Pyro as Bill said:
So you'd damage your own economy just to damage your opposition, just like Trump? I don't think the tariffs have anything to do with any trade deficit. They're designed to damage the economic capacity of anyone China could quickly and easily control. Like sanctioning Belarus only it's proactive instead of reactive. |
Yes you do. If you hurt me, I hurt you more. Its best to give back as much as someone is willing to give to you than let the aggressor believe they can come at you and hurt you without suffering any penalty. What do you believe the aggressor will do if you just accept their aggression without a proper response. That will embolden them to then continue to use those same tactics. You cannot come to the negotiation table in a weak position, nor do you come to the negotiation table to concede anything without mutual respect.
What you fail to understand is that when met with force whether economic or physical, it's never in your best interest to take it. Trump is declaring economic war. Its no different then if he sent troops over to every country and said bend the knee or suffer. So yes, EU must hit back just as hard as Trump administration is willing to take this war. Also, if the EU is smart, they will not ease one ounce of their response until the Trump administration backs down first. Here is the reason why. The Trump administration cannot be trusted. Time and again they have pledge to do something. Signed agreements and then break them on a whim when Trump doesn't like the outcome. This administration word means nothing so first and foremost only actions are worth anything.
You are right that the Trump administration is using trade deficit as a tool to try and make the US public believe the US is a victim. A trade deficit isn't always a negative thing and actually depending on the economy shows actual strength of that economy. Its way more complex than saying all trade deficits are bad which would be something not even a first-year college economic student would not say if they had even an ounce of understanding.
This whole war isn't doing anything to soften China ability but instead actually throwing them into the arm of the world which is the opposite. It no different than the trade agreement that we tried to push during the Obama era where we had all of EU and the rest of the world included BESIDES China but guess who killed that.
If you truly believe this is putting any kind of control on China when not long ago they were able to come together with North Korea and Japan to respond to the Trump administration tariffs and also now making deals with all the world leaders in Africa, Canada, Mexico you name it than you definitely haven't been paying attention. This is probably one of the most bone headed move a country could make and its not going to go anywhere near what its being sold.
