Dickson C. Igwe. Photo: VINO/File

The Dollar is liquid capital. The world’s reserve currency directs global supply chains and the structure of capital and trade. In recent decades, the US has weaponised the power of the Dollar. It can stall a country’s economy by dollar freezes and seizures. It can disrupt the internal banking of any country from the Federal Reserve in Washington DC. This is huge power.

Oil has been an old friend of neo-imperialists for well over a century. It is termed black gold for a reason. Historically, when utilised oil offers power and advantage to those who control its source, supply and distribution, but mostly for those who
control its drilling, production and supply, which is mostly western multi-nationals such as Exxon Mobil and Shell.

In the twentieth century, oil ruled in industry, politics, and war. Oil remains a fossil fuel that drives the world’s electricity, armies, ships, machines, and all forms of transportation. Oil is the fuel that propels militaries. The US won the war in the Pacific in the 1940s partly because it had access to limitless oil supplies the Japanese could only dream.

In early January 2026, Trump has asserted publicly that the western hemisphere belongs to the USA. He has threatened Cuba and Colombia with some form of US intervention, and publicly lays claim on Greenland- a territory of Denmark- as essential to US security.

Here in the Virgin Islands, we can only watch in trepidation, hoping Trump’sbehaviour does not catch us unawares. It appears the American Strongman wakes up each morning with some need to create chaos.

Trump believes in raw and untrammelled power. His latest provocation is a media clip depicting the Obamas as monkeys. Trump is doing his best to provoke race wars. Why? He sees race as a way to stay in power by dividing the voter population. I doubt it will work.