Weekend Wrap Up: The World Pushes Back

Global markets collapsed as allies united against U.S. dominance and demanded cooperation over control.

Apr 05, 2025

close-up photography of person lifting hands — Photo by Nadine E on Unsplash

Global markets crashed. Allies retaliated. Trump doubled down.

But this week wasn’t just about economics. It was about how the US tries to lead through threats and intimidation and how the world will have none of it.

What most reporters missed was that this is about a cultural misalignment. The US uses force to manage a world that works on cooperation and coordination.

The Cultural Theme

We saw what happens when two cultures collide - Internal Control and Top-Down Dominance vs. External Control and Negotiated Authority

Some cultures control outcomes through threats, punishment, and direct action - Russia, Iran, North Korea, and the United States. Others control outcomes with cooperation, balance, and shared prosperity - most other countries.

The Stories That Shaped the Week

China’s 34% Tariff Response: The Limits of Control

Trump imposed sweeping tariffs—China answered with a 34% tax on US goods, rare earth restrictions, and a blacklist of US firms. China joined other countries in a generally uncoordinated but united front to counter American unilateralism.

Canada’s Strategic Realignment: Coalition Over Capitulation

Prime Minister Mark Carney didn't just retaliate with auto tariffs—he launched a diplomatic shift. Canada is building a coalition of like-minded nations, leading alongside others rather than caving to US pressure. Carney didn’t escalate emotionally - he recalibrated deliberately, working with other countries to push back or bypass the US.

Europe’s Whiskey Tariff: Soft Power with Bite

The EU reinstated a 50% tariff on American whiskey, symbolizing cultural identity and economic clout. The message was about respect. The US imposed rules, and Europe imposed consequences - as a united front.

Why This Matters

For decades, the US shaped global order through strength and structure. But strength without strategy invites rebellion, not respect.

Internal control cultures want to forcefully engineer the future, thinking that success comes from threatening, moving faster, and asserting dominance.

External control cultures understand that systems push back. They know success comes from coordinating and uniting to survive and win in the long run.

Top-down dominance is efficient—until it fails (which it usually does). This week, it proved that allies, competitors, and markets won’t bow to US bullying. They’re coming together, creating alternative paths, and bypassing the US.

Negotiated authority is slower but builds trust, alliances, and resilience. It doesn’t dominate - it leads.

This week wasn’t a financial reckoning. It was a cultural one. And the world just told Trump that control is earned, not imposed.