Frankly, these past couple of weeks have been quite boring. Especially compared to the goings of May and June 2025. Now with the Iran Israel fiasco looking more like another one of those protracted scuffles in the making, one that the world has no control over, the global headlines have resorted to Elon Musk, Trump, Xi, Zelensky — a circus of egos, economics, and crises.
Elon Musk and his America Party
First up, Elon Musk. Your favourite billionaire has decided to spice up American politics with his new “America Party”. Because, apparently, running Tesla, SpaceX, and X is not enough to keep him busy. This move comes after a spectacular falling-out with Donald Trump, and Elon Musk calling Trump’s tax-and-spending bill a “disgusting abomination.” So, he announced this shiny new party claiming it’ll “give you back your freedom”. Sounds noble, but the details are sketchier than a late-night infomercial. He’s floated a pro-Second Amendment stance and plans to target a few congressional seats in 2026, but about the official paperwork being filed with the FEC, there has been no confirmation yet.
The numbers? A Pew survey says about a third of U.S. voters identify as independent, but most lean red or blue, leaving a slim middle for Elon Musk to woo. With $280 million poured into Trump’s 2024 campaign, Musk’s got the cash to make noise, but third parties in America historically crash harder than a Tesla on autopilot. Trump, predictably, isn’t amused, calling Musk a “train wreck” and his party “ridiculous.” The GOP’s MAGA wing could be fracturing; and popcorn sales are looking up as a result.
Trump’s Boring Tariffs
Uncle Trump, by the way, is back to his favourite hobby: tariff wars. This week, he slapped 25% tariffs on goods from Japan and South Korea, effective August 1. He also sent warning letters to 12 other countries. And what’s the logic? To protect American jobs. The reality is that economists warn tariffs could spike inflation — core CPI’s already hovering at 3.2%. It could also disrupt supply chains.
The S&P 500 dipped 1.3% on the news. Not just that; even Trump’s own Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, admitted tariffs might “boomerang”. Meanwhile, BRICS nations are pushing WTO reforms to dodge sanction wars. This is an indication that Trump’s bluster might unite the Global South against him. So, Uncle’s boring rants on tariffs now look less a like trade strategy and more a toddler’s tantrum with a box of crayons.
Jinping’s Weird Silence
Across the Pacific, Xi Jinping’s is keeping exceedingly silent these days. The man could be in some kind of trouble. China’s economy is wobbling. GDP growth is projected at a sluggish 4.8% for 2025, down from 5.2% last year. Youth unemployment on the other hand, is rising and looks like it is about to touch 18%. The property sector, on the other hand, is still a ghost town after Evergrande’s collapse.
Xi’s also got geopolitical headaches. He has to contend with Trump’s tariffs, India’s Rafale deal flexing military muscle, and BRICS’ slow pivot away from U.S. dominance. But there could be more. If social media posts and speculative YouTube videos are anything to go by, then there is some serious grumbling going on within his party. What’s it? Is China’s dragon catching a cold? Or is Xi sitting there somewhere, sipping his Jinping or ginseng or whatever tea, and waiting to re-enter the scene? Good luck finding out the real news from Beijing’s echo chamber.
Zelensky’s Begging Bowl
The news also is that the money for Ukraine might be drying up. Trump has promised more “defensive” weapons, but his base is souring on the $113 billion in U.S. aid since 2022. Europe pledged €50 billion, but delivery’s lagging. Russia on the other hand remains generous. 500 drones in one night; apparently Putin is in no mood to slow down. Ukraine’s GDP (yes, there exists such a thing there) contracted 3.5% last year. But 2025 looks even grimmer with the energy infrastructure in tatters.
Long story short? The West’s attention span — directly proportional to America’s active interest — is waning. Well, hasn’t Europe forever been the stingy cousin, piggybacking on Uncle Sam? So? The EU doesn’t mind skipping meals if Uncle is not in the mood to foot the bill; how can you expect it to sponsor Ukraine?
The World This Week
And that’s how the world’s been looking since the last few days. It’s like a reality show where everyone’s shouting, nobody’s listening, and the budget’s blown. You have a wild card in Musk’s America Party, though it is too early to speculate the impact. Trump’s tariffs are looking less like “art of the deal” and more like an “art of headache” for everyone around, allies or otherwise. His ‘art’ has now begun impacting the global trade, which stalls at 2.1%. Back home, political polarization (78% in 2024) remains quite high, something that Musk is trying to capitalize.
China’s PMI has dipped to 49.8, and Xi has gone into hiding again. If it is contraction, then China’s cracks could expand. However, the man has demonstrated this ability to bounce back, irrespective of the soup that China was, or is in. Over in Europe, their chief disruptor Ukraine is developing genuine fractures in their top rung. The civilians are actively resisting those forced conscriptions, and country’s sorry overall condition serves as a grim reminder of how expensive freedom is these days. Its reconstruction costs are pegged now at $524 billion and even BlackRock is dragging its feet.
What do I see? Musk’s tilting at windmills, Trump’s making faces at shadows, Xi’s scheming his comeback, and Ukraine’s begging. And speaking about which, Pakistan is begging too. But I need to grab a coffee before I get back on that. Cheers!
