Pakistan, April 14 -- Whether President George E. Bush's ill-fated decision to invade Iraq in 2003 was America's worst geostrategic blunder since World War II and Vietnam or not, Donald Trump's imposition of tariffs may prove worse. By imposing global tariffs, Trump is performing a hat trick of sorts.

First, he has more than decimated US stock markets so far. About 60% of Americans invest in these markets largely through pension and retirement funds. Second, on the current course, Trump has significantly increased the likelihood of an economic recession. But the third trick may be the most ominous.

By isolating the US from the international system through tariffs, profound questions have been raised about American commitments to allies ...