Mark Carney Bodies Trump Without Even Saying His Name | Matt Duss | TMR
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖Mark Carney's Davos speech used Vaclav Havel's 'living within a lie' concept to critique the current international order, implying America's hypocrisy.
- ❖Matt Duss argues that the 'rules-based order' was always a Western-centric construct, and its current unraveling is a convenient realization for privileged nations.
- ❖The US is perceived as an empire in economic decline, with its global influence waning, leading to a new 'global mafia' era.
- ❖Events like the Iraq War and the situation in Gaza are cited as key moments in the corrosion and ultimate burial of the 'rules-based order'.
- ❖Domestic political corruption and elite impunity in the US are directly linked to its erratic and self-serving foreign policy.
- ❖Trump's foreign policy is characterized as transactional and driven by short-term financial or political gain, rather than principled ideology.
Insights
1Carney's Davos Speech Signals End of an Era
Mark Carney, former Bank of England Governor, delivered a landmark speech at Davos, quoting Vaclav Havel's 'The Power of the Powerless'. He urged countries and companies to 'take their signs down,' implying a collective pretense about the existing international order. The hosts interpret this as a critique of America's long-played role, where the US broke international rules while others feigned compliance.
Carney's quote of Havel's essay (), 'It is time for companies and countries to take their signs down.' Host's interpretation: 'the critique is... less about the economic systems... But America's role as it's been played' ().
2The 'Rules-Based Order' as a Western-Centric Lie
Matt Duss argues that the 'rules-based order' was never truly universal, but rather a system primarily benefiting the US and Western Europe. He states that the Global South never had their 'sign up' in the first place, always recognizing the order's inherent bias. The West's current realization of this system's flaws is framed as 'convenient timing' now that their own privileges are eroding.
'The majority of the world that has never had their sign up in the first place that has always been clear that the rules-based order does not mean them' (). 'The timing in this is very convenient' ().
3US Economic Decline and the Rise of a 'Global Mafia'
The US is portrayed as an empire on economic decline, with its tech sector overvalued compared to more efficient nations like China. This decline, coupled with the instability of US politics (e.g., potential Trump reelection), makes it risky for other nations to rely on the US. The world is seen as moving into an 'era of global mafia,' where power dictates outcomes and countries like Canada are hedging their bets by forming alliances with other powers.
'The United States is... an empire on the decline economically' (). 'The era we're moving into... is just an era of global mafia' (). 'Canada feels the need to hedge in this way' ().
4Elite Impunity and Democratic Disconnect
A significant disconnect exists between public opinion and political action in the US, particularly regarding military spending and foreign policy decisions like the conflict in Gaza. This is attributed to corruption, lobbying, and the 'elite impunity' where powerful individuals face no consequences for their actions, as exemplified by the lack of accountability for figures like Dick Cheney.
'4% of Democratic voters want to increase military spending and 70% of House Democrats just voted to increase military spending' (). 'Elite impunity... the powerful... pay no price' (), citing Dick Cheney's funeral ().
5Trump's Transactional and Distraction-Driven Foreign Policy
Trump's foreign policy decisions, such as the attempt to buy Greenland or deploying aircraft carriers near Iran, are characterized as transactional and often driven by personal gain, distraction, or manipulation by foreign actors like Netanyahu. The Stormy Daniels anecdote illustrates his tendency to abandon initiatives once a financial cost becomes clear, rather than adhering to principled ideology.
The Stormy Daniels anecdote where Trump dropped an idea 'as soon as he saw he was going to lose a dollar' (). 'Jared Kushner's sort of like roll out of his vision for Gaza... a towering grift' (, ). 'Netanyahu... wanted to wait in part to get more US assets in the region' ().
Bottom Line
The West's sudden acknowledgment of the 'rules-based order' as a lie is conveniently timed, occurring precisely as their own privileged position within that order is threatened.
This suggests that the critique is less about genuine moral awakening and more about adapting to a new geopolitical reality where Western powers are no longer unilaterally dominant. It highlights a self-serving aspect to the current shift in global discourse.
Nations of the Global South can leverage this moment of Western self-reflection to push for a truly equitable and multilateral international system, rather than simply replacing one hegemonic structure with another.
Canada, a close US ally, is actively hedging its bets by signing deals with China, indicating a profound lack of confidence in US stability and leadership.
This signals a significant fracture in traditional Western alliances and suggests that even the closest partners are preparing for a post-American hegemonic world. It's an 'enormous alarm bell' for US foreign policy.
The US must fundamentally rethink its approach to alliances, moving beyond assumptions of loyalty and demonstrating tangible, reliable leadership and economic partnership to prevent further erosion of its influence.
Gaza is framed as the 'burial ground' of the rules-based international order, signifying a point of no return for the system's credibility.
This perspective suggests that the international community's response (or lack thereof) to the conflict in Gaza has irrevocably exposed the hypocrisy and ineffectiveness of the existing global governance structures, particularly for the Global South.
For those seeking a truly just international system, Gaza serves as a stark case study and a rallying point to demand immediate and radical reforms to international law, institutions, and accountability mechanisms.
Key Concepts
Living Within a Lie (Vaclav Havel)
A system sustains itself not through truth, but through everyone's willingness to perform as if it were true. Its fragility emerges when even one person stops performing, revealing the illusion. Carney applied this to the international order, suggesting nations have long participated in rituals they privately knew to be false regarding global rules.
Global Mafia
This model describes a new international order where major powers operate like crime families, carving out spheres of influence and dictating outcomes based on military strength and self-interest, rather than shared rules or democratic principles. The US, in this framework, acts as the 'top boss'.
Lessons
- Challenge the narrative of a universally applied 'rules-based international order' by examining its historical beneficiaries and those it excluded.
- Recognize and prepare for a geopolitical landscape increasingly characterized by 'global mafia' dynamics, where power and self-interest often supersede international norms.
- Demand greater democratic accountability from political leaders, particularly when their foreign policy decisions contradict public opinion or serve elite interests.
Notable Moments
Mark Carney's Davos speech where he quoted Vaclav Havel's 'The Power of the Powerless' to critique the international system's reliance on collective pretense.
This moment is highlighted as a significant public acknowledgment by a prominent Western financial figure that the existing global order is built on a 'lie,' signaling a potential shift in elite discourse about international relations.
The anecdote about Donald Trump dropping his desire to have Stormy Daniels on 'The Apprentice' after seeing a projected financial loss.
This story is used to illustrate Trump's transactional nature, suggesting that his foreign policy decisions are primarily driven by perceived financial or political costs/benefits rather than ideology, explaining why he might back down from seemingly aggressive stances.
Quotes
"When even one person stops performing, when the green grosser removes his sign, the illusion begins to crack. Friends, it is time for companies and countries to take their signs down."
"The era we're moving into and Trump still has three more years to do this is just an era of global mafia. I mean that's really all it is."
Q&A
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