President Donald Trump, who keeps a portrait of Andrew Jackson in the Oval Office, brought a heaping dose of his predecessor's energy with him when he alighted in Switzerland on Wednesday.
The contrast between the international assemblage of sophisticates and the president from Queens brings onto a global stage one of the longest-running dramas in American political history. Mastering the forces unleashed by Jacksonian America is the key not only to Trump's presidential success, but also to the preservation and renewal of the American-led international order. If the announced agreement with NATO secretary general Mark Rutte holds, this act in the drama will end on a high note.
Each year, business and government leaders trek into the Alps to attend the World Economic Forum for earnest discussions about topics like carbon emissions. This gathering of the rich and powerful—and kooky panels about feeding insects to the global poor—fuel conspiracy theories worldwide. According to attendees, however, it is more like the ultimate business meet-and-greet extravaganza than a hive of international intrigue.
The real business of Davos happens away from the cameras, but in a sense it reflects the carnival of activists and poindexters who hog the microphones. The organizers hope to transcend national sovereignty and prod the world toward a future where citizenship matters less than commitments to their preferred moral standards. As climate change has become the international cause célèbre, the Davoisie have warmed to massive governmental interference in economics.
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