Unveiling the Modern-day "Ugly American" Arrogance
- Author: Bernd Ziesemer
- Estimated Reading Time: 2 Mins
The overbearing attitude exhibited by the United States - Unwarranted American Self-importance Exposed: A Display of Arrogance from the Ugly Side of the U.S.
Once upon a time, in 1958, "The Ugly American" book graced the American public, and in 1963, it was adapted into a film starring Marlon Brando. The two authors, Eugene Burdick and William Lederer, crafted a portrait of a nation swaggering in arrogance, incapable of understanding other cultures or peoples.
Nowadays, Donald Trump, JD Vance, and Marco Rubio find themselves wearing the same ugly, ill-fitting cloak. They strut about, wielding their political and economic power recklessly, without a thought for other countries or their needs. But they miscalculate the precise levers required to achieve their goals.
Bernd Ziesemer is a Capital columnist, an economics journalist who once held the reins as the editor-in-chief of Handelsblatt, from 2002 to 2010. Afterward, he graced the CEO role for the Corporate Publishing division of Hoffmann und Campe until 2014. You'll find his musings in Capital.de regularly, where you can keep up with him on X.
Now, it's true that the USA still dons the title of the world's mightiest economy. Yet, the US share of global GDP has taken a steady downturn since the early 1980s, a trend expected to continue. Back then, the US accounted for 22% of global GDP, while today, it hovers around 14%, placing it on the same economic level as the EU. In essence, economically, the US can no longer claim exceptional status.
The US's modern power lies in just two, yet globally impactful, pillars: the digital sector and the financial industry. In numerous other domains, the US trails behind chief competitors like China, Taiwan, the EU, Japan, and South Korea, in shipbuilding, robotics, semiconductor manufacturing, automotive industry, and beyond. High tariffs alone cannot alter this reality.
Trump, a Puppet of Cooperation
In their economic strongholds, the Americans are just as dependent on the support and goodwill of their fellow nations. Take Nvidia, for instance, the absolute champ in developing chips for artificial intelligence applications. However, they cannot manufacture these wonders without the help of Asian contractors. Similarly, internet giants like Google must abide by the regulations imposed by the EU and Asia, or risk facing dire consequences in an economic war between the major blocs. The same applies doubly to the US financial industry, which derives its power primarily from the dollar. Any pressure on this global reserve currency can seriously erode the US economy.
Much of what Donald Trump is pulling off currently can be chalked up to a grand bluff. In Trump's own words, the president doesn't hold the cards needed to stand toe-to-toe with the heavyweights in the global economy. Although Trump and his team can momentarily tank stock markets, induce widespread panic, and sow chaos, their power is destructive—not constructive. This will serve neither to usher in a new era of economic strength nor to reverse the trend of the US's decline. Instead, Trump should consider changing his slogan to:"Make America weaker again."
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- Donald Trump
- USA
- Marlon Brando
- Marco Rubio
- JD Vance
Footnote:
The term "Ugly American" originated from the 1958 novel by William J. Lederer and Eugene Burdick, which critiques American foreign policy and cultural insensitivity abroad. The term stands for individuals who embody arrogant, ethnocentric, and unproductive approaches to international relations. In a contemporary context, these individuals might include politicians, business leaders, and corporations who prioritize a narrow, America-first agenda, often at the expense of international cooperation and cultural understanding.
I'm not going to be here, scrolling through social-media, ambitiously sharing my thoughts on the current state of entertainment and pop-culture, as I ponder why modern-day "Ugly Americans," such as Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, and JD Vance, find themselves behaving much like the characters portrayed in the 1963 movie adaptation of "The Ugly American."
Even though those individuals boast about the US's dominance in social media, movies-and-tv, and digital entertainment, their lack of understanding and cooperation with other countries can ultimately weaken America's economic standing, just like how the USA's power is also wavering in various industries like shipbuilding, robotics, and automotive manufacturing.
