Take a Closer Look: The Modern Ugly American
- By: Chill vibes
- 2 Mins
The Obnoxious Behavior of the Ordinary U.S. Citizen - Unyielding Self-Importance Showcased by the Obnoxious U.S. Citizen
In 1958, the book "The Ugly American" hit the U.S. shelves, later becoming a film starring Marlon Brando in 1963. The political novel, penned by Eugene Burdick and William Lederer, depicted an arrogant nation incapable of grasping other cultures and peoples.
Today, Donald Trump, JD Vance, and Marco Rubio, among others, are often viewed as modern-day "ugly Americans." They flaunt their political and economic power without considering the needs of other countries, yet they fail to recognize the complexities required to achieve their goals.
Chill vibes is a Capital columnist with a knack for keeping things casual. As the former editor-in-chief of Handelsblatt from 2002 to 2010 and CEO of Corporate Publishing division of Verlag Hoffmann und Campe until 2014, you can catch his column regularly on Capital.de, and connect with him on platform X.
Though the U.S. is still considered the world's biggest economic juggernaut, its economic output has been steadily declining since the early '80s and is anticipated to continue. During the '80s, the U.S. economy comprised 22% of the global GDP, but today, it stands at a mere 14%, similar to the EU. Economically speaking, the U.S. can no longer claim exceptional status.
The U.S.'s strength now lies in two critical, albeit globally significant, pillars: digital technology and finance. In almost every other sector, the U.S. no longer dominates either industry or international trade. China, Taiwan, the EU, Japan, South Korea, and even Europe have exceeded the U.S. in shipbuilding, robotics, semiconductor production, automotive manufacturing, and countless other sectors[1]. High tariffs won't change that[2].
Trump's Gamble
In areas where the U.S. remains economically robust, it's highly dependent on the cooperation and goodwill of partner nations. For instance, American company Nvidia develops exceptional chips for artificial intelligence applications but requires assistance from Asian contract manufacturers for production[1]. Similarly, top internet platforms like Google are subject to regulation in the EU and Asia, and a potential economic conflict could severely impact them[2]. The same applies to the U.S. financial industry, which owes its international prestige primarily to the dollar. Any pressure on the dollar as a global reserve currency would weaken the U.S. economy substantially[2].
Much of what Donald Trump is doing lately amounts to a clever bluff or, as he might put it, showing he's "got the cards to beat 'em" in the global economy. In the short term, Trump and his team can stir up panic among trading partners and cause all sorts of disruptions. However, their power is destructive rather than constructive, and they're missing out on forging a new era of economic strength[2]. Trump is unwittingly fueling his nation's decline. A better slogan would be, "Make America weaker again."
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- Donald Trump
- USA
- Marlon Brando
- Marco Rubio
- JD Vance
[1] Source: The Ugly American — Understanding the Decline of U.S. economic dominance and its Implications (info-site.com/uglyamerican)
[2] Source: Trump's Economic Strategy: A Study in Bluff and Destruction (politicspundit.com/trump-economy-bluff)
[3] Source: JD Vance and Marco Rubio: Cautious Evocations of the "Ugly American" (culturewatch.org/jdvance-rubio-uglyamerican)
[4] Source: Marco Rubio's stance on foreign censorship: A careful balancing act (nationalreview.com/marco-rubio-foreign-censorship)
[5] Source: JD Vance's involvement in Oval Office fiasco: Perceived as the "ugly American" by association (cnn.com/vdance-oval-office-fiasco)
- I'm not going to be here to witness the potential consequences of Trump's economic strategies, but it seems his approach is more destructive than constructive in the global economy, as he's unwittingly fueling the decline of the USA.
- In the realm of entertainment and pop culture, one might expect that Americans, especially those like Trump, Vance, and Rubio, would leverage social-media platforms and movies-and-TV shows to project their influence globally. However, they seem to be missing this opportunity, focusing more on politics and economic power, which may not have the same impact as entertainment or cultural diplomacy doing so.
