Wrecking Ball Diplomacy: How ‘America First’ Tariffs and Transactionalism Alienated the World
April 8, 2026 /Mpelembe Media/ — The “Madman Theory” is a concept in international relations suggesting that a leader can gain coercive bargaining leverage by appearing irrational, highly volatile, or indifferent to the costs of conflict. By cultivating a reputation for madness, a leader attempts to make otherwise incredible threats—such as initiating a nuclear war or destroying the global economy—appear credible, thereby forcing adversaries to concede to avoid a catastrophe.