Quote:
Originally Posted by Mull
Trump was a con-man who didn't seem to grasp the entire picture when dealing with complex issues.
However, China is a concern to me, and while Trump may of empowered China in some ways (i.e. killing the TPP) he did appear to take at least a more direct approach when dealing with them.
For example, Trump remove the USA decade old policy on restricting contacts between US officials and Taiwan.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/20...ry-taiwan-war/
That said a phase 1 trade deal was signed, even though the targets have not been met.
Trumps tarrifs may of hurt US more than China, although, short term consequences are hard to m know if they are of use, and maybe China caved on items afraid of long term consequences.
My loaded question, will Trump's work with China be considered a net positive by Americans when looked back on in future years? |
Seems to me you answered your own question. The policy of non-engagement with Taiwan was to keep China happy. The TPP was going to be the balancing lever in all of this, and the US was quietly going to promote Taiwan's membership in the TPP, giving them the political clout they needed in their political war with China. Trump withdrawing the US from the TPP did in both and gave China a big advantage in the region. To make matters worse, Trump started a trade war, where the US got its head caved in, negatively impacting almost all industries and especially costs to main street. Trump never thought strategically about global politics, never cared for alliances, and never thought about timeframes longer than an episode of Fox & Friends. Trump was a disaster in every way and the United States (and the world) will be feeling his incompetence for decades to come. WORST president in American history.