Donald Trump is naast succesvol con artist en Republikeins kandidaat voor de Amerikaanse presidentsverkiezingen ook nog een globaal risico. Dat schrijft alvast The Economist in haar Global Risk overzicht. Daarbij staat Trump op een gedeelde 5de plaats, wat een mogelijk presidentschap van ‘The Don’ even gevaarlijk als jihadi terrorisme.
Thus far Mr Trump has given very few details of his policies — and these tend to be prone to constant revision — but a few themes have become apparent. First, he has been exceptionally hostile towards free trade, including notably NAFTA, and has repeatedly labelled China as a “currency manipulator”.
He has also taken an exceptionally punitive stance on the Middle East and jiadhi terrorism, including, among other things, advocating the killing of families of terrorists and launching a land incursion into Syria to wipe out IS (and acquire its oil).
In the event of a Trump victory, his hostile attitude to free trade, and alienation of Mexico and China in particular, could escalate rapidly into a trade war — and at the least scupper the Trans-Pacific Partnership between the US and 11 other American and Asian states signed in February 2016.
His militaristic tendencies towards the Middle East (and ban on all Muslim travel to the US) would be a potent recruitment tool for jihadi groups, increasing their threat both within the region and beyond, while his vocal scepticism towards NATO would weaken efforts to contain Russia’s expansionist tendencies. (Bronvermelding)