Authoritarian Nationalists Like Trump And Putin See Treaties And Agreements As Mere Inconveniences

Hitler Was The Same Kind Of Jerk— & His Followers Were Just Like MAGAts

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Trump’s raving against Panama Saturday was an even crazier belly-flop into foreign policy than when he offered to trade Puerto Rico for Greenland in 2019 (and again yesterday) or when he urged Japan to shoot down North Korean missiles in 2017. His Truth Social rant about reclaiming the Panama Canal fits squarely within this pattern of lunatic foreign policy pronouncements— always rooted in ignorance, transactional thinking, and imperial nostalgia. Like his bizarre musings about nuking hurricanes and inviting the Taliban to Camp David, it reflects a mindset that sees diplomacy as a zero-sum game rather than a framework for cooperation and stability. Driven by ego, paranoia and shady outside influences, Trumpanzee’s statements reveal a dangerous tendency to disregard international norms and treat the world as a Monopoly board— a strategy that invites chaos rather than order. As you can see, he was threatening a sovereign, friendly country with aggression if they don’t submit to his misguided dominance and primitive bullying tactics:

First off, his statement, predictably, is riddled with factual inaccuracies and historical distortions with dangerous implications. His assertion that Jimmy Carter “gave away” the Panama Canal for “One Dollar” is totally misleading. The 1977 Panama Canal Treaties, signed by Carter and Panama’s leader Omar Torrijos, provided for a gradual transfer of control over the canal. The treaties ensured U.S. oversight until the end of 1999, allowing plenty of time for a smooth transition. The treaties reflected a recognition that maintaining U.S. sovereignty over the canal in perpetuity was unsustainable, particularly given growing anti-colonial sentiment in Latin America. The handover helped improve U.S.-Latin American relations, reducing regional tensions.

Trump of course ignored this historical context— if he’s even aware of it— portraying the treaty as a giveaway rather than a carefully negotiated agreement to ensure the canal’s long-term stability and security. His call for the U.S. to “demand” the canal’s return is a blatant rejection of Panama’s sovereignty and international law. 

Whether he personally likes it or not, Panama has been the rightful owner of the canal since 1999. Attempting to reverse this would resurrect echoes of American imperialism, undermining the principles of equality and mutual respect that the U.S. claims to champion in foreign policy while playing into Latin American fears of U.S. domination, potentially pushing countries in the region closer to China.

Of course, Trump’s ignorance about canal fees shouldn’t surprise anyone. Apparently he is clueless about how the canal operates. Fees are based on vessel size, cargo type, and route efficiency and are essential for maintaining and improving canal infrastructure, which is critical for global trade. Every nation, including China, pays these fees. The U.S. receives no special treatment, nor should it, as the canal is no longer U.S. property. Rather than a “rip-off,” the fees reflect the reality of managing and upgrading one of the world’s most important trade routes. Trump, as is his wont, stokes unfounded fears about the canal’s security falling into the “wrong hands.” The U.S. and Panama already collaborate closely on security through negotiated agreements. Trump’s vague, clownish insinuations about China controlling the canal lack any kind of evidence. By reviving Cold War-style rhetoric, Trump is creating unnecessary tension in a region that is strategically important to American interests. Saturday’s idiotic comments reflect a broader pattern of reckless nationalism and disregard for international norms. His threats to reclaim the Panama Canal revive outdated imperialist attitudes that risk alienating allies and destabilizing global trade, while he frames Panama as a subordinate, echoing a bygone era of American interventionism. This kind of rhetoric may appeal to his MAGA base, but it does nothing to strengthen U.S. interests— and could, in fact, undermine them.

Although he was certainly displaying authoritarian instincts that the MAGAts love, this outburst could also be a deliberate distraction from his mounting political failures last week, since in his mind, ranting about foreign “rip-offs” always provides a useful scapegoat while energizing supporters who feel the U.S. has been economically disadvantaged. On the other hand, it’s worth considering whether corporate lobbying or special interests— from the shipping industry for example— could have influenced his remarks.

The simplest explanation is that the asshole just woke up angry and fired off a rant to satisfy his ego. If I had to guess though, it would be more about Trump’s nostalgia for imperial power, a romanticized view of American dominance, which appeals to older voters yearning for a pre-globalization era. And… it bears a striking resemblance to Putin’s revanchist worldview and his attempts to reassert dominance over former Soviet republics. Both of them frame their ambitions as efforts to correct perceived historical injustices and restore lost national prestige, though their flimsy arguments mask imperialistic impulses rooted in authoritarianism and resentment toward globalization. Putin justifies invasions of Ukraine and Georgia by claiming these territories are historically, culturally and spiritually tied to Russia, dismissing their sovereignty as a mistake caused by the collapse of the Soviet Union, which bears some resemblance to Trump’s bullshit about how the U.S. never should have “given away” the Panama Canal, implying that Panama’s sovereignty over it is illegitimate, calling the handover under Jimmy Carter a “foolish decision.”

Putin and Trump both think nothing of ignoring binding treaties and international law to rewrite history in favor of their nationalistic narratives weaponizing nostalgia for bygone eras of imperial dominance. Putin treats former Soviet republics as Russia’s sphere of influence, where the Kremlin should maintain control or at least veto power over domestic and foreign policies, the same way Trump framed the Panama Canal as something the U.S. still has a right to control— imperial entitlement— despite having transferred ownership over 25 years ago through a bilateral treaty. Trump seems to be under the impression— as is Putin— that agreements made to end colonial or imperial arrangements are temporary concessions, not permanent settlements.

And, as we’ve all seen, Putin justifies aggression by claiming Russia’s security is threatened just as Señor T has decided to claim the Panama Canal as a national security issue in a struggle with China. Don’t you just love primitive authoritarians using fearmongering to stoke nationalist sentiment and rationalize aggressive actions under the pretense of defense rather than expansionism, while embracing lawlessness as a political strategy even at the risk of destabilizing global order?

Both of these goons use territorial aggression to distract from domestic economic stagnation, corruption and political unrest, leveraging manufactured crises to solidify their support among low IQ bases, portraying themselves as defenders of sovereignty against external enemies.

Democrats and normal Americans should view Trump’s comments not as idle bluster but as part of a broader trend toward authoritarian, revisionist politics that may be threatening international stability and legitimizing Putin’s (and China’s) worst geopolitical tendencies.