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Bangkok Post
14 hours ago
- Bangkok Post
Trump is trying to build a far-right international
Until recently, the spectre of an international far-right alliance of populist parties in democracies around the world has been just that: any appearance of cooperation was a form of self-promotion, rather than an expression of true solidarity. Few far-right figures have made any sacrifices for one another or seriously interfered in other countries' internal affairs to prop up allies. And efforts to unite the far right in the European Parliament have fallen dismally short. But that may be changing. US President Donald Trump's threat to impose punitive tariffs on Brazil, with the explicit goal of protecting its far-right former president, Jair Bolsonaro, from a "witch hunt", marks a significant shift in tactics. What's more, Mr Trump's meddling in other democracies in the name of "free speech" serves powerful interests in the United States: tech companies that do not want to be regulated by foreign governments. The international far right is often said to be a contradiction in terms. After all, every far-right leader is a nationalist, which would seem to preclude, by definition, an international alliance. But this view shows little philosophical sophistication or, for that matter, historical awareness. In nineteenth-century Europe, liberals like Giuseppe Mazzini helped one another in their various struggles for freedom and independence from imperial powers. At the time, no one complained that there was a deep contradiction embedded in a liberal international alliance devoted to national self-determination. By the same token, today's far-right populists can claim that they form a united front against "globalists" and supposedly illegitimate "liberal elites". This rhetoric -- and the attendant conspiracy theories, often tinged with anti-Semitism -- has easily crossed borders. Far-right politicians have also copied from one another what scholars have called "worst practices" for undermining democracies. Just think of the proliferation of laws that force civil society organisations to register as "foreign agents", or other thinly veiled repressive tactics. The far right also has a transnational ideological infrastructure. To be sure, there is no populist Comintern issuing binding interpretations of doctrine. But collaboration is real: for instance, Hungarian institutes lavishly endowed by Viktor Orbán's government are now allied with the Heritage Foundation in the US. So far, though, there has been a lack of concrete solidarity among populist leaders. When Mr Trump fraudulently claimed to have won the 2020 US presidential election, his international allies, from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, could have refused to recognise Joe Biden as president. Instead, they congratulated Mr Biden on his victory, choosing pragmatism over ideological affinity. But Mr Trump is changing that in his second term, embracing an ideologically driven approach to confronting other countries that obviously undermines long-standing international norms. In the case of Brazil, he is using the threat of a 50% tariff to pressure the government into ending the federal criminal trial against Mr Bolsonaro for seeking to engineer a coup after losing the 2022 presidential election. Unlike Mr Trump, who was never held accountable for his role in the Jan 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol, Mr Bolsonaro -- often called the "Trump of the Tropics" -- has already been banned from running for office until 2030. In his letter to the Brazilian government announcing the levy, Mr Trump also accused it of "insidious attacks on … the fundamental Free Speech Rights of Americans", including the censorship of "US Social Media platforms". This highlights another dimension of Mr Trump's economic bullying: his administration's crusade against efforts to prohibit hate speech and regulate the digital sphere. In February, Vice President J D Vance berated Europeans for their supposed lack of respect for "free speech". Meanwhile, the State Department has reportedly targeted the prominent Brazilian judge Alexandre de Moraes, who at one point blocked Elon Musk's X in Brazil and is taking the lead in holding Mr Bolsonaro criminally accountable for his conduct. Big Tech is clearly displeased with the extensive regulations that the European Union and Brazil have placed on its industry. As in other areas -- notably its attacks on higher education -- the Trumpists are weaponising free speech to exert power over supposed political adversaries. The hypocrisy is apparent: while advocating for deregulation of platforms ostensibly to protect free speech, the US government is snooping around in foreigners' social-media accounts for speech it dislikes (and then refusing a visa or entry on this basis). Pious talk of defending democracy as a shared Western value sits uneasily with the abject disrespect for other countries' right to determine their own approach to platform regulation. Whereas far-right leaders of smaller countries are limited by realpolitik, Mr Trump can use America's might to advance his punitive-cum-populist agenda at will. After all, a pliant Republican Party will not question his abuse of the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act. True, the courts may ultimately decide that his desire for political revenge hardly constitutes an "emergency", but the damage will have been done. As in other areas where his administration has taken plainly illegal actions, many of those being targeted will seek a deal rather than a fight. Solidarity is costly, but not for Mr Trump. ©2025 Project Syndicate Jan-Werner Mueller, Professor of Politics at Princeton University, is the author, most recently, of 'Democracy Rules' (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2021).
Bangkok Post
16 hours ago
- Bangkok Post
Talks depend on truce in border altercation
Though the US has already reached trade agreements with many countries, Thailand's negotiations with Washington remain complicated in the final phase as President Donald Trump says a Thailand-Cambodia truce is a condition for resuming trade talks. Wikij Tirawannarat, senior vice-president of Bualuang Securities, said the border standoff could have economic consequences given Trump's condition. Trump said he spoke to leaders of Thailand and Cambodia, noting US officials were asked to resume trade negotiations with both countries, which agreed to halt fighting along the border. However, the Royal Thai Army claimed Cambodia violated the hours-old truce, with sporadic clashes continuing despite an agreement to end the deadly fighting in the disputed areas. "Thailand's negotiations with the US on tariff rates for Thai exports face higher risks and complications as Trump insists on a truce as a condition for trade talks," said Mr Wikij. "The situation remains unclear. Regarding stock market investment, such uncertainties could lead to panic selling about a week from now." The global economy remains steady after the US reached an agreement on tariffs with many major economies including the European Union, China and Southeast Asian nations such as Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines. "However, Thailand remains under threat from ongoing floods, losses from the border conflict with Cambodia and an economic slowdown, mainly due to higher US tariffs," he said. Padermpob Songkroh, managing director of Krungsri Securities, said risks associated with the Thailand-Cambodia border dispute remain after both countries agreed to an unconditional ceasefire following peace talks in Malaysia on Sunday. Concerning trade negotiations with the US, downside risks "are unlikely to be huge" after Trump said on Monday most trading partners that did not negotiate separate trade deals would soon face tariffs of 15% to 20%. "Such a scenario is in line with the Bank of Thailand's forecast that Thailand could face a 18% US tariff, with Thai GDP likely to expand by 2.3% this year," said Mr Padermpob. Rakpong Chaisuparakul, senior vice-president of KGI Securities (Thailand), said the border ceasefire should ease stress from the military clash and the potential implications for the Thai economy, notably border trade between the two countries. Based on recent press reports, Trump seems pleased with the ceasefire deal, which could be a good sign for finalising a US-Thailand trade deal by the Aug 1 deadline, he said.
Bangkok Post
a day ago
- Bangkok Post
Opposition to submit urgent motion on trade talks with US
The opposition will this week submit an urgent motion involving trade negotiations with the United States and the border conflict with Cambodia following US President Donald Trump's call for a ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia. Pakornwut Udompipatsakul, a People's Party list-MP and chief opposition whip, said on Tuesday the planned motion concerns Mr Trump's move to link the ongoing trade talks between the US and Thailand to a resolution of the border conflict. The US president allegedly warned that the 36% tariff on certain Thai exports would remain non-negotiable if fighting continued and threatened to halt trade deals with both Thailand and Cambodia unless talks resumed. Mr Pakornwut said that the interconnection between the border issue and trade negotiations would be brought up in this week's House session. While a ceasefire has been agreed upon, he expressed concerns about its fragility and urged the military to prioritise the national interest and public safety. Thailand and Cambodia agreed to an unconditional ceasefire, effective from midnight Sunday, following high-level negotiations held in Malaysia, which is the Asean chair. Bilateral military meetings were scheduled on Tuesday, with a full meeting of the General Border Committee to take place in Phnom Penh on Monday. People's Party list-MP Parit Wacharasindhu on Tuesday urged the government to quickly communicate on two fronts after Cambodia reportedly violated the ceasefire agreement. He wrote on Facebook that the government must inform the international community that Thailand adhered to the ceasefire and only responded in self-defence. It must also clearly communicate to those in risk zones to ensure their safety, he added. Meanwhile, a senator on Tuesday floated an eight-point proposal, including declaring martial law in seven provinces along the Thai-Cambodian border, to give the armed forces full power to protect national sovereignty. The proposal, made by Lt Gen Sukij Thangthong before the Senate session started, included the shutdown of all border checkpoints, cutting utilities until the border situation returns to normal, suspending all energy exports, and severing diplomatic ties until boundary disputes are fully resolved. The Senate observed a minute's silence for those killed in the border clashes before approving an urgent motion proposed by Sen Gen Sawat Thassana to discuss assistance for communities affected by the border clashes. Koon Kantho, 68, collects items from her house destroyed during Cambodia's artillery attacks, in Kantharalak district in Si Sa Ket province on Tuesday. (Photo: Reuters)
