Richard Kozul-Wright and Kevin Gallagher in Phenomenal World:
The “rules-based order” is more a confessional community of ardent believers in the benign global influence of American economic and political power than an accurate description of global governance. This is not widely understood. The more common story is that—per, to take a recent example, Paul Krugman—after the Second World War, Pax Americana “chose not to rig the system in its favor,” and instead cultivated a new model of hegemonic governance based on decency, benevolence, and restraint.
Donald Trump’s ascendancy to the White House through the murkier worlds of mega real estate deals and reality television means he has never had much time for such values—nor for the internationalist trappings typical of more vaunted members of “the order.” That unique personal history is beginning to hit home.
A flurry of Presidential decrees since January 17 has taken direct aim at key institutions of international cooperation, both domestic and multilateral. More are expected. There is certainly malice in these actions, and perhaps a little madness. But they embody an underlying belief in the restorative power and technological acumen of American business to make the country great again—and a determination to ensure that it is not obstructed by countervailing forces at home or abroad.
More here.
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