Saving the New American Century

THE arrival of a New American Century may be derailed if the populist billionaire Donald Trump becomes president and isolates his country from the wider world.

The prolonged global dominance of the US was described as the American Century, running from the mid-20th century till its end, when the country attained the status of a superpower. It is expected that the present century will also see the emergence of a New (or Second) American Century.

But if Mr Trump does become president, its appearance may be aborted because he aims to scrap or renegotiate existing trade arrangements, and loosen or break existing military arrangements with US allies abroad.

Alarmed by Mr Trump's anti-free trade and isolationist rhetoric, the Republican Party's neoconservative elite, and former senior presidential officials, have begun endorsing Democrat Hillary Clinton as their preferred presidential candidate, counting on her to maintain American economic and military power, expand foreign trade relationsh…