What came to mind when you saw Donald Trump holding up that rectangular board listing the punitive trade tariffs he will now apply to each and every country?

For one thing, it was simplistic, both in presentation and in the calculations which generated the figures. Raw arithmetic as to how each nation or grouping, such as the EU, lies in relation to the USA in trading terms. An added blame game for those economies which are outselling America. In essence, punish Germany for making cars which US citizens crave.

Still, Trump supporters may have welcomed its very simplicity. No gizmos, no fireworks, no AI interpretation. Those who are inclined to glance backwards may even have found it endearingly homespun. Mickey Rooney, the early years.

Others, though, will have perceived the President as a trackside spiv. Flash Harry with an appreciative entourage. Peddling a message of isolation and protectionism. Blending a patriotic smile with a contemptuous sneer aimed at global friend and foe alike.

Either way, we now have to cope with a new world order, driven by a zealot with a mandate. President Trump is explicitly shattering global trade norms. His is a deliberately disruptive leadership, challenging complex orthodoxy in pursuit of simplistically couched objectives to make America rich at the expense of others.

Even within the Republican camp in the US, there are alternative perspectives. Corporate America would prefer stability. But President Trump is surrounded by an oligarchical clique who see disruption as an advantage, an opportunity to thrive.

Be clear. Early evidence confirms that this is unlikely to end........

© Herald Scotland