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> We (US) and the world support China by allowing manufacturing to be migrated to China

A side note... it looks that way because we view the world through capitalism-colored glasses. More objectively, or from "outside", it looks very different. Say aliens visited our planet. They would say "What are you talking about? China produces all your stuff, and you are just giving them pieces of green paper in exchange. Not even that, you are now just flipping bits on a computer! They are not dominating, you (the west) are!"

If the west looses dominance, we do because we are following our own rules - a game that China is currently better at then we are. We are like a silly troll in a fairy tale that poses a riddle, and when the hero correctly solves the riddle we somehow can't eat him anymore (although we physically could easily).



China is not playing by the same rules that the US or any other western country is. They don't believe in free trade, they have heavy restrictions on imports and exports out of the country, money transfers to other countries, and foreign investments, they effectively block non-Chinese internet services, and of course all of this has astounding levels of government subsidies.


What rule was it again that allowed the US to declare war on Iraq in 2003?


The rules are those that the US or "combined west" sets up.


Technically, it was the 2002 AUMF, passed by large, bipartisan majorities in Congress.


> and of course all of this has astounding levels of government subsidies.

You might want to look up "US farming subsidies."


Most developed countries with any sense have farming subsidies, because it turns out that actually being able to feed your population without relying on imports is rather strategically important if war ever breaks out. (This is a lesson that Britain in particular learnt the hard way.) China on the other hand subsidises approximately the entirety of their successful commercial sector.


Since you agree that subsidies are a tool to promote a country's self interest, how can you deny that these are 2 sides of the same coin.


US belives in free trade?


US has trade deficit to most of its largest trading partners:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_largest_trading_pa...

There is no such thing as completely free trade, as long as tax and regulation exist, US or anywhere. At least the US believe in the benefit of global trading



Trump is not "the US". He's just the current chief clown. When those proposals he's making become real, then you have a point and we are really screwed.


Trump was partially elected as a reaction to globalization hurting lower and middle class jobs. His proposals may not be policy yet, but the fact that he was elected on an anti-globalization platform should shake peoples' faith in the direction of US global trade.


The aliens would be missing the point of those green pieces of paper. They are a legally enforceable claim on future work.




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