Donald Trump’s threat to send troops into Mexico is an eerie reminder of the bullying tactics America once got away with. And it shows the kind of world a Trump-Putin alliance might produce.
Vladimir Putin has invaded neighboring states with impunity. I wonder whether that has anything to do with Trump’s aggressive behavior toward Mexico.
Could Trump get away with another invasion of Mexico? Would the world let it happen?
What could the international community do, anyway? Impose sanctions? That hasn’t worked so well with Russia, has it?
I am beginning to wonder what might now be possible – even acceptable – in this increasingly lawless world.
How would China react? Would the Chinese simply grab Taiwan? If not, why not?
That’s the way things were centuries ago, when European powers walked into Africa and claimed chunks of territory, when the British, the French and the Dutch gobbled up other countries at will.
And that’s the way it was back in the days of Standard Oil and the United Fruit Company. Uncle Sam took what he wanted. California, for instance. New Mexico. And Texas.
Is that what Trump means when he promises to make America great again?
A century and a half has passed since the US invaded Mexico. You would think the world has become more enlightened in that time, that such behavior would no longer be tolerated – or even contemplated.
But if Putin can annex the Crimea and invade the Ukraine and Georgia, who knows what the other super powers can do?
And what else does Putin have in mind? Is there a deal brewing that would let him seize the Baltic States and other neighboring countries in exchange for backing a Trump invasion of Mexico?
