But the details are almost secondary. Americans — including any closeted anti-Trump Republicans in Congress hoping for things to get back to normal once he leaves office — should see it and realize the damage is already done. The U.S. has rapidly transformed from a dependable guarantor of global security into a threat.
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In his second term, Trump has put NATO in jeopardy, promising to pull the U.S. out of the alliance if other members don’t increase defense spending. He has used tariffs (or the potential of tariffs) to influence other countries’ domestic politics. He has publicly fantasized about making Canada the 51st state and often mused about attacking Greenland. That was all before the war with Iran.
The world could only take so much. With the United Nations meeting in New York City for much of September, it’s clear other countries are not waiting around for America ”
“For the past 80 years, the U.S. has been at the center of the international economy and politics, having a hand in nearly everything and profiting greatly from that role. Now, smaller countries are establishing new links to form their own centers of gravity in a multipolar world.
At this year’s General Assembly, U.N. members are convening in part to figure out what the world needs to do about climate change now that it is on track to miss the goals set in Paris a decade ago. There is AI doom in the headlines. Multiple leaders of countries at war will be in New York. No one has time to wait for a better U.S. foreign policy to emerge.
The proposed Canada deal with the E.U. shows how a post-America world is coming together. One of the most important areas where this change is happening is in defense. The risks of losing the U.S. as a partner were once considered existential. But Europe — with China rising, the U.S. falling, and Russia attacking — is in a race to rearm, worried that America can’t or won’t uphold its commitments. That makes the world more dangerous for everyone, but for Canada, it’s ”
“Not long ago, Ottawa considered the arms trade a dirty business. It was reluctant to promote defense exports. But this year, the nation was the star of one of Europe’s largest defense trade fairs in Poland, eager to sell to a continent that’s increasingly eager to buy. New markets could open up soon. Carney is pursuing stronger partnerships with Australia, South Korea (where Trump has threatened to cut back on defense commitments), and Japan, which like South Korea is alarmed by Trump’s weird affection for North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. All of them might want to purchase from Canada. Or might have to. As Trump’s war with Iran leads to alarming shortages in American weapons stockpiles, allies are increasingly unsure of when the U.S. will be able to deliver on existing deals.
In a similar way, Trump’s use of tariffs as an instrument of coercion is rearranging global trade. Since “liberation day” in April 2025, the U.S. has imposed a constantly shifting regime of taxes on imports from countries around the world. Trump launched a full-scale trade war on Canada shortly after returning to office last year. In August, it escalated dramatically when the U.S. imposed 50 percent ”
Excerpt From
“The New World Order Is Here”
Jonah Shepp
New York Magazine (September 21 – October 4, 2026)
This material may be protected by copyright.
Excerpt From
“The New World Order Is Here”
Jonah Shepp
New York Magazine (September 21 – October 4, 2026)
This material may be protected by copyright.
Excerpt From
“The New World Order Is Here”
Jonah Shepp
New York Magazine (September 21 – October 4, 2026)
This material may be protected by copyright.
