Speak Softly and Carry the Trump Card
As in 1989, the world seems to be shifting beneath our feet. The second coming of Trump to the White House has rattled the global order. Whether it’s trade or defense, we observe a rapid realigning of strategic partnerships in all corners of the earth in the face of growing uncertainties.
At the epicenter of these recent tremors is BRICS, a bloc of governments trying to chip away at Pax Americana. Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa are attempting to challenge the international commercial and political structures that America built and led after World War II.
The elites in these countries are not content to collaborate in countering Trump’s tariffs. They are developing a comprehensive strategy involving military power, currency manipulations, and soft influence in many Third World countries. Xi even works to weaken NATO and the EU.
This cannot be ignored by the leader of the free world. Judicial persecution has strengthened Trump’s resolve to use his political capital to achieve the MAGA agenda. This presents America with a unique opportunity to reassert leadership among our allies and domination over our foes.
The BRICS metamorphosis from an economic pact into a political counterweight to the West is concerning. To deal with such a serious, creeping threat, President Trump will need more than his instincts. He’ll need discipline and a vision of America’s global role for the foreseeable future.
China’s communist dictatorship and India’s democracy are bitter political enemies and economic rivals. Russia is run by a brutal mafia and has become a pariah since Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine. Brazil’s swing to the left is ruining its economy, again. South Africa is shaken by racial violence.
It would be easy to brush BRICS off as an alliance that can crumble before its first real fight. There has never been a more disjointed political conglomerate. What exactly binds these leaders together except deep hostility toward the United States’ economic and military might?
We should see BRICS for what it is becoming, despite the lack of cohesion. Being so disparate, they are well-positioned to spread distrust in Western values on multiple fronts and to marginalize the dollar’s role as a global currency, thus eroding America’s primacy.
BRICS is not a joke like North Korea. It’s not merely a nuisance like Iran. The project is a real attempt to push the world in a very different direction. If we ignore the magnitude of this threat, we’ll wake up to a multipolar world where America is not a leader, but just another player.
Why did Bashar Assad ignore Barack Obama’s red line in 2012? Why did Putin laugh at Joe Biden’s threats over Ukraine a decade later? Because both U.S. presidents, unlike Reagan and Trump, could not grasp that strength must be felt, not just stated. And we can do it without a nuclear Armageddon.
Trump already convinced the NATO countries to strengthen their defenses. It’s time to build on that foundation. We need less tweeting and more action. Issue warnings, then get the promised results. Call the BRICS’ bluff in concert with our allies and with enforceable penalties. Mess around and find out!
Why did we not address the BRICS problem earlier? Because of half-measures and a lack of will to maintain America’s preeminence. Diplomatic courtesy could only get Obama and Biden so far. Trump is going the whole nine yards, showing prowess to use the big stick as needed. The removal of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and the mounting pressure against the evil regimes in Cuba and Iran demonstrate to BRICS and the rest of the world the same credible commitment to holding our enemies accountable.
History’s turning points arrive when global ambitions collide, when the resolve of visionaries overcomes the hesitation of the masses. If the BRICS leaders were betting that America had lost the will to defend its strategic interests, Trump’s Venezuela gambit proved them wrong.
The Trump Doctrine goes beyond what President James Monroe crafted two centuries ago. It brings clarity after decades of sailing uncharted international policy waters without a compass. Our friends now know where America stands. Our adversaries found out where the lines are drawn.
Power unused is power surrendered. We may wish for a world where we live by the non-aggression principle, but the one we inhabit is full of bad guys who must be kept in check. The post-1989 years show that ambiguity invites provocation, that only firmness can keep the peace.
Addressing the BRICS challenge requires moral consistency, economic leverage, and military posture. It compels us to prioritize national self-interest with unwavering fidelity to our values. With Maduro in jail, the world is watching to see how America plays the rest of its Trump cards.
About the Authors
Dr. Alexander Tokarev is an associate professor of economics and philosophy at Northwood University. Benjamin Fortin is an instructional designer for the Center for Excellence at Northwood University, where he also serves as an adjunct political science professor. Kristin Tokarev is a Michigan native, Northwood alumna, and producer for Stossel TV.