Rebel without laws: Why Trump ignoring the rules is bad for Australia
Donald Trump’s capture of Nicolás Maduro was stunning in its daring but leaves the rest of the West worried about his unwillingness to follow international law.
Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores surrounded by security en route to a federal courthouse in Manhattan on Tuesday (AEDT). GC Images
First Donald Trump came for Nicolas Maduro. Then he came for cotton farmers, computer nerds and mapmakers. Since his White House comeback a year ago, Trump has torn at the fabric of the post-1945 rules-based order that allowed America to get rich, export its culture and win the Cold War.
Unleashing a global trade war and cosying up to Vladimir Putin laid the groundwork. But Trump this week scorched the earth after giving the greenlight to US special forces’ daring raid to snatch Venezuela’s despotic ruler Maduro and his wife to face justice for “narcoterrorism”.
Andrew TillettEurope correspondentAndrew Tillett is The Australian Financial Review’s correspondent for Europe, based in London. He was formerly foreign affairs and defence correspondent based in Canberra. Connect with Andrew on Facebook and Twitter. Email Andrew at andrew.tillett@afr.com
