India will be confident and comfortable with America under Trump

With Donald Trump as President of America, it is important to understand the emerging new geopolitical order of the world. New ideas to make America an imperial power in the world seem to be surfacing in the Trump camp. Most of these ideas are originating from “intellectuals who are techno-optimists,” according to Shyam Saran, former Foreign Secretary. Which is why Trump has embraced many leading lights of the Silicon Valley, at the head of them all is Mr. Elon Musk, who are influencing Trump’s policies. According to these “techno-optimists” the life-line to human advancement is technological advancement, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) at the acme.

For this new technological warriors, Democracy is a road block for technological advancement and as a corollary to human advancement. The checks and balances now inbuilt into the democratic political system under a Constitution will inevitably be disrupted under the rule of these                                                             techno-warriors.

Under this kind of a situation, we will be in a dystopian society or will come under a new world order. This advanced technology, including AI, will be in the hands of these technology barons (one of Donald Trump’s son’s name is Barron!) who, in connivance with the politicians, will manipulate the masses for political support.

In the past, we have seen the rich and the industrial giants influencing the government with their own lobbies. During Nehru’s days we had heard of Birla lobby, Tata lobby and the like. Later Ambanis became the most powerful influencers of the government, any government.

Writing in Business Standard of 19, February 2025, Shyam Saran states that according to a former Silicon Valley entrepreneur Mr. Curtis Yarvin, the governments have become dysfunctional and democratic governments even more so. As a result they are incapable of delivering good governance to facilitate growth and prosperity. Therefore, Mr. Yarvin suggests that the government be run like a successful Corporation headed by a powerful Chief Executive Officer (CEO). I guess now Donald Trump is the CEO of America, the world’s most successful Corporation!

Only an autocratic leader, no matter what kind of government it is, can produce result. Mr. Yarvin gives the example of the Apple iPhone where the CEO was a strong man and an autocrat and the result is there for the world to see. Probably, Trump and Musk must have derived inspiration from CEOs of such giant Corporations of America and elsewhere in the world. Now Trump and Musk are working to apply this formula in running their country and the world too!

Together they may be revamping the present status quo American administration that is sunk into the rut carrying the painful and burdensome baggage like the USAID and Deep State. It is not surprising Trump did not waste a day in giving pause to these two departments of evil under the newly created DOGE — Department of Government Efficiency headed by Elon Musk.

According to Shyam Saran, Trump 2.0 is going to be very different from Trump 1.0.  The (democratic) system of checks and balances is being subverted and it is now an ‘imperial presidency.’

Whatever it be, as for India and its internal security, the abandoning of USAID (which spent millions of dollars to disrupt 2014 and subsequent Parliamentary election to defeat Modi) and the Deep State (that supported the Shaheen Bagh  year-long protest of farmers and other violent protests) is a blessing from Trump to his friend Modi. No doubt the recent visit of Modi to meet Trump so early after his victory augurs well for our country on issues like trade, tariff, purchase of weapons, immigration, terrorism and such bilateral matters.

However, the ability of America under Trump to inflict harm to ‘friend and foe alike,’ as Shyam Saran opines, is to be taken seriously by India. But to link that apprehension of harm to the way the Indian illegal immigrants were treated (when they were deported) is not proper and right.

What should concern India is Trump’s reported apathy towards Quad, intended as a bulwark against China’s hegemony and threat it poses to the region. This despite America being a member of Quad along with Australia, India and Japan. This will harm India geopolitically, no doubt.

However, there is hope. Knowing Trump’s soft corner for India and his friendship with Modi, he will not tolerate China’s military confrontation with India. Trump will surely tame China and ensure security of Asia-Pacific region.

In like manner, European countries too are deeply concerned about America’s affinity and new-found love for Russia and China. According to Shyam Saran, Trump believes “he can do a deal with both.” Like our Sam Pitroda of Congress saying that China is not India’s enemy etc., Trump’s Vice-President JD Vance had said that neither Russia nor China was a threat to Europe. No wonder, Europe will not be there in the forthcoming negotiation between Trump and Putin about Ukraine War.

Very aptly Shyam Saran calls this negotiation as the later day Yalta. It is about the Yalta Conference held in 1945 February over the World War II. There, only the heads of three governments, namely America, England and Russia, met to discuss the post-war reorganisation of Germany and Europe. Now, after Donald Trump’s Victory II, England is kept out of this “later day Yalta.” Trump thinks Ukraine and Gaza wars and world’s problems could be solved by a meeting among the US, Russia and China. India must be watchful but not worried.

e-mail: voice@starofmysore.com