The following link is my article published by Jacobin yesterday:
https://jacobin.com/2025/01/trump-latin-america-china-trade
Trump’s threat to take over the Panama Canal, turning Canada into the 51st state, and buying Greenland may not be as ridiculous as it seems. These proposals (although difficult to achieve) lay the foundation for a “rational” strategy against China (not that much Russia) and pick out real opponents (rather than Canada and Panama), including Cuba and Venezuela, not far from Bolivia Land behind Bolivia.
The main argument of this article is that the “smart” members of the Trump administration, i.e. new officials and other right-wingers (e.g., Marco Rubio) will ultimately determine our foreign policy. But there is another factor, namely, the role Trump plays in his base as a right-wing populist. His threat of sending troops into Panama and Greenland was a bold move. That is the development of his base. Invasion of Cuba and Venezuela, or threatening to do so, is too old to flood his base. In addition, the possibility of obtaining trade, transportation costs, etc. from Panama, Denmark and Canada will also play a role in his political advantage. In this case, he will boast about how he practiced the “art of transaction”, which will provide him with much-needed political capital.
