At the beginning of the 21st century, it seemed that global politics was moving toward increasingly complex systems — globalization, international institutions, shared rules of the game. But suddenly, all of this has turned into a strange theater where world leaders compete in a single skill: how to properly talk to a child with developmental delays.
The task is simple and difficult at the same time: keep their attention, prevent tantrums, promise candy at the right moment, but never let the “patient” get hold of the scissors.
Trump became the symbol of this era. He forced diplomats, presidents, and prime ministers to spend their time not on strategies or reforms but on developing new formulas of communication:
- speak simply,
- repeat many times,
- always give praise,
- and if something goes wrong — blame the “bad people” around.
The irony is that this tactic is spreading wider and wider. Conversations with dictators and populists today differ little from therapy sessions: a calm voice, a gentle smile, a promise that “everything will be fine” — and no logic at all.
International politics is no longer a game of chess. Now it is kindergarten with elements of a show, where victory goes not to the smartest but to the one who can best handle the “difficult child.”
