The world's gone mad, hasn't it? International politics have been turned completely upside down, and yesterday's rules simply don't apply anymore. Nobody feels this shift more painfully than India right now.
Trump's Tariff Tantrum Targets India
When Trump slapped another 25% tariff on Indian purchases of Russian oil—bringing the total to a whopping 50%—India practically exploded with rage. Modi kept his mouth shut publicly, but Indian MPs were having none of it, demanding to know: why isn't the US taxing China who also buys Russian oil? And hang on a minute—why is America itself importing Russian enriched uranium while barring India from doing the same? Talk about having your cake and eating it too.
It's classic double standards, pure and simple. Trump went after the easy targets because, let's be honest, he did not have the guts to take on Putin or Xi. Instead, he decided to score some cheap political points by bullying Modi. So much for that "peace in 24 hours" promise on Ukraine—half a year later, the fighting's still raging, and Trump's shifting the blame by imposing secondary sanctions on countries purchasing Russian oil.
India's been playing both sides beautifully until now—cozying up to Russia, joining China's Shanghai Cooperation Organization (albeit as what looks suspiciously like an American mole), while simultaneously acting as Washington's primary anti-China chess piece in Asia through the Quad alliance. Under this arrangement, India was happily gorging itself on cheap Russian oil, refining it, selling it and pocketing massive wartime profits while America conveniently looked the other way.
The Mafia Boss Gets Desperate
Now that Trump's back in the White House, we're seeing the empire's true colors. America's always been self-serving, of course, but it used to dress up its actions in nice language about democracy and justice. Now the empire's tightening its belt, and the mask is slipping fast.
It's like watching a mafia boss who once had plenty of loyal soldiers sharing in the spoils, paying them to wage wars and live the high life. But now he's getting old, his coffers are empty, and he's actually demanding protection money from his own crew. What kind of backwards racket is that? The foot soldiers are going to have to think for themselves, and I reckon we'll see two distinct reactions.
The Street-Smart Response
Modi's the perfect example of what I'd call the "street-smart" reaction. He used to wine and dine with the American boss, enjoying all the perks that came with it. Now that the boss has turned nasty, Modi's going to have to make some hard choices—and regardless of whether he goes soft or hard, Trump's going to force him to his knees.
We're talking about accepting punitive tariffs and opening India's agriculture and dairy markets to US exports. This is going to be incredibly hard for India to swallow—you could see farmer riots, and Modi's government might not survive it.
Remember when India had America backing it up against China? Back in 2020 at Galwan Valley, India kept poking the Chinese bear, only to get a sharp reminder that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) doesn't mess around. And get this—the PLA fought with clubs! Can you believe it? A nation armed with fifth-generation J-20 stealth fighters chose to fight with ancient cudgels because they wanted to show restraint.
The recent India-Pakistan aerial clash tells you everything about the real military balance in the region—Chinese-made J-10CE jets took down three French Rafales like it was child's play. China's got serious military superiority over India, but they're choosing not to flaunt it.
The Naive Idealist Trap
Then you've got your "naive idealists," perfectly embodied by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. She got where she is by spouting sky-high leftist ideals and had Biden's backing, so she's been bowing to Washington without question. Now she's signed what can only be described as a humiliating US-EU trade deal while Europeans are up in arms about it.
Von der Leyen has completely capitulated—Europe's lost its voice on the world stage. The problem is, European politicians live comfortable lives, unlike India's impoverished masses, so they haven't grasped that idealistic principles don't put food on the table.
Reports however, suggest von der Leyen rushed into this deal because she was terrified Trump might actually withdraw US troops from Europe. But why does the EU even need American protection? To stand against Russia, apparently. Yet Putin's been trying to join the EU—even NATO—since 2000, only to be snubbed by Europeans who looked down on this "rustic ex-spy." Europe literally dug its own grave.
The solution's staring them in the face: simply declare that Ukraine will remain permanently neutral and block its NATO membership. Create a Korean-style buffer zone, and you've got your ceasefire. Once Europe and Russia reach that understanding, they won't need to dance to Washington's tune anymore.
But Trump's insatiable—first demanding EU defense spending reach 3% of GDP, now pushing for 5%. It's all about opening the door for massive US arms sales. The whole thing's a con job: America never intended to protect Europe, Trump just wants more business.
Ironically, Europe should be celebrating if US troops leave. American military presence equals American control and props up dollar hegemony. Without that protection racket, why should European countries keep buying US debt or insisting on dollar-based trade? They could easily switch to euros or other currencies.
The tragedy is that Europe's naive idealist politicians are sleepwalking their nations toward the abyss—and it's going to take a very rude awakening to snap them out of it.
Lo Wing-hung
Bastille Commentary
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