
“Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” The cover of The Economist on April 1 condenses a good part of the current geopolitical moment into a single image: Trump, in the foreground, blurry, twitching, almost swallowed by his own gesticulation; In the background, Xi Jinping, clear and serene. This is not an occurrence. The British weekly explains that, in Beijing, the war promoted by Washington against Iran is seen as a serious strategic error by the United States; and that a good part of the Chinese calculation consists precisely in letting that error continue.
The White House wanted to sell the offensive as a show of force: to discipline Iran, intimidate its adversaries and remind the world who is boss. But, a month after the fighting began, the conflict has disrupted energy markets, raised the price of crude oil, expanded regional instability for US allies and opened new political and military costs for Washington. The old empire, instead of exhibiting omnipotence, once again demonstrates that it only knows how to burn, but that it no longer controls.
Even the swordsmen hired by The Economist 's capital realize that, from the Chinese perspective, this war is a distraction that wears down the United States and distances it from the decisive chessboard: East Asia. Furthermore, the crisis generated confirms Xi's theses: shielding the country from external shocks through strategic reserves, energy diversification and state-run, long-term economic planning. At the same time, the closure or threat of the Strait of Hormuz pushes many countries to think about the energy transition, an area in which China dominates key chains such as solar panels, batteries and other components. While Washington improvises to the rhythm of Trump's impulses, Beijing is a methodical, confident and reliable actor.
Washington no longer orders the world, but rather destabilizes it, makes it more expensive and breaks it down. And every time it does so, it confirms before millions of eyes its loss of hegemony.