As ancient Chinese sage Han Feizi observed, "In ancient times, people contended through virtue; in medieval times, they contended through wisdom; today, they contend through sheer force." Since his return to the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump has abandoned both virtue and wisdom, resorting directly to force to "remake America and remake the world."

By upending the world's foundational logic, Trump has left the global community disoriented.

Key logics and tactics in U.S. hegemonic discourse

Recently, discussions of the "Donroe Doctrine" – Trump's version of the Monroe Doctrine – have gained traction in both domestic and international discourse. While the Trump administration's actions embody imperialism and hegemony – ranging from hijackings to outright plunder – they are cloaked in rhetoric designed to mislead the public and wage cognitive warfare. Due to widespread pro-American sentiments, many fail to recognize the three key logics that underpin the U.S. hegemonic discourse.

The first logic is discourse camouflage. The logic usually uses three tactics, namely reframing international issues as domestic matters, repackaging military aggression as domestic law enforcement and shifting focus from national to individual levels.

The second logic is narrative manipulation. This logic usually uses the tactics of highlighting "heroic acts" by special forces to obscure the illegality of military action, using tactical brilliance to mask strategic brutality.

The last logic is media misdirection. In this logic, there are three tactics: generating news to obscure a history of aggression, introducing new topics to divert attention from unresolved events and using sanitized visuals to hide bloody processes.

All the tactics behind these logics are driven by deeper motives: using discourse to evade international law and multilateral constraints, reshaping a U.S.-rules-first global order, packaging rhetoric to facilitate global capital expansion and resource exploitation, manipulating narratives to shape geopolitical discourse and advance military deployments in key regions, and leveraging rhetoric to support domestic political agendas.

Trump clings to an old dream: America should be "for Americans." But who are "Americans"? Typically, WASP (White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant) males? Thus, he seeks to rescue America from "globalized America" – opposing immigration, drugs, fentanyl and more. The globalization once championed by the U.S. has yielded to "America First," reverting to a pre-World War II – or even 19th-century – version of America.

But can the world turn back? 

U.S. regression trends

The United States has seen three regression trends. Firstly, it regresses to the Monroe Doctrine as the U.S. National Security Strategy unabashedly promotes Trump's version, implying "America for Americans" and "the Americas for Americans." Secondly, it regresses to hemispheric hegemony by shifting focus from Asia back to the Americas, restructuring supply chains. Thirdly, it regresses to imperialism by dragging a legally elected president from his bed to stand trial in New York – the seat of the United Nations. It's like traveling back to the 19th century!

Behind this lies a broader regression: the shift from globalization to regionalization. To Trump's MAGA movement, neoliberal globalization empowered China, rendering it unfavorable. The post-WWII international order, including the UN system, is deemed unsustainable, prompting America to start anew. Trump's tariff wars echoed 19th-century U.S. President William McKinley, revealing a mindset stuck in the past. But can 19th-century solutions address 21st-century challenges? The answer is clear: like carving a mark on a moving boat, it's futile and counterproductive.

Global trends flow like mighty rivers: those who follow thrive, and those who resist perish. Globalization stems from technological progress and aspirations for better lives – not as a tool for America to wield or recall. Like a child born, it grows by its own laws, beyond parental control. Trump cannot act with impunity; he faces resistance from the establishment, interest groups and peace-loving people worldwide. If trapped in the quagmire of Venezuela and Latin America, the so-called successful tactical victory in Venezuela as a 250th anniversary gift to the U.S. will not showcase "Make America Great Again." On the contrary, it will be a mere flash of fading glory.

So while many opinions focus on America's strength, the reality is quite the opposite – it actually proves America's panic. True power comes from aligning with the world's trends and the will of the people.