There is support in both political parties and in Europe for a stronger stance on trade issues with China. In the face of that, Trump imposes tariffs on . . . steel and aluminum from Canada, Mexico, and the EU!
It only makes sense if you understand that Trump believes the following:
- Values do not matter in international relations–only interests do;
- Trade deficits are the scorecard by which international relationships are judged;
- Our so-called allies are among the worst offenders, and are no better than China; and
- Our financial and market power are so strong, we can bring the rest of the world to heel simply by playing hardball.
In the entire country, you can probably count the number of other people who believe these things on your hands. They’re the ones making the decisions, however.
This is going to do enormous damage to our country. By the time Trump leaves office, Israel and Saudi Arabia will be our only allies. Obama wanted to encircle China; after NAFTA collapses and Mexico and Canada turn on us, we will be the nation encircled by hostile nations.