MAGA: Make America Great Again or Beginning of the End?

The United States is the world's greatest military power, its largest economy, and its most technologically advanced nation. But why exactly did Trump emerge with the slogan "Make America Great Again" and win the election? Isn't America already great?

The US is no longer the problem-free country we once thought. The cycle of political instability, particularly in the last 10 years, is indicative of a serious predicament. The rise of China and the US's inability to keep up with all regional developments point to the need for major structural changes.

With Trump's arrival, the world has become lawless, making it abundantly clear that the world order that has served the interests of the US, for better or worse, for the past 80 years is no longer sustainable.

Political Instability and the Vicious Cycle

Donald Trump was first elected president in 2016 as the Republican presidential nominee. Even his slogan, "Make America Great Again," says it all. Trump questioned the US's long-standing strategies of "maintaining world peace" and using shared values ​​and democracy to determine foreign policy. All of this led Western countries, which had lived under US protection for 80 years, to question the US's role in the global system.

During the Trump administration, domestic institutions such as the judiciary, media, and bureaucracy were frequently targeted. This war against the bureaucracy, which had benefited from the existing system for 80 years, ultimately led to Trump's downfall. The Trump era, which challenged the "establishment" of the United States, undermined institutional security. In 2020, the global pandemic came to the rescue of Americans. Trump, who failed to take the pandemic seriously and managed it poorly, was seen as responsible for major economic and social crises and lost the election in 2020.

In 2020, Democratic candidate Joe Biden won the election with the slogan "America Is Back." Policies advocating for the US to be the protector of "democratic values" and the global order were brought back to the forefront. Biden prioritized traditional US leadership tools such as NATO and multilateral institutions; he adopted a more collaborative and conciliatory approach on issues such as climate change, trade, and building alliances against China. This policy was particularly well-received by traditional partners in Europe and Asia.

However, the US's calm demeanor in the face of rapidly changing global power dynamics was also seen as a weakness by some circles. The inability to resolve post-pandemic crises, the immigration crisis, and rising crime rates put Biden in the crosshairs. The Russia-Ukraine war that began in 2022 and the Hamas-Israel tensions that started in 2023 reinforced the perception that the US was incapable of solving global problems. Immigration and the money spent on continuous wars were seen as responsible for domestic economic problems. In 2024, Americans once again elected Trump with a clear margin.

Having secured a majority in both Congress and the Senate, Trump has attained a level of power unseen for a long time. During his first term, Trump was plagued by intense bureaucratic pressure and impeachment proceedings, and was effectively ousted from the White House. His re-election came as a shock to allies who interpreted the situation as Americans clearly embracing the established order once again.

The day after taking office, Trump signed an executive order withdrawing the US from the World Health Organization. He clearly demonstrated that he viewed the pandemic and all the crises as traps set for him and that he would hold those responsible accountable. The US entered a new era where not only China and Russia, but also Europe, were considered enemies. Relations with European states and NATO, as is now clearly evident, have forced all nations to seek new alliances. In short, the established global balance of power, to which we were born and accustomed, has been fundamentally shaken.

While Trump is adopting a new approach to foreign policy that prioritizes US interests, he is also openly violating international law. The rules that the US itself established 80 years ago to maintain "world order" and dominate other countries are now being broken by the US itself. Trump's lawless policies have plunged not only the international community but also the US domestically into crisis.

The major political crisis that the US has entered is polarizing not only the world but also US domestic public opinion. The US is now a troubled country, and finding a solution is becoming increasingly difficult.

Global Loss of Influence and Dependency of Exports

In the early 1950s, the US alone produced 40% of global GDP. Manufacturing accounted for 25% of the economy, and over 30% of the population worked in factories. The US was not only a financial center but also the world's manufacturing hub.

The economic and military dominance established by the United States enabled it to secure the dollar as a reserve currency. This status gives the US a significant advantage in controlling world trade, while also providing it with considerable leverage against those who seek to disrupt the system.

However, although the US is still the world's largest economic and military power, these figures have declined considerably. The US now produces only about 15% of the world's gross domestic product, while manufacturing's share of the economy has fallen to around 10%. The US economy is now 80% based on service industry, while its manufacturing sector has become excessively dependent on imports, with a trade deficit approaching $1 trillion.

As China emerged as a new power controlling more than 30% of global manufacturing, the US became increasingly dependent on China for manufacturing. With Trump's re-election, the trade wars launched against China largely failed, and the US realized it did not have a significant advantage over China.

The fact that 90% of manufacturing is dependent on foreign sources creates a major vulnerability to crises and wars. If a major war or crisis breaks out and merchant ships cannot reach the US, the economy suffers severe damage. Economic dependence on foreign sources is now emerging as a national security issue.

The US is no longer a state that can dictate terms to everyone through economic sanctions. Most recently, sanctions against Russia failed to stop the war, and have been completely ineffective against China. The dollar's status as a reserve currency is now supported by military power, not economic power. With its trade deficit widening and debt rising daily, US military spending stands out in a negative way more than ever. The US is now grappling with the paradox of whether military spending sustains the economy or whether the economy fuels military power.

The Trump administration is prioritizing military power more than ever, essentially saying, "Don't even think about attacking us," because the US doesn't have the strength to go to war. The economy is extremely sensitive to external developments; the moment trade routes are cut off, the economy goes into crisis.

The U.S. is currently focused on rattling sabers to clear the field before turning its attention inward to address its internal problems.

Technological Stagnation and Loss of Superiority

The source of the United States’s economic and military superiority is actually its technological superiority. The US's technological dominance began in 1957 when a physicist in Palo Alto, California (now Silicon Valley), revolutionized computer technology with electronic circuits etched into silicon.

With the miniaturization of these circuits called transistors on silicon each year, computer technology entered a period of great leap forward. The Soviet Union, unable to compete with the US in technology, began to disintegrate. Companies like Fairchild Semiconductor and Texas Instruments, the first Silicon Valley companies, produced chips used in the US military's precision-guided missiles, radar technologies, and fighter jets. The US military became unrivaled thanks to technologies that no one else possessed.

Engineers who left Texas Instruments and Fairchild went on to found companies like Intel and BMI, which are now major players in the semiconductor and personal computer industries. The semiconductor industry, or chip manufacturing, spearheaded the personal computer, internet, and smartphone revolution. US companies pulled ahead in technology, and the US became a dominant superpower exporting computers and technology to the entire world.

In a world where the internet and communication are rapidly spreading and becoming increasingly globalized, US companies have begun relocating their factories to Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore to reduce production costs and further increase profits. With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the US remained the world's sole superpower. However, US companies have gone overdosed with globalization, moving all their production to China, a newly politically stable and cheap manufacturing hub.

China offered huge incentives to US companies. Free land, very low taxes, and very cheap labor. While US companies rapidly moved their factories to China, Chinese companies did not hesitate to make cheap copies of US products. Starting with copying, Chinese companies have grown to the point where they produce their own original products today.

American companies didn't care about Chinese companies because they adopted the "always run faster" strategy, believing that if they kept pace with technological advancement, Chinese companies would always fall behind. The US always had to develop rapidly in technology. However, today's advancements in chip technology are thwarted by the laws of physics. While the transistor size used in the first chip produced by Intel in 1971 was 1000 nanometers, today chips with 2-nanometer transistors are being produced. Transistors have shrunk 500 times in the last 55 years. It's no longer possible for them to continue shrinking at this rate. This indicates that we are nearing the end of chip technology development. And as we approach the end, China is starting to close the gap.

To maintain its technological superiority over China, the US is no longer focusing on technological development but rather pursuing a strategy of hindering its rival. It is attempting to halt China's technological advancement by banning the sale of certain critical equipment and patents. However, this will likely only work up to a certain point.

If the US loses its technological superiority, it will also lose its economic and military superiority; therefore, we can no longer speak of a force supporting the dollar.

Political Division and Extremism

American society is sharply divided down in the middle. Reasonable people who advocate for a moderate viewpoint are becoming increasingly rare.

On one side there are the liberal, educated Democrats, who are more respectful of global values ​​and opposed to the aggressive and isolating policies of the US. However, their overly tolerant policies towards immigrants and their support for deviant ideologies like LGBT, which undermine the concept of family, are dragging American society into another crisis.

On the other hand, there are the more extremist types, the Republicans, who are anti-immigrant, disrespectful of values ​​like Europe and NATO, and advocate for a system where might makes right. However, Republican policies ignore the contribution of immigrants to technological development thanks to the brain drain the US receives. They ignore the contribution of agricultural workers from Latin American countries like Mexico to the US economy. And the spread of propaganda like white supremacy is driving American society into division and chaos.

Technology billionaires like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel, who supported Trump's campaign, are promoting white supremacy. Elon Musk openly displays racism by saying that the rapidly growing Black population in the world and in the US will be a problem in the future. Musk's extremist stance and closeness to Trump have completely drawn Black Americans to one side: the Democrats. In America, whites and blacks are shifting towards two separate political poles.

Peter Thiel is a very strange character. He holds views that democracy is an obstacle to technological progress. He argues that we should adopt a new autocratic system that prioritizes technological advancement. In short, he is both racist and pro-dictator, and he's German.

Considering that Trump is also of German descent, it's an interesting combination. Just saying.

Thiel discovered JD Vance, Trump's vice presidential running mate. Vance was influenced by Thiel's speeches. Thiel was the first investor in the investment company Vance founded. When Vance became a senator from Ohio, Thiel made the largest donation to Vance's "Protect Our Values" campaign. Thiel was also the one who told Trump to include him on his team.

The US is being run by a madman, supported by Elon Musk, who advocates for the dismantling of bureaucracy and white supremacy, and a German who supports dictatorship. Opponents of Trump in the US see the November 2026 midterm elections as America's last chance.

In the US administration, where extremist figures like Musk, Thiel, Vance, and Trump hold influential views, federal immigration police and ICE agents have been deployed to cities to combat immigration. These agents are questioning everyone on the street about their American citizenship, manhandling and physically assaulting those who resist. Most recently, Trump administration officials defended an ICE agent who killed an innocent woman in Minnesota, yet anti-ICE protests continue in Minnesota. Vice President Vance defended ICE, stating they would "go door-to-door if necessary."

The US is heading towards a dystopia where immigration police go door-to-door conducting "witch hunts."

Aggressive Foreign Policy and Increasing Isolation

With Trump's second term, the US adopted an aggressive foreign policy. This is the "rattling sabers" strategy I mentioned above. But we'll see how effective it will be.

The US imposed an embargo on Venezuela in violation of international law. They seized ships, violating their freedom of navigation, and confiscated oil, literally stealing it. And finally, without declaring war on Venezuela, they abducted Venezuelan President Maduro, portraying him as a terrorist leader in a military operation. While the international community criticized these actions for being illegal, Trump declared, "International law cannot stop me," announcing that he would not be deterred.

Other South American countries, Colombia and Cuba, were also given the message that they’re next. The Colombian president shared messages indicating that he would not surrender.

Trump, not content with just South America, has now set his sights on Greenland. Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and Denmark is a member of the EU and NATO. Despite statements from EU countries suggesting it would spell the end of NATO, the Trump administration is not backing down.

As of the previous day, countries such as the UK, France, and Germany decided to deploy troops to Greenland. The Trump administration, meanwhile, continued to escalate tensions by stating that it would impose additional tariffs on countries defending Greenland against it.

I don't know how great the Trump administration thinks the US is, but Europe won't fall because of economic sanctions. Both Europe and the US would suffer from an economic war. Ultimately, the tough foreign policy the US is pursuing is increasingly isolating the country and damaging its relationships with traditional allies. Intervention in Venezuela, claims regarding Greenland, and tensions with Canada are calling into question the US's global and regional role and are dragging it towards crises of unimaginable size.

It's Not The 1950's, America Isn't That Great

The US is aware that the old world order is long gone. If it weren't, it wouldn't be breaking its own rules and becoming more aggressive. As its share of the global economy shrinks, its domestic economic problems are growing. Politicians promise Americans a return to the past, but such a return is only possible with the establishment of a dominant order similar to that of the 1950s. However, the world is not a world that has just came out from World War II; there are many powerful and productive states.

The US is now a country with $37 trillion in debt and cannot easily start a major war. To start a war, it needs loans, but to borrow more, it needs to provide collateral to banks. That's why it tried to seize Venezuela's oil, but however much everyone praises it, the Venezuela operation shows how helpless the US is. It's nothing more than the Venezuelan vice president, working with the CIA, selling out Maduro.

The aggressive stance of the US, especially towards its allies, is pushing them to seek different alliances. Europeans tend to establish closer ties with China.

The US is on the verge of becoming a prisoner of extremist ideas. The ideas and influence of men like Musk and Thiel are dragging the US into major controversies and turmoil. Even if Trump loses the November election, he will likely challenge it. If he loses the Senate, the Senate will want to impeach him. All of this indicates that the US will enter a climate of great internal turmoil and instability.

Trump's plan to make America great again is running into the realities of the world. A weary America doesn't have the military power to rule the world; it's simply deluded into thinking so.