Trump's Trade War Strategy Seems Doomed to Fail
Folks know I completely disagree with the whole premise of Trump's trade actions with China. Tariffs on foreign goods hurt this country and its consumers even if the other country does not reciprocate with lower tariffs.
But let's put this all aside and think strategy. A trade war is about creating enough pain for the other side's leadership that they agree to give in to your demands. So the game is about American leadership outlasting Chinese leadership in dealing with unhappiness of its citizens due to the trade restrictions. Put in this light, doesn't it seem like the strategy is doomed? When would you ever expect the leadership of a democracy to be able to outlast an authoritarian government in terms of living with unhappiness from its citizens?
