The Paikin Podcast World on Edge: Did Trump Just Kill the Liberal International Order?
Jan 15, 2026
Janice Stein, founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs, and Jon R. Lindsay, cybersecurity expert from Georgia Tech, delve into the implications of recent U.S. actions in Venezuela. They debate whether the liberal international order is collapsing due to Trump's presidency and explore claims of an inside job regarding Maduro's kidnapping. The duo also discusses Canada's stance on these events, highlighting the risks to Arctic geopolitics and potential threats to Taiwan, all while unpacking the contradictions in Trump's foreign policy.
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Liberal Order Is Clearly In Decline
- The rules-based liberal international order has long been fragile and often violated, but recent blatant breaches make its decline visible.
- Janice Stein and Jon R. Lindsay argue the order is now struggling for life and may be effectively dead.
Explicit Rejection Of International Constraints
- Trump explicitly rejecting international law and saying he's guided by his own morality marks a new, more blatant era of unilateralism.
- Janice Stein warns this removes recognized constraints that used to shape state behavior.
Predictability Versus Raw Power
- Moving from a rules-based to a might-makes-right approach sacrifices predictability and collective coordination.
- Jon R. Lindsay notes the liberal order made foreign policy marginally more humane and predictable despite its flaws.
