David Murrin of Global Forecaster –
The adage that empires pull themselves apart from the inside before they succumb to external rising powers, is born out repeatedly across history. Today it is the American Empire that is well into its decline, with Trump attempting to lead his nation’s comeback to fend off China.
However sadly, systems in decline are rarely able to manifest great leadership, which is ironic as they need them so!. The exception being the Byzantine Emporer Justinian (482-565 AD) who almost achieved his ambition of the “restoration of the Empire” by rebuilding the whole of the lost Western Roman Empire, with great skill, before his ambitions were dashed by an Asian plague that killed almost 25% of his population.
Within the context of the continuance of global stability, as power transitions from West to East, the world needs an American Restoration, even if only for a couple of decades. Thus, I have argued pragmatically, that Trump’s willingness to take on China (when very few would have done) has been a huge positive. Furthermore, he has made some smart moves geopolitically and economically to restrain China’s challenge.