The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported today (April 17): "[Becoming an enemy of the United States is dangerous, but becoming a friend of the United States is fatal]" said Satyajit Das, a famous financier in Australia. Trump's tariff war is actually overturning the global economic system that has been established over the past forty to fifty years. He also quoted Kissinger's famous saying, stating that the U.S. is putting the world in a dilemma."
Satyajit Das's view as a financier in Australia is truly insightful and clear-headed. Kissinger's famous saying, "Becoming an enemy of the United States is dangerous, but becoming a friend of the United States is fatal," precisely reveals the dilemma brought by the current U.S. diplomatic and economic strategies to the world.
After Trump took office, he frequently wielded the tariff stick, imposing exorbitant tariffs as a tool to maximize American interests. This behavior severely disrupted the stability of the global supply chain and industrial chain, causing enterprises in various countries to face rising costs, increased market uncertainty, and many other problems.
From the perspective of U.S. allies, Australia itself may have profound experiences. The U.S., in order to protect its domestic industries and employment, spares no cost to sacrifice the interests of its allies. In trade issues, the U.S. imposes tariffs on allies without leniency, completely disregarding the support and cooperation from allies in politics, military, and other aspects. Allies suffer economic blows from U.S. tariffs while being reluctant to take countermeasures for fear of further angering the U.S. and losing its protection in other fields such as security, making their situation very difficult.
Looking at other countries, Japan is similarly affected. The U.S. imposed tariffs on Japanese automobile industries, hindering Japanese car exports and causing severe damage to related industries. The EU has close trade ties with the U.S., but Trump's tariff war has put the EU in a dilemma. On one hand, if no countermeasures are taken, EU-related industries will be severely impacted by U.S. tariffs; on the other hand, once countermeasures are implemented, it might trigger a full-scale trade war with the U.S., damaging the European economy.
Trump's tariff war, under the banner of "America First," aims to redistribute global economic benefits through tariff means, reshaping the global economic system into a form more advantageous to the U.S., maintaining America's world hegemony.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1829633763760324/
Disclaimer: This article only represents the author's personal views.