Talking Shop: Precipitous Tempi

“To hold someone down,

you have to hold the end of

the chain. You are confined

by your own repression.”

―Toni Morrisson

We are in February, a month of 28 days (except for each fourth, ‘leap’ year). This fact is trivial. What’s not are the last 28 days—four fateful weeks that have thrown the world into upheaval. Since the second inauguration of Donald J Trump as United States President on January 20, things have ‘evolved’. I am using a kind word as it is a Monday and no one likes to start a new week with inconsiderate or unsympathetic gobbledygook. Especially so when the world faces what many call Trumpocalypse, a phenomenon that is occurring for the second time. In its first avatar, Trumpocalypse eddied much of the world into bedlam. In its second incarnation, it looks like it will be even more brutal.

Year 2025, Month 2. Donald Trump is back in the White House for a new round of economic warfare, Twitter ‘X’ tirades (or whatever platform he now favours) and governance by turmoil. The man has barely warmed up his seat in the Oval Office and, already, global markets, economies and international relations are reeling from the impact of his executive orders, tariffs and immigration policies.

The world is in freefall, especially as a re-invigorated US President wasted no time in passing tariff orders against Canada, China, Mexico and any other countries he felt were ‘ripping off’ America. Predictably, the affected nations responded. Canada was trite and parsimonious in the imposition of its own retaliatory tariffs, hitting US dairy and steel. China, never one to back down, escalated the war by slapping levies on US electronics, soybeans and automobiles. Mexico, apart from hitting back with tariffs on corn and agricultural products, fast-tracked a $5-billion alternative to the Panama Canal to control sea trade in the region, threatening a massive US economic opportunity.

Markets Respond. Crash

Markets around the world have responded as expected, by crashing. The Dow Jones plunged 12 per cent in a single day, the Japanese Nikkei was at its lowest in a decade, and emerging markets on the brink of collapse. Daniel Hargrove, Chief Economist at the Global Markets Research Institute, sums up the investor anxiety: “The uncertainty Trump brings with his aggressive economic policies has left global investors panic-stricken. We are seeing massive profit-taking and capital flight; no one wants to be the last one holding the bag when the next policy bomb drops.”

If we speak of India, a country that has been battling inflation for a while, it has again been thrust into a fresh quagmire of skyrocketing prices of essential items like edible oil, grains and fuel. “If you thought grocery bills were high before, welcome to a new level of economic suffering,” says Rajiv Mehta, Director at the Indian Institute of Financial Studies.

Trump’s hardline stance on illegal immigration has not helped, taking a turn for the dystopian. Hordes of so-called ‘aliens’ have been being rounded up, handcuffed like criminals, and forcefully deported back on US military aircraft. Social media has exploded with viral images of shackled immigrants. While pro-Trump Americans are rejoicing, human rights organizations are up in arms. “This is an appalling violation of human dignity,” Amnesty International’s Lisa Reynolds says. “The world is watching, and history will not be kind to these policies.”

But Donald Trump, in his veritable ‘America First’ style, remains unfazed. “Americans will feel pain,” he declared at a press conference that was called to justify the economic excesses. The part he left out is that the whole world is feeling the pain. Or, perhaps, that too is part of some larger plan.

Media Cries, Trade Sighs

The American press is in overdrive, with headlines calling Trump “sleepless”, “brainless” and “vindictive”. This line of reportage has made the world as divided as it ever was. The New York Times calls Trump’s economic policies “a reckless, self-destructive tantrum”. Fox News, on the other hand, continues with support for the President, praising his “bold steps to save America”. The European and Asian media outlets are still trying to make sense of the chaos, it seems, with The Guardian calling him ‘a geopolitical wrecking ball’.

Wrecking or not, the world is having a variegated ball, with violence and global unrest being the new normal. The globe was already unstable before Donald Trump’s return, but his policies have pushed tensions to the edge; and in some cases, over it. Ukraine-Russia tensions are at the brink of flaring up again and Moscow is eyeing new territories, knowing that Trump’s isolationist stance means the US will not intervene. The Middle East remains a powder keg, with Iran and Israel locked in a new cycle of hostility. China and Taiwan? Well, the warships are circling, the world holding its breath.

US industry is not chugging along either, running as it is on fumes. America’s industries—especially auto, technology and manufacturing—are breaking down. Tariffs on imported components have jacked up production costs, triggering layoffs and shutdowns. As John Wallace at the American Auto Manufacturers Association says: “The auto sector is in distress. Ford and GM have halted production of models and begun layoffs. If Trump continues this trade war, we could see a full-blown collapse.” Retailers are struggling too, with supply chains disrupted and prices surging. TVs that cost $500 last year are now selling for $900. Gas prices have hit $7 per gallon in some states.

Living Life Make-Believe

Dead-centre of this tumult, world leaders choose to pretend life is ‘business as usual’. The recent AI Summit in Paris was an example of how some are talking about the future while the present crumbles down around them. Amidst the crumbling, the common man is tottering, he and his creed suffering. The rich may be finding ways to shield themselves, but the middle-class and poor are feeling the real pain. Inflation is surging. Prices are impossible. Surviving needs a miracle.

In Europe, energy prices are out of control. Germany is already warning of power rationing. In Africa, food imports have become prohibitively expensive, exacerbating the hunger crises. The US is no different. “I used to be able to afford a decent meal for my family. I am now choosing between food and rent,” says Carlos Jimenez, a factory worker in Texas. In India, inflation numbers are scurrying up despite the Reserve Bank doing all it can to rein prices in. The problem is that global pressure is just way too much. The dollar is running away. Crude oil prices are rocketing. All else is simmering.

The world finds itself facing the unknown, with no one having a clue about the future. The only thing clear is that Donald J Trump’s second term has turned the world upside down in just 28 days. The greatest irony of all is that the very people who voted him to power are suffering. “We wanted America First,” said one disgruntled voter in Ohio on live TV, “but we didn’t expect America Alone.”

Buckle Up, World

Equally ironical is the fact that the border wall remains Trump’s pet project, despite the world falling apart. ‘Wall Construction’ has resumed and the Internet has turned it into a global spectacle. Footage of new sections being erected flood YouTube even as ‘experts’ debate its effectiveness. That doesn’t mean illegal crossings have stopped. Mexican cartels, ever the entrepreneurs, have found innovative ways to smuggle people and contraband into the US. Underground tunnels, drones and catapults are being used to bypass the ‘Great Wall’. The US is said to be considering armed AI patrol robots—they perhaps feel that metal robots chasing screaming refugees will be seen as more ‘humane’.

Reading this column, do spare a thought for those attempting to hide from the spotlight, especially luminaries who don’t want any part of this ruin, but are forced to stay silent for reasons known only to them. Leaders, economists, movie stars, politicians, celebrities… for them, life is tough. They have to be invisible while surrounded by idiots who spam the Internet with rants on economics and global upheaval. That’s what today’s social media posts and WhatsApp chats are—far from the truth and lacking in empathy and sensitivity. Is the world changing? You bet. The past 28 days show us how depraved and callous this most intelligent species of animals called homo sapiens can truly be.

The writer is a veteran journalist and communications specialist. He can be reached on narayanrajeev2006@gmail.com. Views expressed are personal