Yup, What We Said Would Happen Is Happening Thanks To Trump’s Idiotic Approach To International Relations

I’m not a huge fan of “there are two kinds of people in the world” statements, but there is certainly a spectrum in human beings from, on the one hand, always looking for a fight, and, on the other hand, looking for similarities and reasons to collaborate or be friends. Some people have more of an inclination to fighting everyone in their path, and others have more of an inclination to look for commonalities and to compromise and cooperate. No one needs to tell you where Donald Trump falls on that spectrum.

More than any president I ever recall watching or reading about, Donald Trump has tried to make friends into enemies. He has consistently, vigorously, and often quite illogically attacked the USA’s greatest allies. It seems it’s just in his nature. I, and others, warned that this approach was going to push the world to avoid us, to work with each other more, and to grow economically together while leaving the US behind.

After how Trump has talked about and treated Europe for several years, not to mention Latin American countries, it was obvious this was going to hurt the US. Nations in Europe, Latin America, and Africa were clearly going to lean on and ally with China much more so and the US much less so. That said, I don’t think many people even considered that Donald Trump would seriously talk about making Canada the 51st state or taking Greenland. Though, these things are surely accelerating the global move away from the United States and toward China as a better, more stable, more predictable and fair trading partner.

While editing Steve Hanley’s article earlier today about Canada working with China to dramatically lower tariffs on Chinese EVs and Larry Evans’ followup article on the topic, a few lines jumped out at me:

• “The New York Times reports that Carney told the press that China had become a more ‘predictable’ partner to deal with than the United States and that ‘you see results coming from that.'”
• “Wu Xinbo, the dean at the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, told the Times, ‘I think China not only views Canada as an important economic partner, but also as a useful diplomatic counterweight in dealing with the United States.'”
• “The European Union is also on the cusp of making it easier for Chinese companies to import cars to Europe. It recently imposed tariffs of up to 35 percent on Chinese BEVs, but those tariffs did not apply to plug-in hybrids. Now the European Commission is proposing a new framework that will lower the effective rate of those tariffs.”
• “What to make of all this? It seems clear the antics of the current US administration are driving other nations — ones that used to be America’s primary trading partners — to seek new relationships. And China is smack dab in the middle of that realignment.”
• “Canada ratcheted tariffs on Chinese cars up to 100 percent at the behest of the Biden administration, but when the MAGAnistas rolled into Washington, they gave Ottawa the finger — a tactic that seldom wins friends, although it definitely influences people, but not in a good way.”
• “Canada is expanding its trade relationship with Brazil and exploring a free trade agreement.”
• “In addition, Chinese manufacturers are increasing their presence in Mexico, making up 1 in 5 sales in the country. Mexico’s deepening trade relationship with Canada and the potential increased scale could also provide further motivation.”

One country after another, one economic block after another, is going to go around the United States — the rude, idiotic bully who is best avoided — and work with each other. They are going to build more and more partnerships with each other. Meanwhile, Trump is threatening to slap more tariffs on countries. Any country that does not support his plan to take Greenland is potentially going to get extra tariffs. That’s productive. That’s really going to build partnerships. You either support the USA taking Greenland or the bully is going to take more of your lunch money.

The sad thing is there are bunch of people who voted for Trump who actually think this is going to help the country. There are people who think this tariff war and this constant attacking and threatening of longtime allies is going to make the US stronger and better.

We are going to see more and more partnerships like this China–Canada one. Canada initially wanted to side with the US and the combined US–Canada auto industry. But the US is now a horrible, psychotic neighbor and Canada needs some protection. It needs a new ally and a better economic partner. So it is make deals with China. Xi Jinping must have had so many big laughs in the past decade. Trump keeps shoving our strongest allies right into his arms. Strong economic bonds we’ve spent decades building with others are being broken and Trump is effectively throwing our money to China. I guarantee there are people in meetings right now talking about how their countries can work together or work with China in more ways in order to cut/weaken ties with the United States and avoid us as much as possible.

As a reader, Mark Spohr, intelligently said a week ago, “Just look at that other petrostate, Russia. The US is headed in that direction. Isolated, out of money, invading neighbors, economy based only on the military. Any intelligent person is leaving.”

Empires all fall. The economic empire the United States built was facing challenges in the 21st century, but now Trump is taking a bulldozer to this empire and building bars and walls around his little golden toilet.

Cover photo:  "Donald Trump" by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.