The small but vociferous Spartacist League claims that United States imperialism needs Trumpism. Trump´s politics are therefore rational from the viewpoint of the American finance oligarchy/bourgeoisie. At least "objectively" speaking.
The economy must be turned into an authoritarian "statist" system in order for the US to keep its great power status. To prepare for the next world war, probably against China, the US must re-industrialize at breakneck speed while keeping the working class down. This requires the federal government to play a "Bonapartist" role, even disciplining certain sections of the establishment itself. As for democratic and liberal niceties...goodbye!
Maybe. And then, maybe not. The above may indeed be the strategy of, say, Stephen Miller, who seems to have replaced Steven Bannon as the chief strategist of MAGA. But is it *really* rational even from the POV of "American imperialism"? What´s so rational about weakening the trans-atlantic link, imposing tariffs on anti-Beijing allies such as Taiwan, and busting the stock exchange? Or going all in supporting Israel´s war in Gaza, which isn´t anywhere near the South China Sea (or the Gulf of America)? Note that the Spartacist League writes that the tariffs signals *weakness* to the rest of the world. If the goal is a new world war against mainland China, Trump is preparing for it in a highly original manner!
Note also that Trump made another U-turn since the article was published. He may have paused most of the tariffs due to the rising interest rates on the US federal debt. Note also that his buddy Elon Musk really has a different policy. For instance, Musk wants the US and the EU to form a gigantic free trade zone.
So it´s not overtly clear that the United States needs Trumpism, neither objectively nor otherwise. Maybe the US could do with good ol´fashioned liberal internationalism or Neocon interventionism. But even if US imperialism "really" need Trumpism, implementing it is something else again. Here are two alternative explanations. One: Trump is both objectively and subjectively a maniac deeply incompatible with the US establishment and its interests, which are best served by the status quo. Two: The status quo cannot be maintained, but *no* solution to it exists, Trump´s wildman antics simply being a symptom of a predicament, another such symptom being the literally senile presidency of Joe Biden.
I suppose we have to wait another few U-turns before we know for sure. Brace yourselves!
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