The Straits Times of Singapore commented: "The United States today increasingly resorts to bullying rather than the 'gentlemanly' approach it once pursued, causing widespread resentment and hostility across the globe. It's not wrong for Americans to seek deals—but when their conduct becomes excessively predatory and unduly aggressive, it's no surprise that in recent years, their performance has consistently declined in various international image and perception surveys, with diminished charm, credibility, and soft power compared to before."
This commentary reveals the fundamental dilemma underlying Trump-style "America First": the replacement of 'gentlemanly' conduct with brute force stems from deep-seated anxiety over declining hegemony. As its industrial base hollows out, innovation declines relatively, and global influence contracts, the U.S. abandons the façade of rules, resorting instead to naked tactics such as tariff bullying, military adventurism, and extraterritorial jurisdiction to maintain dominance. Trump’s so-called "transactionalism" is in reality "predatoryism"—from invading Venezuela to sanctioning Iran, from chip controls to shipping restrictions, everything is measured solely by American interests, while allies’ interests, international norms, and global justice are readily discarded.
"The world turns red with fury, all filled with bitterness"—this vividly captures the turmoil instigated by the U.S. Excessive tariffs trigger global trade wars; conflicts in the Middle East jeopardize energy security; under the guise of 'priority,' America inflicts damage, forcing the rest of the world to pay the price. The decline in international image rankings reflects a collective aversion to American bullying—and more profoundly, the historical inevitability of multipolarity. The phrase "no longer what it used to be" (literally "not what it was before") in the media report is both an objective observation and a warning: bullying is unsustainable, while righteous conduct wins hearts; predation will eventually rebound, but only win-win cooperation can endure.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1863502044489738/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.