Is there a “New Trump World Order”?

Has U.S. Foreign Policy Shifted Toward Open Imperialism?

In early January 2026, the Trump administration carried out a dramatic military operation in Venezuela that shocked the world: U.S. forces bombed targets on Venezuelan soil, seized President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, and brought them to the United States to face federal indictments. WOLA

This unprecedented action, a direct military strike against a sovereign nation’s capital, has revived fierce debate about the nature and direction of American global power, with critics warning that it marks a return to old-school imperialism rather than post-Cold War diplomacy. Axios

Supporters’ View: A Law-and-Order Internationalism

Supporters of the operation argue that the Maduro government’s long record of corruption, human rights abuses and narco-trafficking justified extraordinary measures. Trump officials framed the raid as the enforcement of longstanding U.S. law enforcement warrants against Maduro’s alleged crimes, rather than mere conquest. The American Council

To many in the U.S. and some right-leaning governments, this isn’t empire, it’s accountability for global criminals. They point out that historical U.S. interventions in the hemisphere have sometimes been welcomed by local regimes opposed to authoritarian rule. Vox

Critics’ View: A New Era of Gunboat Diplomacy

But the broader global reaction has been overwhelmingly critical. Leaders from Brazil, Mexico, China, France and others have condemned the use of force without United Nations authorization as a violation of international law and sovereignty, warning it sets a dangerous precedent. TIME

Many analysts describe this episode as a return to the era of “gunboat diplomacy,” where military might dictates political outcomes, a stark contrast to the post-World War II emphasis on multilateralism and norms. ABC News

Some see Trump’s rhetoric, including suggestions that similar actions could be taken against other countries such as Colombia, Cuba, Mexico and even Greenland, as reminiscent of historical imperial behavior and the old Monroe Doctrine’s logic of hemispheric dominance. Straight Arrow News+1

The “Donroe Doctrine” and Great Power Competition

Commentators have even coined terms like the “Donroe Doctrine”, a Trump-era twist on the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine that asserts U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere  to describe this approach. TIME

Some experts argue it isn’t just about Latin America: the dramatic intervention signals a shift back toward great-power politics where control over resources (like Venezuela’s massive oil reserves) and strategic influence matter more than international law. The Guardian

This has prompted worries that similar logic could justify future U.S. military or political acts beyond the hemisphere, potentially reshaping global order along lines defined by the willingness to project force. The Times

What This Means for the World Order

1. Erosion of Established Norms
The U.S. action in Venezuela, unilateral, seemingly without clear legal backing from the United Nations or Congress has raised alarm about the weakening of international norms created after WWII to prevent exactly this sort of unilateral use of force. TIME

2. Polarized Global Reactions
While some U.S. allies and regional governments express hesitation or outright opposition, others see Maduro’s removal as a blow to an oppressive regime. This division highlights how differently countries view sovereignty, intervention, and regional stability. Axios

3. A New Geopolitical Framework?
If recent rhetoric is a guide, future Trump foreign policy may emphasize hard power and strategic dominance, not just sanctions and diplomacy, potentially reshaping U.S. engagement worldwide. TIME

Conclusion: Imperialism Revisited?

So, is there a “New Trump World Order”?
The answer at least for now is contested. If by imperialism you mean the projection of state power to control the political and economic outcomes of other nations, then many observers argue that the U.S. has crossed a new threshold with its Venezuela operation and ensuing threats. atlanticinsider.com

However, supporters insist this is about law enforcement and strategic necessity, not empire  underscoring, a deep divide over how American power is defined and justified in the 21st century. The American Council

Meanwhile, here's the AI Overview on the Above Topic 

America First nationalism, reduced international intervention, focus on bilateral deals, challenged alliances (like NATO), and reconfigured relationships with China and Russia, signaling a move away from traditional globalism towards transactional, relationship-based international dealings. 

Key Themes of This Concept:

• "America First": Prioritizing U.S. national interests over multilateral agreements and global institutions.
• Transactional Diplomacy: Emphasizing personal relationships and deals over established alliances.
• Reduced Interventionism: Pulling back from foreign conflicts and nation-building.
• Challenging Alliances: Questioning commitments to NATO and other long-standing partnerships.
• Trade Wars & Tariffs: Using economic leverage to reshape trade relationships, particularly with China. 

Origin & Usage:

• The term gained traction during and after his first presidency (2017-2021) and re-emerged with discussions around a potential second term.
• Journalists and commentators use it to describe the disruptive impact of Trump's "America First" approach on the existing world order. 

In essence, it's a label for a potential reshaping of global politics away from post-World War II liberal internationalism towards a more nationalistic, transactional, and unpredictable landscape. 

Finally, My Quote of the Day: 

“Far from making us more powerful, the pursuit of American dominance will make us weaker, eventually leaving us with no sphere, and no influence, at all,” Anne Applebaum argues: https://theatln.tc/sZC7K0uQ

Here are the top five news of the Day

Rising Geopolitical Tensions and U.S.–Europe Relations — French President Emmanuel Macron publicly criticized U.S. foreign policy under President Trump, saying the U.S. is distancing itself from traditional allies and undermining multilateral norms, as global strategic friction intensifies. The Guardian

Trump to Attend World Economic Forum in Davos — U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed he will personally attend the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos with key administration officials, focusing on housing and economic initiatives in his address. Reuters

Post-Ceasefire Violence in Gaza — An 11-year-old girl was killed by gunfire in Gaza despite a ceasefire nearly three months after it took effect, underscoring continued insecurity and civilian harm. KPRC

Supreme Court Faces Huge Tariff Refund Case — Importers are preparing for a major legal battle over a potential $150 billion tariff refund fight if the U.S. Supreme Court rules against the legality of broad Trump-era global tariffs. Reuters

ICE Shooting and Broader National Issues — A controversial ICE shooting incident in Minneapolis, broader debates over immigration enforcement, and other political and social policy issues were highlighted in key national briefing summaries. 

Summary of the Book-The End of Everything:

I received the following book as a birthday gift from a Dear Friend here at THD, JW. Thank you  for the gift. The following is summary of the book ( 324 pages). 

Summary of The End of Everything: How Wars Descend into Annihilation

Victor Davis Hanson, a military historian and classicist, examines how wars have sometimes completely destroyed advanced civilizations rather than merely defeating them and he warns that modern societies are not immune to similar catastrophes.

Central Thesis:
Hanson argues that history is filled with dramatic examples of flourishing societies that were not just conquered but annihilated, often because of strategic errors, overconfidence, misjudgments by leaders, and the brutality of their enemies. These societies didn’t fade slowly; they were erased, leaving lasting consequences for regional and global history. Hoover Institution+1

Key Themes:

• Total War vs. Mere Defeat:
  Hanson focuses on wars of obliteration, conflicts in which entire societies were wiped out, not just militarily but culturally and politically. Apple

• Human Nature and War:
  Despite vast technological and social change over centuries, human nature, pride, folly, fear, vengeance remains constant, and can propel societies toward catastrophic outcomes. Apple

• Lessons from History:
  The book is as much a cautionary treatise as a history book: Hanson suggests that modern powers should study past annihilations to avoid repeating them. Hoover Institution

 Major Case Studies Hanson Uses

Hanson selects four emblematic civilizations that were utterly destroyed in war, each illustrating different dynamics of annihilation:

1. Thebes (335 BC) –
   The Greek city-state was decisively crushed by Alexander the Great due to misjudgments, overconfidence, and strategic blunders; its eradication dismantled a major cultural and military center in Greece. Independent Institute

2. Carthage (146 BC) –
   Once a powerful Mediterranean power, Carthage was completely destroyed by Rome after a series of Punic Wars, its population slaughtered, city razed, and territory absorbed, shaping Roman dominance. Independent Institute

3. Constantinople (1453 AD) –
   The Byzantine capital, a bastion of Eastern Roman and Christian civilization for over a millennium, fell to the Ottoman Turks, ending a historical empire and signaling a dramatic geopolitical shift. Independent Institute

4. Tenochtitlan (1521 AD) –
   The Aztec capital was destroyed by a small force of Spanish conquistadors and their native allies. The Aztec Empire collapsed rapidly, illustrating how technology, alliances, and cultural miscalculations contribute to annihilation. Independent Institute

Broader Insights & Contemporary Relevance

• Warning for the Present:
  Hanson frames these historical examples as warnings to modern societies: no civilization is guaranteed survival if it underestimates threats, overestimates its resilience, or ignores lessons from the past. Hoover Institution

• Civilizations Don’t Always Fade and Sometimes They End:
  Unlike accounts that emphasize slow decline, Hanson highlights abrupt and total destruction, stressing that hubris, miscalculation, and fatal strategic errors can cause thriving powers to vanish. wsj.com

 Bottom Line

The End of Everything blends detailed historical narrative with philosophical reflection. Hanson uses vivid case studies of obliterated civilizations to show that war, taken to its most extreme form, doesn’t just defeat enemies, it can erase them entirely. His message is clear: understanding how and why these annihilations happened is essential to preventing similar disasters in our own age. Apple

Meanwhile, 

Did you know the Philippines once shocked the entire world economy? In October 1983, the Philippines became the first and only country in Asia to declare a debt moratorium, basically admitting to the global financial system: “We are bankrupt. We cannot pay.” While neighbors like Thailand, Malaysia, and South Korea were borrowing money to build factories and export industries, the Philippines spent billions on prestige projects like luxury hotels, infrastructure for image-building, and politically driven ventures that produced little economic return.

This triggered a financial collapse that scared off foreign investors, tanked the peso, and pushed the country into one of its worst recessions. The Philippines was blacklisted in international finance and it took almost 30 years to rebuild global credit trust. Many economists believe this crisis is a major reason why the Philippines missed the massive electronics, textile, and industrial boom of the 1980s that made its Asian neighbors wealthy.

Finally, My Reel Of the Day:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/851746984485481

Nursing in the Philippines and Abroad-A Tribute to Macrine

Filipino nurses are the quiet backbone of hospitals and home health systems around the globe, and for many Filipino families, including my own, the story of nursing is also the story of courage, sacrifice, and love. This blog reflects both a global journey and a deeply personal one: the worldwide rise of Filipino nurses, and the life of my late wife, Macrine Nieva Jambalos Katague, who found her vocation in nursing at forty and never stopped serving until her final working day.

​

From the Philippines to the World

For decades, the Philippines has been known as the world’s largest exporter of nurses, sending hundreds of thousands of trained professionals to care for patients in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and beyond. In 2021, out of roughly 620,000 licensed Filipino nurses, an estimated 316,000 were already working abroad about half of the country’s licensed nursing workforce.​

In the United States, Filipino nurses now make up the largest group of foreign-trained nurses: they account for about one in twenty registered nurses nationwide and roughly a third of all foreign-born RNs. Filipino nurses also staff hospitals and clinics in countries like Germany, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and other Gulf states, where aging populations and chronic staff shortages have fueled an aggressive demand for their skills.​

A Legacy Rooted in History

This global presence did not happen by accident; it is the product of history, policy, and economics. During the American colonial period, the United States helped establish Western-style nursing schools in the Philippines, training Filipino nurses in English and in U.S.-modeled hospital systems, which made them particularly attractive to American hospitals later on.​

By the 1960s and 1970s, new U.S. immigration laws and the economic crisis in the Philippines encouraged large-scale migration of nurses seeking better pay and opportunitieses abroad. At one point, estimates suggested that up to 85 percent of the Philippines’ nurses were employed internationally, making nurse migration a central, if painful, pillar of the Philippine economy through remittances.​

Macrine’s Second Career of Care

For my family, the story of Filipino nursing is written not just in statistics or policies; it is written in the life of my late spouse, Macrine Nieva Jambalos Katague. After devoting her early adult years to raising our four children, she made a bold decision at forty: to return to school and pursue nursing as a second career in the United States, at an age when many think of slowing down rather than starting over.​

I still remember those nights when the children were asleep and the house finally grew quiet, and Macrine would spread her textbooks and notes across the dining table. She would check on the kids one last time, then sit under a yellow lamp, reviewing anatomy terms and nursing procedures, determination in her eyes despite the fatigue of a full day as a wife and mother. She would complained to me how she hated her chemistry classes. 

When she finally began hospital work, the transition from student to staff nurse brought both pride and anxiety, but she met it with the same quiet resolve. On some mornings, she left for her shift before dawn, yet whenever she talked about her patients, there was warmth in her voice: she spoke of “my old man in room 314” or “the young woman after surgery” as if they were distant relatives entrusted to her care.

At Home in Home Health

Later, Macrine moved into home health as a visiting nurse, a role that suited her blend of clinical skill and natural empathy. I watched her prepare her bag with meticulous care before heading out: blood pressure cuff, stethoscope, forms, small teaching aids, everything in its place for a day spent driving from one patient’s home to another.

She sometimes came home with stories that revealed the emotional landscape of her work: the elderly patient who insisted on feeding her merienda before the assessment could begin, or the immigrant family relieved to hear medical instructions explained with patience and a familiar cultural sensitivity. In these living rooms and kitchens, she was more than a nurse; she was a reassuring presence, a bridge between medical jargon and everyday life, between fear and understanding. She was the multi-lingual home nurse-English, Spanish and Tagalog. 

There were also the harder days, when she would sit quietly for a few minutes after returning home, the weight of bad news or a declining patient still on her shoulders. Yet even then, she took comfort in knowing that her visits brought dignity and comfort to people facing illness in the most intimate space of all, their own homes.

From Bedside to Quality Assurance

In the last chapter of her professional life, Macrine moved from direct patient care to a leadership role at the desk as head of Quality Assurance for a home health organization in Maryland. Some might think that leaving the bedside means leaving “real nursing,” but she saw it differently: by improving standards, documentation, and protocols, she could indirectly care for every patient under the agency’s umbrella.

I often saw her reviewing charts and policies with the same thoroughness she once applied to her textbooks at the dining table. She would explain how a small change in procedure or a clearer guideline could prevent errors, protect nurses, and ensure that each patient received safe, consistent, and compassionate care. In her mind, Quality Assurance was not about paperwork for its own sake; it was about honoring the trust that patients placed in their nurses and in the health-care system.

A Personal Tribute to a Global Profession

When people speak of “Filipino nurses” as a global force, they are talking about hundreds of thousands of lives like Macrine’s, lives shaped by duty, faith, and a willingness to work quietly in the background so others can heal. Behind every shift in a foreign hospital, every home visit in a new country, and every policy reviewed in an office, there are evenings of study, mornings of fatigue, and moments of quiet pride that rarely make the news.​

For me, the global story of Filipino nurses will always be anchored in the memory of one woman: my wife of more than sixty‑three years, who raised four children, then put on a nurse’s uniform at forty and spent the rest of her working life in service to others. In honoring Filipino nurses around the world, this blog is also a love letter to her and to all those like her, Filipino women and men whose dedication has healed not only patients, but families, communities, and generations across borders.​