Kuala Lampur, May 31 -- In a recent and poignant Time article, economist Richard S Grossman reminds us that when political leaders ignore economists and elevate personal pride over empirical analysis, economic catastrophe is not a possibility - it is a pattern.

Grossman draws sharp historical comparisons: President Andrew Jackson's assault on America's nascent central bank and Winston Churchill's ill-fated return to the gold standard.

Both decisions were rooted in ideological conviction and personal pride, not evidence or consensus.

Now, in the second term of Donald J Trump, history threatens to repeat itself - only this time, on a global scale. Trump's self-referential style of governance risks destabilising not just the US economy bu...