Remaining sane in an increasingly insane world, By Owei Lakemfa

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It appears the re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of world oil passed before the US–Iran war, was one of the most urgent tasks of humanity. The United States has, for six months, been unable to re-open this vital artery, which handled 100–140 commercial ships daily. Then, like magic, Oman and Iran reached a consensus to reopen the strait. Oman, a tiny country of 5.4 million people spread over a 309,500 square kilometre area, is one of the closest allies of the US. It was the first Arab nation in the Arabian Peninsula to sign a trade and diplomatic agreement with the US. That was 193 years ago. In the on-going US–Iran conflict, Oman has suffered many Iranian strikes, including on the ports of Duqm and Salalah, the industrial areas of Sohar, Mina Al Fahal and Bukha, radar and ship-detection infrastructure, and hits on commercial and oil tankers navigating the Gulf of Oman.

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So, ordinarily, the US should have been elated that a breakthrough was being reached to re-open Hormuz, reduce oil prices and wars. But President Donald Trump was furious at the Oman–Iran breakthrough. He threatened to annihilate its ally. He declared: “If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them.” Beyond being angry at the breakthrough where the US has failed in the last six months to reopen Hormuz, I can only attribute the threat to a streak of insanity that has been visible since the return of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) regime in Washington.

When, on 20 January, 2025, Trump signed an executive order unilaterally renaming the ancient Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America,” some thought he was being territorial. But I reasoned that a name change that has no international binding status could not have come from a rational mind. It is like the US unilaterally changing the name of the United Nations; that can be reflected in its own documents, but cannot be binding on the rest of the world. A similar trait was visible when Trump imposed ridiculous tariffs on various countries of the world. The increased tariff imposed on China was 104–125 per cent and 50 per cent on countries such as Brazil, Cambodia and Canada. Just this Wednesday, 19 August, Trump paused the 50 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods. The US basically needed to have realised that it is not the only country that can impose crazy tariffs; other countries can equally reciprocate.

There are also the repeated Trump talks of converting Canada into the 51st state of the US. Similarly, he had, in January, threatened world peace by deciding to seize Greenland, a Danish colony. He told the Europeans to allow him to do so either the “easy way or the hard way.” This had led to some European nations sending troops to the territory.

This strain of insanity had also been visible when Trump threatened to seize the Panama Canal based on his false claims that it was being run by the Chinese, who were imposing exorbitant fees on the US. The truth is that the facility is being run by the Panama Canal Authority, an agency wholly owned and run by the Panamanian government. Perhaps the greatest acts of insanity, and the pushing of the world back into the Stone Age of international anarchism, are those he is perpetuating in Venezuela, where he had seized its President Nicolás Maduro, locked him in a US prison, and seized that country’s oil and gas resources, which he is selling and giving that country some stipends out of its legitimate resources. It is like bandits occupying the home of a victim, abducting the family leaders and continuously stealing the wealth of their victims.

The US under Trump, having militarily seized Venezuela since January 2026, is sending more than 500,000 of that country’s 1.25 million barrels-per-day stolen oil to its refineries in Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana. US Under Secretary of Energy Kyle Haustveit unashamedly said that those US refineries were “built specifically for that (Venezuelan) crude.” Sure, the US would not readily admit the theft of Venezuelan oil, so Haustveit described it as “a beautiful energy partnership.” The same thing Europeans did when they colonised African countries and stole their human and natural resources in the name of evangelising and civilising them.

Usually, thieves try to hide their intentions and would not ordinarily admit they are armed robbers. But Trump has been truthful. Immediately after US troops seized Venezuela, he told the world: “This (Venezuelan) oil will be sold at its market price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!” It doubtlessly is benefiting the US, but not Venezuelans. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio later clarified this system of extortion. He told the US Congress that Venezuela is required to submit a monthly budget request against whatever money the US will pay for its oil and that the US will specify to what use Venezuela can put such approved funds.

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Another territory the US has occupied is Gaza. Trump had, in February 2025, revealed: “The US will take over the Gaza Strip.” In line with this, and while allowing Israel to continue its genocide in Gaza, he is running the territory through a so-called Board of Peace with an Executive Board which he chairs. His vice is former British Prime Minister and warmonger Tony Blair, who is also the executive head. Other members of the sock-exchange-like board include US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, who is designated the US presidential advisor/envoy.

Another country Trump wants to colonise is Cuba. On 16 March, he told White House reporters: “I do believe I’ll be…having the honour of taking Cuba… Whether I free it, take it — think I could do anything I want with it, you want to know the truth. They’re a very weakened nation right now.” So, we are all living in a world where one country simply decided to colonise a sovereign country and member of the UN and bring to an end its 215-year independence. If it can be done to Venezuela, so can it be done to any other country perceived to be weak. In this increasingly insane world, which is approaching a state of anarchism akin to the Wild, Wild West of 19th-century western US, it is suicidal to be a pacifist.

Any country that is not working towards nuclear armament is walking towards enslavement.

Only countries possessing nuclear weapons can have meaningful discussions about world peace, sovereignty and a new world order.

Owei Lakemfa, a former secretary general of African workers, is a human rights activist, journalist and author.