By Philip Yeung
What a weird world we live in. For the first time in the history of the Nobel Peace Prize, this year's winner Machado, a Venezuelan opposition figure, has, out of the blue, offered to gift her prize to Trump. She suddenly wakes up to the ugly truth that her robbing Trump of the coveted prize has triggered his violation of her country.
But the Nobel Committee has flatly rejected her offer, saying the award is neither revocable nor transferable.
Hers is not an act of nobility, but an attempt to ward off being labelled a traitor to Venezuela. Had Trump been awarded the Peace Prize, none of this razzmatazz would have happened. She is desperately trying to pacify the world's shameless self-promoter who is carrying the biggest stick.
Machado is too late. The Pandora box has been cracked wide open. The Trump demons are crawling all over the planet. Cuba faces a Trump ultimatum to do a deal or else. Greenland fears that it will soon be annexed by America, by hook or by crook. And Iran is bracing itself for another blast of deadly US bombs.
On 11th January 2026, Trump appointed himself on his Truth Social as the Acting President of Venezuela.
This is a scary world. No corner or country is safe. And all because Trump does not have the Peace trophy in his cupboard.
Trump tells the world that he obeys no laws, not international law, not the US Constitution, not even the laws of God. He only follows his own morality, that of a prehistoric Darwinian beast.
Trump exposes that the US checks and balances of three coequal branches of government are nothing but a fantasy. Against a determined dictator, they are as fragile as falling leaves. No longer the world's policeman, America has become its ugly, uncontrollable bully.
One thing is certain. Trump will not be stopped unless and until he is outmuscled by a greater force. Compromise is for creeps. Conventional weapons won't do it.
Russia is getting the memo. It has just unleashed a hypersonic missile on Ukraine that is a near-nuclear device, painting the sky a scary blotchy red. Dangerous escalation overshadows all fronts, in Ukraine, Iran, Greenland, and the Western hemisphere.
When asked if he is worried about China doing a copycat move on Taiwan, Trump let loose an intriguing remark. He said matter-of-factly that Taiwan is part of China and it is up to China what it wants to do with its territory. He is sending a clear signal to Taiwan separatists that, despite arms sales, they will sink or swim by themselves. Don't expect a US bailout or blood spill.
The EU has two left feet in its diplomatic dance with Trump who has nothing but contempt for this wimpy entity. Mealy-mouth Britain still babbles on about the security threat posed by Huawei's 6-G, when Trump is robbing the world blind at gunpoint. Both are outfoxed.
Of the three power centers in the world, America, Russia and China, only China offers a sensible partnership. A deal with Russia is a deal with a demon, and a deal with America is a deal with Satan himself.
Stripped off misleading, ugly labels, China acts purely in self-protection over Taiwan and the South China Sea. It is guilty of no aggression. Time to unload "the China threat" nonsense. Labels don't count. Actions do. And by their actions, both Russia and America are born aggressors out to bully their neighbors. China is only guilty of building the Belt and Road, without the slightest interest in annexations.
With Trump dictating play, the civilized global order is in shambles. The language he speaks is naked power. Talks are for wimps. It is his way or the highway. When you put the most powerful weapons in the hands of the world's most dangerous megalomaniac, he will use them.
China is the X-factor in this dangerous new global order. The EU's strategic options are limited. Embrace China, and the world may be safe. Isolate it, and the world is going to the dogs.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of DotDotNews.
Read more articles by Philip Yeung:
Opinion | Vital lessons for China from Venezuela
Opinion | Who is the paper tiger now: US or China?
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