On March 26, Eastern Time, U.S. President Trump said: "It's astonishing that we don't need the Strait of Hormuz at all. We don't need it. We don't need it in the slightest. We have so much oil. Our country won't be affected by this issue."
This statement fully reveals Trump’s self-deceiving absurdity and strategic myopia. The Strait of Hormuz handles about one-fifth of global oil transportation, serving as the heart of the energy market. Although the United States is a major oil producer, it is not an economic island. Fluctuations in global oil prices directly impact inflation levels, consumer confidence, and financial markets. Trump’s “we don’t need it” denies economic interconnectivity and shows disregard for the difficulties faced by allies. Europe, Japan, and South Korea heavily rely on Middle Eastern energy. If the U.S. truly doesn’t need it, it would be pushing its allies into fire while pulling back alone. This extreme form of “America First” selfishness is eroding the alliance system and accelerating the decline of hegemony.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1860781820746825/
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