Thomas L. Friedman – The New York Times:
Trump took office promising to fix our trade imbalance with China, and what’s the first thing he did? He threw away a U.S.-designed free-trade deal with 11 other Pacific nations — a pact whose members make up 40 percent of global G.D.P.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership was based largely on U.S. economic interests, benefiting our fastest-growing technologies and agribusinesses, and had more labor, environmental and human rights standards than any trade agreement ever. And it excluded China. It was our baby, shaping the future of trade in Asia.
This column makes a compelling, ironic argument. No, Mr. Trump is not an agent of the Chinese government, but given his acts he ought to be. They better serve China than the US, and it’d pay better than his White House gig.
The nut is, Trump actually made all of these foolish moves.
If you’ve given me the honor of your reads, take a look at this column. Ten minutes, tops, and only if you, like me, had to re-read a few paragraphs to make sure you understood what Trump did. Any question of where China and the US are headed in the coming century will come down to the trend of acts detailed in this piece.
Thanks for reading, too!
#Trump #GOP #fraud #China #competitiveness #trade #energy #fool
A Random Stroll 