The first Charter of Rights is believed to be the Magna Carta agreed by the King of England in 1215. The first Parliament in the world is believed to be the ‘Althing’ in Iceland established in 1262. The first bicameral legislature can be traced to 1341 in Britain. The first written Constitution of a country was of the Republic of San Marino in 1600. The doctrine of separation of powers is attributed to the ‘Spirit of Laws’ published in 1748 by Montesquieu, a French philosopher. The judicial power of a country was first vested in a Supreme Court in the United States on September 24, 1789.
The Good Under Threat
The great and good lessons of constitutional history were embodied in the U.S. Constitution, and it has been copied by many countries including by the makers of the Constitution of India. Free and democratic countries led by the United States promised to make a new world order that will end war, poverty and disease. They succeeded to a large extent. Though the new order could not end local wars, the world had never before witnessed eight decades of relative peace, unprecedented growth and widespread prosperity.
It has, therefore, come as a major shock that developments of the last three years — and, in particular, the developments since January 20, 2025 — threaten to re-shape the world in a selfish and authoritarian mould.
The office of President of the United States is unique because of its vast specified and unspecified powers, aided by the fact that America is the richest country in the world. Exercising those powers, William McKinley expanded the territory of the United States and annexed Puerto Rico, Guam, the Philippines and Hawaii. Woodrow Wilson and Franklin D Roosevelt suppressed free speech and used executive orders to detain or deport foreigners and dissidents. Barack Obama started a war in Libya without the authorisation of the U.S. Congress under the War Powers Act, 1973. Other presidents have tested the limits of the office and got away with apparently unconstitutional acts.
Tearing Apart World Order
None more so than the 47th President of the United States, Donald J Trump. For eight decades, despite aberrations and misadventures, America was considered the leader of the free, democratic countries and the underwriter of the world order. Numerous world institutions were created to advance the cause of peace, education, healthcare and human rights. However, in barely eight weeks under Mr Trump, the U.S. has quit the WHO and threatened to quit or halt funding to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Mr Trump has shut USAID and brought to a halt dozens of programmes throughout the world. He may quit NATO and abandon the European allies.
Domestically, egged on by Mr Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, Mr Trump has begun to dismantle the structure of the U.S. government. He has fired thousands and is likely to shut down the Department of Education.
Under Mr Trump, friend has become foe (President Zelensky) and foe may become friend (President Putin). Mr Trump covets Canada to be the 51st state of the USA and has openly invited Greenland to join the U.S. adding ominously that “we will get it one way or the other”.
Mr Trump has made no distinction between foe (China) and friend (India), and is willing to make deals. “I have made deals all my life”, he boasted and, after inviting, humiliating and throwing out President Zelensky, he invited him back “when he is ready to sign an agreement” for presumably critical minerals — Mr Trump called it ‘payback’.
Dark Cloud Over World
Where will the world go with a transactional president of the United States and a confessed deal maker? And what are the implications for India?
For the world, the authoritarian rulers will form a club — Mr Trump, Mr Putin and Mr Xi. They will grab territory — America eyes the Panama Canal, Canada, Greenland and Gaza; Russia, having already annexed Crimea, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, wants Ukraine and perhaps Georgia; and China, after forcibly integrating Tibet and Hong Kong, has made no secret of its desire to annexe Taiwan, significant parts of India and the South China Sea and its islands. The three countries will attempt to divide the world into ‘areas of influence’ and exploit the resources in the respective dominant area. India will be vulnerable to China and neither America nor Russia will help.
For India, the country will be forced to buy more military equipment from the U.S. India will also be obliged to import more goods from America at low tariffs. A detente between America and Russia will mean that Russian oil will no longer be available at cheap prices. India may be ‘persuaded’ to downplay BRICS. QUAD will not be seen as hostile to China. Pakistan and Bangladesh will forge closer ties under their common patron, the U.S. If Mr Trump starts a tariff war, it will upend rule-based world trade and India’s economy will be ruined. Like Germany and France have realised, India must fend for itself.
Mr Modi may think that his dosti with Mr Trump will bail India out. Not a chance. Mr Trump is selfish and an egotist, and will not care even if he crashes the world’s economy. Hang on, world, for four years.