China’s coming Austrian collapse(tbwns.com) |
China’s coming Austrian collapse(tbwns.com) |
What exactly about this article was "demeaning"?
The author does seem to feel that Trump is handling China well, which I'm sure brings cognitive dissonance to some...
I know some people like big tough guys in politics, and to some of those people, Trump appears big and tough. But I think even if you have this persuasion, Trump's no Kissinger, no Tito, not even a Putin.
It seems to me that if you cannot refute the given argument, your character assassination will be just as inadequate.
[0] - https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/16/kudlow-confirms-trade-talks-...
For the record, negotiations look messy while they're ongoing. I think you'll find that the negotiations end up much better than most people think.
One of the key attributes of a good negotiator is to have a BATNA (Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement). Without one, you're going to fail. The last few administrations have not had that when negotiating with China, and they failed (heck, they didn't really get started before they backed off).
Trump's style is certainly unorthodox, but he has several folks who actually know how to negotiate (Robert Lighthizer & Wilbur Ross among others). I wouldn't count them out just yet.
I don't really buy the idea that the US was getting 'bad deals', as Trump puts it. To be honest, I think the only way the US could get bad deals is if it undercuts its own state department, and does everything it can to project an image of instability, insanity, and dementia.
The thing is, in the normal run of things, there are no incentives for anybody who isn't totally desperate to try and screw the US over. Unless the state department is utterly braindead, they just have way more resources to screw you back. Except, in the situation where you think that jeopardizing relations with the US is acceptable, because it's a fading power, or because it forgets its friends and enemies with the election cycle. Which are all things Trump is really good at convincing people of.
I agree that the US has ample resources to “screw you back” but as with many things, it isn’t a question of capability it’s a question of political will. And without a doubt Trump has the will to flex on China, consequences be damned (or so it seems).