The succession of momentous events that were supposed to usher in a change of era is exhausting and frustrating. The financial crisis was supposed to act as a catalyst for shifting the economic paradigm. COVID-19 made us see the value of life in society and should have moved us away from individualism and materialism. The constant warnings about climate change were supposed to guide us toward a sustainable relationship with the Earth. And technological change was supposed to change everything. However, it seems that changes are rather scarce, except in one area. At the intersection of economics and geopolitics, there has indeed been a shift in the script that places us in a new era. The trade tensions of recent months are its most visible face.