Donald Trump sees his trade war as a show of strength. In fact, it's the opposite

The opening shots have been fired in a trade war. Multilateralism is on its last legs. Globalisation is being rolled back. It is less than a month since Donald Trump arrived back in the White House and he is a man in a hurry. Since being sworn in as president, Trump has been busily reshaping the world order. His decision to use tariffs to reduce the US trade deficit has grabbed most of the headlines, but is only half the story. He has pulled out of the World Health Organization and has gutted the US aid department. There is talk…