Trump's neo-imperial ambitions: vestiges of expansionism

Global politics sometimes offers us leaders' territorial expansionist ventures reminiscent of past ambitions. Donald Trump, the 47th US President, wished to place territories like Greenland, Canada, the Gaza Strip, and the Panama Canal under United States' control. These objectives are nothing novel, a flashback to the territorial ambitions of earlier leaders that reshaped geopolitics. This article examines the economic and strategic reasons behind Trump's expansionist goals, their likely effects, and the global responses they evoked. It attempts to place Trump's policies within the context of American expansionism, comparing them to earlier doctrines like Manifest Destiny and the Monroe Doctrine that similarly aimed to increase US presence.

HISTORICAL ECHOES OF EXPANSION: TRUMP'S TERRITORIAL AMBITIONS: Trump's proposal to purchase Greenland and reclaim the Panama Canal follows past US precedent, driven by Manifest Destiny and the Monroe Doctrine. John L. O'Sullivan, writer of "Manifest Destiny," claimed it was "our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions." This 19th-century principle justified American expansion throughout North America and the globe, oftentimes disregarding other countries' sovereignty.

Trump's ambitions echo earlier presidents' quests for territorial expansion. Thomas Jefferson's Louisiana Purchase in 1803 doubled the nation's size. Jefferson's action, once doubted and questioned as to its constitutionality, is now seen as visionary, doubling the size of the US and providing strategic and economic benefits. He justified saying, "The acquisition of New Orleans is indispensable for the peace and prosperity of our country," emphasizing expansion for security.

William Seward's purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867, "Seward's Folly," was ridiculed by the public. It proved wise, with immense natural wealth enhancing America's global stature. Seward considered Alaska a "stepping-stone to great enterprises."

These parallels show the ongoing US expansionist policy from the 19th century to today. Like past presidents, Trump's plans aim to extend American influence and secure strategic benefits, albeit in a very different world than Jefferson's or Seward's. Greenland's strategic location suggests past reasons for territorial acquisition and ongoing US ambitions for global hegemony. The ramifications of such ambitions within the contemporary regulated international order are significant. Historian Robert Dallek has said, "Leaders are constrained by the world they inhabit. They can only recreate it to a certain point." Trump's language recalls earlier doctrines, but the feasibility of expansionist agendas has changed in the 21st century, requiring clever diplomacy and international agreement.

Reflecting on past ambitions about Trump's agendas recalls echoes of past policy and the balance between national interest and global stability. The era of Jefferson and Seward is a visionary example for current leaders to emulate in today's geopolitics.

STRATEGIC AND ECONOMIC MOTIVATIONS: Trump's desire for Greenland is driven by its Arctic position, counterbalancing Chinese and Russian ambitions. This echoes US approaches to prioritising control for economic benefit and national security. While it may have seemed ridiculous, the desire to purchase Greenland tracks classic geopolitical ambitions of resource control and military advantage.

Trump's interest in the Panama Canal reflects the US desire to control strategic maritime trade chokepoints. The canal is an essential global trade waterway, and its control would significantly increase US regional power and economic interests, a repeat of earlier Monroe Doctrine aspirations to control the Western Hemisphere. Trump's remark about Canada being the 51st state reflects a desire to eliminate trade barriers and take economic possession of a resource-rich neighbour. This is less about territorial control, but rather economic integration and political domination. James Monroe aimed to prevent European colonisation of the Americas and maintain the western hemisphere as American-controlled. Trump's claim of US ownership of Gaza and its economy is a move to reorganise Middle Eastern geopolitics. Although politically and morally complex, it echoes Cecil Rhodes' belief in the empire's civilizing power through economic growth.

President Donald Trump claimed that the US was owed $500 billion worth of rare earth elements from Ukraine in return for economic aid during the time Kyiv was fighting Moscow. In an interview with Fox News, Trump said the call was needed to ensure America receives something concrete in return for its contributions, referencing Milton Friedman's saying, "There is no such thing as a free lunch." Trump stressed Ukraine's mineral wealth as a strategically important source of material for emerging technologies and proposed that they be utilized as collateral for assistance.

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, finds it essential to gain American assistance amidst current political tensions. Transactional foreign aid is accused of being self-serving, as in German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's description of Trump's foreign policy as "egotistic and self-centered." This aligns with analysts' warnings that an exclusively transactional approach can corrode the core values of cooperation and respect in international politics.

CONSEQUENCES AND INTERNATIONAL RESPONSES: DANGERS OF EXPANSIONIST RHETORIC: Expansionist policies carry dire consequences, typically resulting in diplomatic crises, war, and long-term geostrategic instability. Expansion in the past has meant war and destruction, as seen in Napoleonic France, Imperial Japan, and colonial powers' constant quest for resources. Winston Churchill wisely warned, "The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see." History demonstrates that unchecked expansion has disastrous results. Trump's proposals-buying Greenland, seizing the Panama Canal, making Canada a 51st state, and asserting American control of Gaza-have provoked global outrage. The Prime Minister of Greenland dismissed Trump's interest categorically, stating, "We are not for sale." Canada was irritated at rumors of a union with the US because it would offend allies and harm US credibility. One-time US Secretary of State Dean Acheson once said, "The ability to coexist without friction tests a nation's diplomatic maturity."

Trump's comments on the Gaza Strip have sparked outrage in the Middle East with ongoing sovereignty disputes. His remarks suggest colonialist ideologies, indicating that Theodore Roosevelt believed that "Orderly development of backward countries is an imperative of modern civilisation."

Paternalism today receives vociferous criticism, particularly in foreign-ravaged lands. His comments also have ramifications beyond contemporary diplomatic disputes. Sovereignty and international law are essential, and their perceived violation can lead to economic sanctions, condemnation, and retaliation by powers like China, Russia, and the EU. History informs us such tensions have precedents. Napoleon Bonaparte, who had expansion ambitions, said, "You must not fight too often with one enemy, or you will teach him all your art of war." Fighting too frequently today could unite enemies, enhancing their resolve against American might.

Trump's expansionist policies endanger the international order, with long-term repercussions. In a world reliant on diplomacy and alliances, the push for territorial expansion-whether in rhetoric or policy-has significant ramifications. Sun Tzu stated, "The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting." America must weigh the cost of alienating allies, destabilizing, and reviving imperialist fears to be in a position to lead the world.

Trump's behaviour is reminiscent of earlier leaders like Napoleon, who pushed French borders, and Theodore Roosevelt, who projected US power with the Panama Canal. In today's interdependent world, unilateral actions are more likely to result in diplomatic isolation and conflict than successful power projection.

History has shown that expansionist strategy, however much it may have the potential to gain, is likely to have adverse effects. Concerted international cooperation will be necessary to maintain world order and ensure such follies are not repeated.

Dr. Serajul I. Bhuiyan is a professor and former chair, the department of Journalism and Mass Communications at Savannah State University, Georgia, USA. And a freelance contributing writer for several news outlets in USA, Singapore, Japan and Bangladesh. [email protected]