US foreign policy increasingly looks like that of a mafia state, wielded at the behest of, and for the benefit of, one man’s personal interests, and for sale to the highest bidders. His family’s financial dealings with countries ranging from China to Saudi Arabia raise suspicion about whose interests Trump is pursuing. If allies want the United States to uphold treaties, maybe Trump will demand cash payments – not to the United States, but to Trump himself. At their next summit, the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, could offer to use North Korea’s cyber-hacking capabilities to help Trump’s campaign in exchange for sanctions relief. The United States under Trump could be treated like a powerful autocracy – a country that must be dealt with, but not trusted, and always hedged against.

Source: The Guardian October 02, 2019 10:00 UTC