Trump has completely ruptured the Davos ideal of what global leadership means
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We increasingly live in our own echo chambers, surrounded by like-minded peers convinced that the rest of the world has got it all wrong. Around this time each year, one of the biggest bubbles envelopes the Swiss resort of Davos, where the global elite gather for the World Economic Forum to cheer on free trade, free markets, and the liberal world order.
But next week, the Davos echo chamber will feature one of its most ideologically diverse slates of leaders ever. Take the first and last major mainstage presentations. First is Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, who heads a less-and-less secular democracy developing profoundly illiberal traits.
The last will be Donald Trump, who has completely ruptured the Davos ideal of what global leadership means. His Make America Great Again ideology and fealty-at-all-costs management style has helped create a nation so deeply divided that basic functions of governance have broken down. In the presidents America First view, economic gains by definition come at the expense other countries; this wont go over well with the multilateral-minded Davos crowd.