Why Donald Trump’s trade war could spark a global financial market meltdown

Even before Donald Trump shattered the idea of a western alliance over the weekend, an uneasy spectre had begun to roil through the global economy. As with the onset of any major downturn, global stock and bond markets have begun jumping at shadows, nervously over-reacting to even minor blips in economic events while simultaneously attempting to digest what just a few months ago seemed unimaginable. Troubles are brewing on at least three fronts. The first is the sudden rewriting or even the abandonment of global strategic alliances that have been in place for 80 years. The second is the imminent…