The ‘rules-based order’ Davos craves has bigger problems than Trump: it represents a world that no longer exists

The Guardian ^ | Wed 21 Jan 2026 | Larry Elliott

[MinorityRepublican]

Donald Trump represents everything that the Davos crowd hates – and it is unlikely they are any more well-disposed towards him after being forced to listen to more than an hour of the president’s rambling speech today. He is a protectionist, not a free trader. He thinks the climate crisis is a hoax and is suspicious of multilateral organisations. He prefers power plays to dialogue and he doesn’t have any time for the “woke” capitalism that Davos has been keen to promote, with its focus on gender equality and ethical investment. The shindig’s organisers, the World Economic Forum (WEF), had to agree to sideline those issues in order to secure Trump’s appearance.

For decades, anti-globalisation protesters have sought to shut down the WEF. Thanks to Trump’s threat to take over Greenland, their prayers may soon be answered. In today’s world, Davos is an irrelevance and it seems fitting that Trump should be on hand this week to deliver the coup de grace to the liberal international rules-based order that the WEF prides itself on upholding.

Emmanuel Macron, the French president, was right when he said there has been a shift to a “world without rules”, and there is some irony in that, given that the liberal international rules-based order that has been in place since the second world war was largely a US construct.

Pared back to basics, the liberal rules-based order has been just another way of describing US hegemony, with Europe as its junior partner. As part of this arrangement, the US guaranteed Europe’s security through Nato, and acted as the world’s consumer of last resort. Even before the arrival of Trump, this version of a liberal order was breaking down.

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TOPICS: Conspiracy; History
KEYWORDS: davos; larryelliott; leftistsource; nato; nwo; r; theguardian; unitedkingdom; wef

[TheDon]

Europe is no longer a world power, and they’re having a hard time excepting it.

[MinorityRepublican]

Bush 41, Clinton, Bush 43, Obama and Biden allowed them to "pretend".

[Fungi]

I expect that sooner or later accepting it will not be exceptional.

[Steely Tom]

Trump: living in their heads rent-free, 24-7.

[Mariner]

Mark

[allendale]

The foundation of WEF/Davos is socialism, neo paganism, a belief in a powerful, encompassing government infrastucture controlled by elites, and no regard for individual rights, liberties and opinions. Its policies are subservient to the falsity of “climate science” and homosexuality. Trump should only be there to destroy it. America must disengage from Europe.

[Navy Patriot]

Screw Larry Elliott Good and Hard, then Screw Larry Elliott Good and Hard Again.

Send him back to his job of cleaning French toilets with his toothbrush.

[BradyLS]

“Woke Capitalism” is the freedom of establishment and government insiders to take money from the tax-chattal and redistribute it to businesses that cannot succeed and to people who do not produce in exchange for a piece of the action.

[escapefromboston]

Europe doesn’t have to sell out to China and import the 3rd world if the cared about being a world power
As far as “rules based order” seems like they stole a bunch of Russia’s money because of the Ukraine war.

[Billthedrill]

This "rule-based order" was always more notable by its absence than otherwise, its structure mocked, subverted, and largely ignored by actors whose pose of pious rectitude served merely to mask their lawlessness. To put it bluntly, Pax Americana is over and certain of these pretensions - environmental "justice" for example - are about to be sucked into the power vacuum created by Pax Americana's dissolution.

For example, China's behavior with respect to the "rules-based" international environmental policies, and the concentration by the keepers of those "rules" on everyone but the principal offenders, is painfully telling. The WEF is a colloquium of such rule-makers for other people, and the blow-fly horde of private jets bringing those rule makers to their ten-course dinners, luxury hotels, and army of prostitutes is an aching example of the underlying hypocrisy.

[Biblebelter]

Didn’t read the whole article as it was the Guardian.

What I did read may me feel real good.

Sounded like the mouthpiece for the global elites was crying uncle.

That was how interpreted the first part that I did read.

[nathanbedford]

By definition an obituary of the "Rules-based Order," that is found in the Guardian, is an attack coming from the left.

The first question to ask ourselves is, since we are on the right, should we join the Guardian and rejoice at the death of international institutions that were created by the United States to nurture and defend the interests of the United States?

If rules-based order means American hegemony, as the article from the left suggests, why would we who believe in America first not regret the loss of that hegemony?

If we see institutions under stress in Europe, can we not in honesty see that our own institutions at home are coming under severe stress? If our institutions at home are coming under stress, what is the source of this friction?

Can we not say that both stress created domestically and stress visited upon Europe come from the left? For example, is it right wing external forces that are generating rampaging immigration? Is China exerting forces inimical to the interests of the United States, for example among BRICS, from the right or from the left, or, are those forces in support or opposed to rules-based order?

Is it in the interests of Russia and China that NATO be broken up? In whose interest is it that the dollar fails as the reserve currency? Who benefits if international supply chain links our broken up and fail? If trade wars deprive us of pharmaceuticals or rare earths?

The more we ponder questions such as these, should we also question whether we should rejoice with the Guardian? Should we exult in the breakup of those institutions that have made the world safer for America?

Should we ask ourselves whether we can actually solve our problems by simply affixing a label that is currently in favor this season? Maga = good; globalist = bad?

[Fuzz]

‘ Should we ask ourselves whether we can actually solve our problems by simply affixing a label that is currently in favor this season? Maga = good; globalist = bad?’

We faced a Siloam predicament 25 years ago. That didn’t age well.

[nathanbedford]

If I remember correctly, the biblical passage has to do with the nature of sin and divine justice, much as was treated of in the book of Job.

But I confess I am at a loss to know what happened 25 years ago in this context.

[Fuzz]

My typing skills failed me once again.

‘ We faced a similar predicament 25 years ago. That didn’t age well.’

Referring to W, Iraq, patriot act, etc.

Those who disagreed were banned, shunned or harassed, only for the same people to realize years later they were wrong.

Same thing here. Demanding compliance for policies and tactics they would be calling for a civil war had they been done by the opposition.

[Mariner]

The sentiment in Europe is that they need a “new order” that is not US centric.

Yet they have no cards and can’t even stop the invasion that is swamping them.

We must throw them off like a dirty shirt.

[cowboyusa]

Yes

[Jarvis Law 2.0]

My hope for everyone is to actually listen to President Trump’s speech at Davos and then form your opinion. If we should have learned anything during the past 10+ years, what Trump actually says AND how he says it is often very different from what gets reported. These are very critical days ahead, and no time to be lazy as our Nation enters its 250th year of existence. I couldn’t stand listening to any of the last four Presidents and had to read about what they said. Only Trump 45 & 47 can I actually listen to, not that I agree with everything he’s said and done, especially OWS.

So, I am on Board with Trump’s vision stated at Davos for America leading the way to World Prosperity, not as a warped Rockefeller/Rothschild Tool that our country has been subjected to for at least 100 years. Get your Temple, Bibi, and then can we all relax for awhile?

[Ronaldus Magnus III]

According to this Leftist rag: "President Trump is a protectionist, not a free trader. He thinks the climate crisis is a hoax and is suspicious of multilateral organisations. He prefers power plays to dialogue and he doesn’t have any time for the “woke” capitalism that Davos has been keen to promote, with its focus on gender equality and ethical investment."

Much of the above is why President Trump won three elections.

President Trump is "protecting" America and civilization.

The "multilateral organizations" cannot buy President Trump, like they buy so many others. The also failed to imprison him. They have tried to kill him. He rises above it all and pushes forward.