【By GuanchaNet Columnist Guan Xin】
The relationship between Trump and Musk can be described by a lyric from the Chinese internet hit song "Roller Coaster": "Suddenly ascending then rapidly falling," leaving the audience stunned. This real-life plot unfolding in Washington is more dramatic than any pulp romance drama, providing not only material for gossip but also revealing the truth behind the highest political operations in the U.S., which are often masked by drama and deserve closer attention.
Musk made great efforts for Trump's election
The unprecedented combination of Trump's unprecedented power, political and public appeal + Musk's vast wealth, technological influence, and media platforms has taken center stage on the American political scene. However, due to policy differences, old campaign accounts, some private conversations, and public "loss of face," this once "unbreakable" relationship quickly deteriorated into mutual attacks, showcasing "plastic brotherhood" before the world. Does this resemble how two figures profoundly influencing America and even global political and economic trends should behave?
This is not simply due to their eccentric personalities but sharply points to a core issue: the inner arbitrariness and contingency of American high-level political decision-making far exceed external imagination. In the seemingly solemn halls of decision-making in Washington, the advancement of major agendas, the formation and dissolution of key alliances, can easily be swayed by personal likes and dislikes or fleeting emotions. The power dynamics built on highly personalized and unstable relationships are fragile, raising deep doubts about whether America possesses even basic "strategic composure."
For a long time, there has been a tendency in some domestic analyses to overestimate or mystify America. Some voices habitually imagine it as a "deeply calculating" chess player with every move full of hidden meanings and decades-long strategic planning. Clearly, reality does not match this perception.
This highly street-style public feud between Musk and Trump tells the world most vividly and dramatically: see, the inner hasty, emotional, and self-centered nature of America's highest political interactions may far surpass the cold, rational, and meticulously calculated stereotype. Where are the carefully planned "intrigues"? In the face of personal grudges and immediate political interests, so-called "national strategies" and "long-term considerations" often prove fragile and vulnerable.
Trump and Musk's relationship has broken down
However, as a superpower, America's policy direction deeply influences global peace, stability, and development. If the course of a superpower changes drastically due to whimsical thoughts or verbal disputes, it poses global risks. Today's American actions—such as rashly initiating tariff policies, demanding exorbitant amounts, and arbitrarily changing international commitments, even extorting allies and demanding their integration into the U.S.—are far from what a mature and responsible great power should exhibit.
Of course, America still retains significant strength, and its system has resilience. But this massive uncertainty exposed due to the highly personalized and arbitrary nature of high-level power operations is indeed a real risk that the international community must confront seriously. It reminds us that when observing America and interacting with it, we need to be more pragmatic, more clear-headed, and more vigilant against its internal arbitrariness and contingencies.
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Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7512736811462951474/
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