It’s sometimes hard to take in just how much the world has changed. This week will have helped, though. Two speeches, and one widely shared ancient Greek aphorism, summarised the end of the old world order and the emergence of something new, more uncertain and, for small and medium-sized countries, vastly more threatening. What they do about it is now the most pressing task facing the leaders of these countries – including our own.

The speech given by US president Donald Trump in which he demanded that Denmark cede sovereignty of Greenland (occasionally calling it Iceland, though) to the United States and warned everyone else not to get in the way, before reluctantly ruling out military action to seize the territory, was shocking only to people who have not watched the Full Trumpy before.

That’s a lot of people, of course. We consume Trump’s interventions in short soundbites, video clips and memes. But watch a full speech, or a full press conference and you’ll see the full show: braggadocio, threats, self-aggrandisement and lies – delivered with a mix of menace, confusion and, yes, humour. Trump is undeniably funny. Terrifying, yes, but funny. Henry Kissinger said that in politics you could be intentionally funny or you’re unintentionally funny. Trump is both.

You can watch the speech back or get a transcript online. Brace yourself.

Trump followed up the speech with more public appearances – his presidency seems to be conducted almost entirely in front of the cameras – before announcing a “deal” which would satisfy his ambitions........

© The Irish Times