By Philip Yeung
2026 doesn't bring hope. It brings chaos and terror.
A new evil doctrine was born—the Don-Monroe Doctrine. Under this, nothing is off limits to American imperial ambitions. Not Columbia. Not Cuba. Not Mexico. Not Canada, and certainly, not Greenland. To Donald Trump, they are all ripe for US takeover, by military means if necessary. The Venezuela smash-and-grab went off without a glitch, whetting Trump's appetite for his next foreign conquests.
Trump is open and honest about his dark deeds. Without batting an eyelid, he said, "We need the oil." No more pretence. No more far-fetched excuses. Before he can say "Maduro", Trump has already seized $2 billion of Venezuela's oil, with the future proceeds going into a fund he controls. The presidency is just a tidy weapon to expand his business empire.
This geography-changing and sovereignty-altering adventure beats winning the Nobel Peace Prize by a country mile. In this asymmetrical contest, Trump wields fearsome weapons; the rest of the world wields mere words. He is on his seemingly unstoppable empire-building aggression spree.
Greenland. The very name evokes otherworldly peace. Locked in ice and snow, it was a place forgotten by time and the world and spared the trauma of big power geopolitics—until now.
But taking over Greenland by force is always an option, Trump now admits. Greenland tells us what Trump really thinks of NATO ---a coalition of the wishy-washy. In a rare move, seven Nato leaders have signed a joint statement with Denmark declaring that Danish sovereignty and the wishes of the Greenlanders must be respected.
But joint statements don't stop aggressions. Bombs and bullets do. Will NATO spill blood to defend Greenland?
The sixty-four-dollar question hovering over humanity is: What's next?
Trump is treating Europeans like trash, as they are too fragmented and overthinking to deter an invasion. But if he thinks that China is also a pushover, he is making a huge mistake. The Chinese are done with a hundred-year humiliation. If he provokes China over Taiwan, it might be the beginning of the end of his doctrine.
China must not and will not be bullied in its own backyard. Only paper tigers do that.
As we speak, US fighter jets are swarming towards Europe. No one knows the military purpose of this sudden deployment. But you can bet your McDonald's Big Mac that they are not for boosting Ukraine's defenses against Russia.
They might serve two purposes: a saber-rattling to intimidate the European countries into inaction as America threatens to take over Greenland. Or, they could be targeting Iran or other vulnerable Middle Eastern countries, with Israel on board to open a second front. This will wrong-foot the Europeans, and advance Israel's aggressive agenda.
He won't stop until he runs into a brick wall. But who will halt the Trump juggernaut? Who will tame the tiger? Russia gets a break, as the focus has shifted to wild-west US illegal conduct. China has other things on its mind. The two might join hands to assert themselves in the Pacific, to contain Japan's imperialistic and military resurgence.
One thing is certain. The Taiwan tensions are crying out for resolution. If the US is allowed to dominate in its own sphere of influence, why not China in reclaiming its lawful sovereignty over Taiwan?
Will Trump tip the world into World War III, our final planetary conflict? A big gamble awaits the major players.
Trump may be the world's arsonist, but don't be so sure that this won't turn into an act of self-immolation.
What happens on one side of the Pacific is sure to have repercussions on the other. China has already suffered big on its investments in Venezuela. It won't be hobbled on its home front.
Trump is flirting with a fatal miscalculation if he thinks that the Chinese will be the first to flinch. Should he rumble down that path, he might be biting off more than he can chew.
Chinese food may be finger-licking good. But it could be rich enough to give chubby Trump indigestion.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of DotDotNews.
Read more articles by Philip Yeung:
Opinion | The end of the rules-based global order
Opinion | Who is the paper tiger now: US or China?
Opinion | The high priest of China-bashing sinks to a new low
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