[The Editors' Verdict] Where Is the Lawless Nation?

Criticism of the Georgia Incident as a Diplomatic Own Goal for the U.S.
America Must Stop Policies That Tarnish Its Image as a Free Nation

General Motors (GM), an American automobile company, was in the midst of building a factory in Mexico when Mexican government agents suddenly stormed in, claiming that hundreds of Americans working there were illegal immigrants and arrested them. Not only were they arrested, but they were also shackled and detained in horrific conditions. Later, the Mexican government admitted it was a mistake and repatriated the Americans, but kept them shackled until they arrived at the airport for departure. To this day, the President of Mexico has not issued an official apology for the incident.

Doesn't this sound strangely familiar? In fact, this is not a real event, but a reconstructed scenario drawing a parallel to the Georgia incident that occurred earlier this month. The author of this piece, posted on the online newsletter platform Substack on September 19, is Paul Krugman, a professor at City University of New York and recipient of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Economics.

Professor Krugman explained, "This was not a GM factory, but rather a battery factory that South Korean automaker Hyundai was building," and "the location of the incident was not Mexico, but the United States-specifically, the state of Georgia."

What if this incident had happened to American workers? As Professor Krugman noted, "There would probably have been a wave of outrage and demands for retaliatory measures." There might even have been calls to invade Mexico. Furthermore, not only American companies but all global corporations would have simultaneously reconsidered their investment plans in Mexico.

As he pointed out, the Georgia incident shocked the world. So much so that Daniel Drezner, a renowned international relations scholar at Tufts University, remarked that "the sight of workers being dragged away in chains resembled African slaves being led away by their owners in the 18th and 19th centuries." In his article titled "The Foreign Policy Hits Just Keep On Coming," published on September 17, Professor Drezner also pointed out, "Neither the situation among Persian Gulf states nor on NATO's eastern front this month is as serious as the Trump administration's biggest foreign policy blunder-namely, the massive own goal against South Korea."

Let's look at another example. Recently, ABC's late-night comedy talk show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" was suspended indefinitely. The host, Jimmy Kimmel, had criticized the "MAGA" (Make America Great Again) faction, President Donald Trump's hardline supporters, in connection with the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

It is widely believed that the cancellation of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" was due to Disney, ABC's parent company, being wary of the U.S. government as it prepares for a major merger. Disney is currently pursuing a large-scale merger that requires approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Although the show is set to resume after much controversy, its nationwide broadcast remains uncertain.

Earlier, in July, CBS's top-rated late-night talk show "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" was suddenly canceled. Matthew Dowd, a political commentator for the economic news outlet MSNBC, was also dismissed within a day after making critical remarks about Kirk and President Trump on air.

Some argue, as Mikkel Bolt Rasmussen, a professor at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, wrote in his book "Fascism in Late Capitalism," that these incidents are evidence that President Trump is a fascist. Of course, whether President Trump is a fascist remains a contentious issue among scholars. However, what is clear is that all these cases are tarnishing the image of the United States, which once stood for freedom and democracy.

Professor Krugman states, "A country where foreigners can be kidnapped and detained at any time by masked thugs claiming to be government agents truly deserves to be called a 'shithole country.'" The Trump administration is now turning the United States into a "lawless country" that can suppress not only its allies but also domestic media critics at any time.