Stiff everybody; wait for the lawsuits
So why does him cutting off all funding to virtually all research and aid programs surprise anybody?
His supporters aren’t surprised. They say he’s kicking ass. And we don’t know if Trump not paying the US’ bills is going to be permanent, but let’s say for the most part it is, or brings with it huge risks for the managers and recipients of those funds in the future–be they American or not–that didn’t exist until now.
Because here’s the thing: instead of just leaving a bunch of poor vendors hanging out to dry, while reaping whatever rewards remain of their labor, he’s creating a void in world politics and power, and it’s not like there aren’t countries that are poised and rich enough to fill that void.
One in particular.
And paying off the financial obligations Trump has decided he’s not going to on behalf of the US, comes with its own rewards. Including whomever you come in and bail out from this unprecedented situation owes you. Mega big time.
China was thrown for a loop by COVID, since the virus originated there, probably due to a lab leak there, and it’s international reputation suffered. Still, at the same time it became a major car manufacturer, the world’s green energy leader, and an AI innovator.
How come we don’t really hear about this? Because you can’t buy Chinese cars in the US. But believe me, where you can, they’re selling. Somehow the US stock market this week woke up to the AI bit, and US AI stocks got slammed. As for green energy, Trump’s obsessive deemphasis will have only one sure massive beneficiary.
You know, it used to be everyone wanted to do business with the US; preferred working with US compaies, and only reluctantly did business with China. Why? Because China was not considered a reliable nor trustworthy partner. The furthest thing from it. Now Trump is making the opposite true, in a short time, but probably forever.
I remember traveling in Myanmar during the brief window when that country was not controlled by a military dictatorship. People I met every day, in places such as tea shops, urged me to get the message across in the US their country really wanted US companies to come in and help them build, because otherwise they’d have to turn to China. And they hated China, after years of getting ripped off and exploited.
But now there’s no choice. And this isn’t only happening in Asia. The US was by far the biggest investor in Africa when Bill Clinton was president. Now China is, by far. And that includes not only business investments, and building military bases, but all kinds of aid too.
So if Trump lets US aid aimed at reducing AIDS in Africa–which is now suspended even though it’s wildly successful–who is most likely to step in and help African nations pick up the pieces?
Oh, there’s one other thing: even Trump talking about taking over Greenland, by force if necessary, emblodens China to take Taiwan, which it says it already controls. And maybe part of the Philippines. And maybe help North Korea more. Why not? If Trump’s “doing it”…
Trump by being unreliable and a skinflint is creating golden opportunities for China, and they’re going to take them.
And, in the future, if Trump makes promises vs. promises from China, who are other countries more likely to trust?
In the 21st century, til now, the answer would’ve been the US. 100%. Even among countries doing heavy business with China.
Now?