- 31 Jul 2021 18:16
#15183238
I agree with @Political Interest that we want peace between the great powers. However, that is not possible if one side (western powers) give all (in this case willingly give all) of their leverage to the other (China). Which is what has been a known issue for at least the last 20 years. The mistake with Trump is that he could have pushed to deleverage from China (bring supply chains to the US and US allies) without the inflaming rhetoric. Obviously though, the reason Trump went that route is to stoke up fear in conservatives to try and win votes for re-election.
Though, i feel like it would be near impossible to even have a chance at a meaningful deleverage without the rhetoric and fear mongering. The way to get enough people behind doing something meaningful/swift/significant is to get buy in from more and more voters. Thus, you have to play up the various angles and reasons to do it. From national security, to a new axis of evil fear mongering (if you want to call it that) lead by China, to human rights, to environmentalism, etc. etc. Give a reason to each of the different demographics within the US, so that they all get behind some kind of economic decoupling action. You need an aggregate of voters, and you need to appeal to their different sensibilities, basically.
Arguably, this was necessary, and could very well avoid war and greater conflict. The key lever China has on the west, is that the west is obsessed with money and profits over all else. Perhaps this is what's needed to change that western obsession which can then no longer be weaponized against the west. We also understand from history, that appeasement does not work either. Which I think is what many people want to try because it feels/sounds more diplomatic and peaceful. IN the long wrong, history shows, it does not result in more peaceful results.
In a really odd way, although I hate Trump, wish for him to die so that he can't run in 2024, etc. etc. This might actually be the seed that finally puts the fire under the west to stop caring so fucking much about money and the GDP. To finally start thinking about the well being of people, national security, and relative freedom (compared to China and other authoritarian states). It's going to take becoming uncomfortable, and unfortunately, tension.
I can think of 11780 reasons Trump shouldn't be president ever again.