I sussed decades ago that the post-WWII US was getting all the benefits of colonialism without iccupying and running colonies. More professionally discussed here: paulkrugman.substack.com/p/decline-an... I think the problem’s much overstated by Krugman. The American empire is…
…an overwhelmingly US-centered group of businesses and companies controlling nations — as per the post-WWII program. Nothing Donny’s doing changes that to any significant degree — not even his tariffs. Business as normal, now with blatant vulgarity.
To be clear, none of that’s a defense of neoliberalism (unrestrained global capitalism) or of Trump.