• 2026.09.26 (Sat)
  • All articles
  • LOGIN
  • JOIN
Global Economic Times
[등록] 2026-09-01 15:48:31
  • Synthesis
  • World
  • Business
  • Industry
  • ICT
  • Distribution Economy
  • Well+Being
  • Travel
  • Eco-News
  • Education
  • Korean Wave News
  • Opinion
  • Arts&Culture
  • Sports
  • People & Life
    • International Student Report
    • With Ambassador
  • Column
    • Cho Kijo Column
    • Cherry Garden Story
    • Ko Yong-chul Column
    • Kim Seul-Ong Column
    • Lee Yeon-sil Column
  • Photo News
  • New Book Guide
MENU
 
Home > Column > Ko Yong-chul Column

The Fall of ‘Pax Americana’: The Naked Face of U.S. Politics Degenerated into Back-Alley Extortion

KO YONG-CHUL Reporter / Updated : 2026-02-24 04:55:38
  • -
  • +
  • Print


Recent remarks poured out by U.S. President Donald Trump on social media raise doubts about whether such words could truly come from the head of a state that claims to be the world's superpower. Using the Federal Supreme Court's ruling on the illegality of reciprocal tariffs as a pretext to threaten the international community with phrases like "Don't play games" or "You will face something much worse" is frankly embarrassing to call diplomatic rhetoric. This is not a dignified dialogue between nations; it is no different from back-alley blackmail, using brute force to subjugate opponents.

The expression "ridiculous decision by the Supreme Court" used by President Trump is a self-denial of his own country’s democracy and the rule of law. The audacity to use even a judicial decision—meant to check executive overreach under the principle of separation of powers—as a tool for his trade war is the height of arrogance. In particular, the provocative claim that countries have been "ripping off" the United States for years or decades dismisses the efforts of allies and partners, who have sought mutual growth within the post-war international order, as mere acts of deception.

The international community operates based on promises and norms. However, the behavior shown by the Trump administration neutralizes all existing trade agreements and legal procedures under the guise of "America First." As soon as the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) was checked by the Supreme Court, he invoked Section 122 of the Trade Act to declare "global tariffs" and hiked them to 15%. This process is not orderly trade; it is closer to unpredictable tyranny.

The warning "BUYER BEWARE" vividly reveals the essence of this situation. President Trump has relegated diplomatic agreements between nations to simple merchant deals. He argues that he will retaliate if the other party breaks a promise, but who is the one actually shaking the foundations by undermining international legal legitimacy? This behavior, which disregards trust with allies and international customs for the sake of domestic interests, will ultimately be a self-destructive act that erodes the moral authority and leadership the U.S. has built.

Tariffs are originally a policy tool to adjust trade imbalances. However, Trump's tariffs have been perverted into a "punitive club" used to threaten other countries, force investment, and build personal political achievements. The attempt to push specific countries and items to the brink by mobilizing Sections 301 and 232 of the Trade Act is extremely increasing global economic uncertainty. If this "rogue state" behavior continues, the world will no longer be a stable market under U.S. protection, but a chaotic battlefield of self-preservation.

The United States must remember: the true power of a great nation comes not from overwhelming military might or tariff barriers, but from the trust earned by upholding universal values and maintaining order. If it continues to intimidate the world with undignified language and reigns above the law, the U.S. will eventually be recorded in history not as a world leader, but as the "most dangerous egoist." Threatening politics, no different from a back-alley thug, may bring immediate gains, but the brand and dignity of the United States are already falling to an irreparable level.

[Copyright (c) Global Economic Times. All Rights Reserved.]

KO YONG-CHUL Reporter
KO YONG-CHUL Reporter
Reporter Page

Popular articles

  • Connecting Generations and Cultures through the Sound of Drums: Master Lee Kyung-hwa Holds Successful Jindo Buk-chum Workshop in Berlin

  • Bridging Hearts and Horizons: Celebrating 30 Years of the Korean Association in Cambodia

  • First Private-Led "World Hansang Global Convention" Outlined... 3,000 People Gather in Incheon 

I like it
Share
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Kakaotalk
  • LINE
  • BAND
  • NAVER
  • https://www.globaleconomictimes.kr/article/1065556328267522 Copy URL copied.
Comments >

Comments 0

Weekly Hot Issue

  • Geoje, Still Scarred by Flood Damage, Receives 'Chuseok Warmth' from Across the Country Over 2 Billion Won Donated Since Disaster; 380,000 Items Worth 1.1 Billion Won in Relief Supplies
  • Season-Over Lee Jung-hoo: Only the Burden of a 33.5 Billion Won Price Tag Remains for the 2026 Season
  • Public Criticism on Stage... The Dignity of a Senior Singer Missed by Shim Soo-bong 
  • 'Slump in Results Followed by Asylum Scandal' – North Korean Delegation Shaken in Nagoya
  • Xi Jinping Arrives in Washington… Begins 3-Day State Visit to the U.S.
  • “18 Years as a North Defector… ‘I Wish I Could Offer a Bowl of Rice at My Parents’ Grave’” Yu Sun-hee, a North Korean defector ahead of Chuseok

Most Viewed

1
Desperate Pursuit of HBM: China’s AI Chip Sector Faces Crippling Bottlenecks as Gray Market Prices Soar
2
Chuncheon to Light Up the "Lights of Ethiopia": The 16th Ethiopia Road World Coffee Festival & Meskel Festival Opens on September 25
3
The Era of "Working AI" Has Arrived: Why OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra is a Blessing for Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix
4
 Iran and Gulf Nations to Hold First Ministerial Meeting in Salalah for Hormuz Navigation
5
Surging LNG Prices Forebode a Freezing Winter amid Middle East Conflict
광고문의
임시1
임시3
임시2

Hot Issue

South Korea and U.S. Leaders Hold Pivotal Summit in New York

From a Symbol of Security to a Space for Healing... Walking Paju's Veiled 'Re:DMZ' Forest

Pocheon Hantan River Garden Festa

A Different Side of Gyeonggi Province Seen While Running… Autumn Running Courses Recommended by 'Run Gyeonggi'

Fashion Runway Show 2026

Global Economic Times
korocamia@naver.com
CEO : LEE YEON-SIL
Publisher : KO YONG-CHUL
Registration number : Seoul, A55681
Registration Date : 2024-10-24
Youth Protection Manager: KO YONG-CHUL
Singapore Headquarters
5A Woodlands Road #11-34 The Tennery. S'677728
Korean Branch
Phone : +82(0)10 4724 5264
#304, 6 Nonhyeon-ro 111-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Copyright © Global Economic Times All Rights Reserved
  • 향기네무료급식
  • BCB부천방송
  • 반달곰 프로젝트
Search
Category
  • All articles
  • Synthesis
  • World
  • Business
  • Industry
  • ICT
  • Distribution Economy
  • Well+Being
  • Travel
  • Eco-News
  • Education
  • Korean Wave News
  • Opinion
  • Arts&Culture
  • Sports
  • People & Life 
    • 전체
    • International Student Report
    • With Ambassador
  • Column 
    • 전체
    • Cho Kijo Column
    • Cherry Garden Story
    • Ko Yong-chul Column
    • Kim Seul-Ong Column
    • Lee Yeon-sil Column
  • Photo News
  • New Book Guide
  • Overseas Koreans
  • Multicultural News