Thanks to Geopolitical Experts George Friedman  Peter Zeihan  Kevin Rudd
 Yves Smith  John Mearsheimer  Sam Wilkin   Compiler W. Antoniotti 6/14/19        Return to Geopolitics 

Prelude: Follow the Dollar

1. Politics at Yalta

2. Post WW 2 American Hegemony Led Prosparity, Stability, Populism

3. Considering Past Mistakes

4. Factors Indicating
a New International Order

 

1. Stability Ends, U.S. Dominates
US has all the Cards.

2. US Liberal Foreign Policy Hegemony Failed
Need Isolationism, Offshore Balancing, Selective Engagement

3. Responding to China: A Plan
Strategic Competition Replaced Strategic Engagement, Rules TBD

4. Trump's New Political Era?

See Trump's Geopolitical Trade War
 

Prelude: Follow the Dollar

1. Capitalism Requires Sound Money

The Gold Standard rules geopolitics until the 20th century.
Until then, Brittan had all the gold and ruled capitalism. The US grew economically, took control of gold, and after WW 2, ruled capitalism. Economic growth created pressure on US gold reserves so, in 1970, she gave up partially backing the dollar with gold.

A Dollar Standard was created by the US because she had enough consumer and business demand, financed by debt, to supply dollars for world trade. Dollars came back to the US as foreigners bought US assets and debt. The Euro was created as a multination currency controlled by Germany. She kept a tight reign on inflation. Members who did not manage budgets soon got into trouble. This coincided with a few European bank controlling worldwide dollar trade flows using Euro's, not dollars, as collateral. But contracts required payment in dollars and the banks, wanting to maximize profit, had borrowed dollars very short term. They were in trouble when the Great Recession created a need for dollars and rolling over dollar loans became impossible. The FED, as lender of last resort, created dollar obligations which were loaned to the world's financial community. Germany believing in austerity, force debt repayment on failing countries and banks. Populism resulted. Note: FED owes the dollar obligations to the Treasury and may or may not repay them. Since 1776, a strong US economy has allowed her to refinance debt. Cost is Interest Payments.

See 20th Century War Geopolitics

3. 1973-2003
Neoliberal State Development
dominated world politics
 Adoption Would Maximized Human Welfare?

Iraq's Economic Restructuring Agenda was issued in September of 2003 by Paul Bremmer of the Coalition Provisional Authority. Many felt these dictums were illegal under the Hague and Geneva conventions so an interim sovereign government  was created. It required many neoliberal economic requirements. Key among them were 1) Private Property for everything but oil 2) Free Markets with unlimited Foreign Direct Investment/Ownership 3) Unregulated International Trade 4) Unlimited Profit Repatriation. Entrepreneurship was fostered by guaranteed Intellectual Property Rights and a conservative Flat Tax.

A 1973 U.S. orchestrated Chilean Coup had set up a new government to follow neoliberal Chicago Boys privation advise with similar requirements except copper resource ownership would not change.

Unites States controlled IMF development programs follow similar guidelines in support of the US International Trade Hegemony. But more was involved as independent leaders like Thatcher in the early 1970's  and Xiaoping in the late 1970's also embraced neoliberal economics. Then  Germany required similar neoliberal economic requirements in response to Great Recession budget and banking problems. .

European Populism resulted. 


2. Beginning of a Post War
 International Geopolitical Era

1648 Peace of Westphalia
 Sovereignty of participants over their lands, people, and agents abroad was established.

Broken by European Colonialism

1941 Atlantic Charter 
No spheres of influence allowed, territorial self-determination required

First problem came immediately as Soviets did whatever it took to keep Communists in charge of the buffer state Poland.

The US responded with the Truman Doctrine. Eventually U.S./Britain sponsored covert activities would try to slow Communist advancement. One such activity was the September of 1953 GB/US sponsored Iranian Coup to keep control Iranian oil/profit.  Unintended consequences followed.  First came the seizure in 1979 of the Tehran U.S. embassy by Militant Iranian students. Then, 20 years later, the 9/11 Trade Center attacks made many American feel insecure.

Continuing Problem

The US would try to maintain its sphere of influence throughout Latin America and stop Russia and China spheres of influence. Both groups made the world their spheres.

 

4. US Hegemony 3?

Hegemony 1 was designed to meet Cold War needs by dominating global manufacturing trade. Domination, with it extensive profit and extensive worker wage gains, began to diminish because of Tiger Country competition.  Liberals did not support labor, instead union buyback enhanced US ability to compete because of slow wage growth.

To protect profit, conservatives expanded neoliberal political activities. First goal was controlling the Supreme Court by financing conservative law students to create a pool of for choosing conservative federal judges.

Business turned away from local less profitable US manufacturing and invested in overseas production. They also expanded into corporate financing activities. Chairman Greenspan took charge of the lender of last resort Federal Reserve.  Keynesian dominance was being  replaced by neoliberal free unregulated market economics.

Hegemony 2 made Wall Street more important than Main Street as conservative presidents Reagan, Bush I and II combined with business friendly Clinton. Obama was Wall Street friendly. Neoliberalism economic dominance was complete. The stage was set for the public to pay for inevitable market failures caused by Less Financial Regulation. A Great Recession was followed by a European Financial Collapse. The FED created money and paid the entire cost.

Hegemony 3? Will US dominates in the a world of political populism

 

Part 1 Post WW 2 American Hegemony
Led Prosparity, Stability, and Populism
 Centuries Always Consist of Eating, Drinking, Loving, Hating

Prelude

1648 Peace of Westphalia Sovereignty of participants over their lands, people, and agents abroad established. Broken by European Colonialism

1941 Atlantic Charter  No spheres of influence, territorial self-determination required

1945 Yalta Conference sets some guidelines

First problem came immediately as Soviets did whatever it took
to keep Communists in charge of Poland.

The US response Truman Doctrine eventually actions like the U.S. and Britain sponsored covert activities like 9/8/53  Iranian Coup

Source History Repeating: Why Populists Rise and Fall video

1-1 Great Wars Led to New International Order

1-2. Six Weeks Changed the World

1-3. Nationalism Was Back

1-4 Why Populist Win

1-5 The Future of International Relations

1-6 End of Two Myths

 

1-1 Great Wars Led to a New International Order

A. New Boarders Especial in the Middle East  

B. Europeans Faced the Moral Abyss because, as the most civilized people, she had killed 100 million people.

C. Nations must be controlled before they destroy each other.

D. Multiple International Organizations were needed to create
a unity not created by the League of Nations and Munich Political Organizations-NATO, European Union ...
Financial Organization- IMF, World Bank...

Success resulted as there was a 70 Year peace.
Moral Justification was provided by this success, organizations  represented no one.

1-2. Six Weeks Changed the World

A. Russia invaded Georgia on 8/8/08
1. Political Organizations did nothing ending 1991 political assumptions

2. Russia was back and there is going to be trouble

B. Financial Organizations failed to stop Lehman Brothers
and resulting Great Recession

C. Self-Ruling Technocrats failed because they did not understand:
1. U.S. [politicians] allowed experienced financial crisis technocrats
to handed out pain.
2. Europe, needing approval of many national central bank,
has not handed out credit.
3. Germany wouldn't forgive loans and Greece did not want to pay loans

1-3 Nationalism Was Back

A. Unemployment of 20% was not German pain and
 low 6% unemployment in Germany was not Greek success.
Reality had changed, they returned to being two different countries.

B. Polarization was dramatic within countries as
Technocrats who ran the government and finance were fine
except where austerity force government layoffs.

C. European Union was usurping the future
of those absorbing of 20% unemployment.

D. Not only did technocrats fail to see the problems,
 they attacked politicians trying to protect the people,
 the nation and they limited liberal central authority solutions.

E. Hatred, anger and outrange had to be dealt with.


 

 

 

 

1-4 Why Populist Win
 History Repeating: Why Populists Rise and Fall video

A. Mainstream Elite Establishment Failed and Must be Punished
US Financial Crisis Unpunished, Bank Failures in Europe
B. New Communication Creates New Power Source
Those in Power Unable to Keep Control
Examples
1. Printing Press - Protestant Reformation
2. Radio - Hitler
3. Cassettes - Iranian Revolt
4. Fax Soviet Union Dissolves
5. Social Media - Philippine Revolt. Brexit, Trump, Flash Mobs
C. Leader to Protect People from Failed Elites Needed.
Campaign against system
People feel like responsible revolutionaries
Liberals and Conservative may combine to combat system
D. Elites try to impeach leader rather than fix system failures
E. Sundry
Populists Tend to Win When Turnout is Low
Brexit was an abnormally with very high turnout
Populist Conservatives are good a building Coalitions
Populism was more prevalent before WW 2 and only has recently returned
Populist are not policy dependent because key is anti system messages

1-5 Future of Geopolitics
Dr. George Friedman, Geopolitical Forecaster

A. The 21st century will be politically volatile,
more like the 19th century than the second half of the 20th century.
 B. World is no longer "hard wired" to a liberal international order.
 C. The French Revolution and Enlightenment were correct.
The nation state is needed to bind people together.
 D. World will revolve around nations
1. US with 25% of the world economy, even when acting stupidly,
still must be considered.
2. Russia, dependent on oil prices, will again continue her decline.
3. China will begin more normal economic growth but must deal with
a billion poor people.
 4. Germany is trade dependent in stagnating world,
continues mercantilism, will not lead.
5. Japan has third largest GDP, a stable society, a strong Navy
and is the Asian power.
6. Russia who faces an equal Turkey, hopes for coexistence,
and hopes not to react.
7. Poland is fastest growing European economy and must be considered.

1-5 End of Two Myths
A. Multilateral Organizations Solve All of Problems.
B. Harvard Graduate Manage Organizations Solves Problems.
Source The Creation of a New International Order 20 min video

1-6 Germany wanted high employment, low inflation and high saving from the editor

To increase employment German favored industry
using employee givebacks to help companies.

The nation's savings was increased by increasing exports and
her trade surplus which could not be spent by employees
because of industry givebacks.

Unemployment was lowered with job sharing.

For low inflation Germany controlled the European Central Banks. Commercial Banks, especially in Germany, had cheap loans for poorer countries who had to choose between unemployment and debt.
They could have chosen capital accumulation and infrastructure. They chose consumer debt, especially housing. EU trade imbalances developed.

Savings increased because of a balanced budget.

Correcting imbalances was a choice between loan forgiveness
and austerity. Brussels chose austerity.

Problem: Germany created debtor EU to balance the Euro's current account. Kicking the can down the road only delays loan forgiveness, economic help for debtor Europe or the dissolution of the EU into only a trading union.

Brussels is dead or the European is dead; choose one.

Part 2 Considering Past Mistakes

Like 1914,
West Not Managing Social Economic Change

Source by Yves Smith  Summarized by Walter Antoniotti

Europe enjoyed nearly 100 years of peace.

One reason was the 1815 Treaty of Vienna had given top priority in negotiations over how various territories were to be ruled.

Second, the new liberal order, powered by the Industrial Revolution was producing improved apparent domestic prosperity reducing the attractiveness of war.

Third, British and European states territorial ambitions and colonial land grabs offered more upside with less risk of manpower and treasure.

By Anatol Lieven. a professor in the War Studies Department of King’s College London and a senior fellow of the New America Foundation in Washington DC. See Anatomy of American Nationalism republished in September 2012. Originally published in The National Interest on December 22, 2018; cross posted from open Democracy

Peace ended with World War 1 in which some 16 million Europeans died, two great European countries destroyed, and others crippled was recently celebrated. This year may be the last of 29 relatively quiet years before the world’s major powers once again moved into deep and structural mutual hostility.

WW 1 engendered the scourges of Communism and Nazism. It led to a Second World War and the near destruction of European civilizations.

Nothing the political and cultural elite who were swept away for leading their countries into war could potentially be worth the potential lost.

Western allies portrayed the war as civilizations against German barbarism. Today one can certainly say the British and French systems were better than the German; but one must admit that an Algerian subject of the French Empire or an African subject of the British Empire might have a different perspective. Also, the Russian Empire made a pretty odd member of the supposed alliance for democracy.

The 1914 barbaric threat to European civilizations was the ruling establishments.   It came from decades of social and economic changes which generated hatreds and tensions building within European societies.

Before 1914, the European conservative elites encouraged aggressive nationalism to divert mass support away from socialism. To preserve the old European order, they moved in a most disastrously direction.

Today, the new cold war against China and Russia represent grave threats being generated by the conservative western establishment. A new geopolitical direction, it is comparable to that taken in during the early 20th century.

 

This new cold war is serving as a distraction from vastly graver threats. Western political elites are unwilling to address threats which would involve radical changes to their ideological positions. Their obsession with their own righteousness and civilizational superiority is leading to the moral civilizational fantasies that had helped bring on the 1914-18 disaster. This is liable to engender the distortion in judgment which, in the blindness of crusading frenzy, destroys nations and civilizations.

Ironies involved with the US leading a new “league of democracies” against an “authoritarian alliance” include the anti-Chinese participation of Vietnamese communists, murderous Filipino authoritarian populists, and above all Indian Hindu neo-fascists. Authoritarian and cultural nationalistic member Poland is bitterly anti-Russian. Add France in 2022 if she elects a president from the National Front. 

Diverting domestic discontent into external hostility rarely works because the factors that created the discontent remain unchanged. Does anyone who has interviewed the “Yellow Vests” in France seriously think that they are acting as they do because of manipulation from Moscow? Does anyone who has seriously studied the crisis of the white working classes in the USA believe they have voted for Trump because they have been swayed by Russian propaganda?

A More important link between Russia and America is the rise of Putin and Trump. Another is the rising death rate among working class males since the 1990’s in Russia and recently in America. In addition is the diseases and addictions fueled by economic, social and cultural insecurity and despair. In Central America a far more terrible version of these pathologies is driving millions of people to seek US asylum. This is driving U.S.  radicalization. Yet total US aid to Mexico in 2017 was less than that to is Ukraine or Egypt, and a fraction of that to Afghanistan. Does any truly responsible national establishment neglect its own neighborhood in this way?

Climate change threatens damage greater than anything the Chinese or Russian governments could or would wish to inflict. Yet media-politically generated hysteria over a minor Russia/Ukrainian clashes in the Sea of Azov could overshadowed close US-Russian co-operation to block the latest UN report on climate change.

There are real threats from Russia and China (notably trade) where the USA needs to push back. But these are limited issues which are negotiable or containable. They do not justifies restructuring western national geopolitical strategies and institutions around a new cold war. .

If Khrushchev had not transferred Crimea from the Russian Soviet Republic to the Ukrainian Soviet Republic in 1956, everyone would recognize the Sea of Azov as Russian, and this issue would not even exist. In the South China Sea, the USA is pushing back against China in the name of an international Law of the Sea which the USA itself does not recognize. If the Chinese were ever so mad as to use their position in the South China Sea against US trade, the US Navy could block Chinese trade to the whole of the rest of the world.”

Serbian nationalist triggered WW 1. Most British soldiers who died in the First World War had ever heard of Serbia or of Sarajevo. In the name of God, let us not make this mistake again.

PART 3
Prelude: Factors Indicating a New International Order

"Source The Creation of a New International Order
 Dr. George Friedman, Geopolitical Forecaster 20 min video

1. The 21st century will be politically volatile,
more like the 19th century than the second half of the 20th century.

2. World is no longer "hard wired" to a liberal international order.
    
3. The French Revolution and Enlightenment were correct.
The nation state is needed to bind people together.

4. World will revolve around nations.
a. US with 25% of the world economy, even when acting stupidly, still must be considered.
b. Russia, dependent on oil prices, will again continue her decline.
c. China will begin more normal economic growth but must deal with a billion poor people.
d. Germany is trade dependent in stagnating world, continues mercantilism, will not lead.
e. Japan has third largest GDP, a stable society, a strong Navy and is the Asian power.
f. Russia who faces an equal Turkey, hopes for coexistence, and hopes not to react.
g. Poland is fastest growing European economy and must be considered.

5. Old Mistakes
1. Multilateral Organizations Solve All of Problems.
2. Harvard Graduate Manage Organizations Solves Problems.

See The Next 100 Years

Related Materials

1. America First' has won, by Robert Kagan at NYT.

2. Saving Liberal Democracy from the Extremes, FT's M. Wolf

3. The Far-right Book Every-Russian General Reads

See Trump's New Political Era?
Situation 1 Stability Ends, U.S. Dominance Continues

2018 Begins A New International Order  Option 1
Peter Zeihan on Power and Global Disorder in 2018 22 min video11/8/18
See book videos The Accidental Superpower   The Absent Superpower

Index

Preface:
Peter bases his analysis on the US no longer maintaining global order
which only existed to win the now won 25 years Cold War.

Index

1. Designing a US Foreign Policy

2. Friends and Family Plan

3. U.S. Has a Strong Geopolitical Position

4. Requirements for Success

5. Expected Global Conflicts

6. Very Recent Changes

1-1 Designing a US Foreign Policy

Determining what we want requires

Fixing the Political Party System at a time when political parties are in a reinvention process
which last happened in the 1930's. It took 12 years.

Have a Conversation on replacing the Breton Woods trading system
which was designed to win the Cold War by fostering world trades.

Set a Foreign Policy Goals

1-2 Friends and Family Option 1
Earn agreement of countries that are cultural and politically similar to US.
Canada, New Zeeland, United and probably Mexico

Earn agreements from a next group countries needing little maintenance
France, Japan, India, Thailand and some other southeast Asian countries 

TAKE IT or LEAVE IT message to Germany, China, Russia, Korea and say

1-3 U.S. Has a Strong Geopolitical Position

1. Largest strip of high-quality arable land in the world

2. Most Navigable Water ways in the world

3. Control best parts of a continent with moats on either side

4. If US trading system breaks down, US suffers the least!   but

5. Trade is how we subsidized the Global system so getting NAFTA correct is important.

6. US is delusional thinking China is the next super power,
    given she has only managed to hold together for 300 years.

See What Will Matter Are Water, Energy, Soil and Food--and a Shared National Purpose

1-4 Requirements for Success

Geography that is productive and protected from outside forces
U.S very good , Georgia very bad

Economically Favorable Demography for high growth with
younger members spending, mature members earning and investing
US doing well as baby boomers had kids, the Millennials
Financial burden of the US relatively small baby boomer demographic will end
China, Japan, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain
have the highest tax paying work force they will ever have.
Only Spain and GB are not past the point of Demographic regeneration.
The others are "terminal countries."
Few countries, maybe the French and New Zeeland have a favorable demographic

Ample energy to fuel the economy as dependency put a governor on grown

Doing this analysis was reported in Accidental Superpower.

1-5 Expected Global Conflicts

Nuclear armed Russia, a seriously terminal country, is our biggest fear
and we should keep relations reasonable positive.
She is an economic and demographic tragic disaster and
will probably  not exist as a country within 40 years.
Bush 2 and Obama's Russian relations were criminally mishandled

Withdrawing as world's protector means little need to contain China,
that is Japans concern, to contain Iran is the concern f Turkey the Saudis/

Nukes will be used but not against us as no one is close
to our equal except Russia, which is a US concern.

Korean nukes are only a delivery problem,
there existence is a South Korean/Japanese worry.

Potential Conflicts
Persian Gulf between Iran and Saudis
Eurasian Fringe War with Russia vs. Germans, Poles, Scandinavians and Brits
Naval conflict between China, Japan S Korea and Taiwan as they try to keep themselves
fueled as middle east and Russian supplies become harder to come by.

1-6 Very Recent Changes

Happening faster because Obama did less than expected,
almost as if he did not want to have conversations with people.

Near the end he new how important factors were Interconnected.
How China's economy worked
Why Russia interfered with the election system,
Solar energy needs a backup
What a good tax policy would look like

Obama did not care enough to have related policies.
He had understanding but no policy.
With Trump, no understanding but a commitment to some policy.
Which is worse?

US has forced a acceleration of adjustments by world players.
1. Brexit as the European Union disintegration accelerates.
2. Chinas need for rapid growth while US still managing World security.
3. Xi tries to cooperate as without free trade, china fall apart.

 
Situation 2 U.S. Liberal Foreign Policy Failed Option 2

The Great Delusion by John J. Mearsheimer video

2-1 Definitions
Liberalism: Focus on individualism and makes allowance for social contracts.
All have inalienable rights, it is universalism.
Nationalism: Focus on social group, tribalism, anf make allowances for individualism.
Realism: Focus on the top of the geopolitical food chain, the state,
Balance of Power is realist's only concern, political system is irrelevant, a black box approach.
Liberal foreign policy to spread liberal democracy has not ben possible.
Defensive Realists seek geopolitical balance by limiting aggression and perpetuating  the status quo.
Against force in Vietnam because balance of power was not at stake.
Nationalism, "the" most powerful geopolitical doctrine, made US Vietnam success problematic.

2-2 Unipolar World
Collapse of Soviet Union created a Unipolar World.
U.S. Liberal Foreign Policy has three goals.
Spread Liberal Democracy by toppling dictatorships.
Build Open International System.
Expand International Institutions.

2-3 U.S. Liberal Geopolitical Hegemony Advantages
Human Rights generally protected as
interstate conflict, terrorism are less prevalent.

2-4 Failures of Liberal Foreign Policy
Perusing a Liberal Hegemony throughout Middle East
after the Iranian confrontation was won failed because of Nationalism.

Zone of Liberal Democracies created by expanding NATO eastward
soured important positive relations with nuclear superpower Russia who,
will be needed to balance the power that is China. Problems created by
the West in Georgia and Ukraine resulted in Russia reentering geopolitics.

Driving both Russia and Iran toward China is not appropriate policy.

Liberal foreign policy toward China ignored balance of power concern by creating a Goliath.

National Security State being needed to fight for Democracy around the world has
led to the bypassing of Congress and the degradation of individual liberties.
A Foreign Policy aimed at creating a Liberal Hegemony has failed.

2-5 A Realist Grand Strategy
Isolationism to avoid foreign entanglements
Offshore Balancing uses regional powers to check potential hostile power.
Selective Engagement limits US engagement to events affecting security and Prosparity.
 
Situation 3 Responding to China: A Strategic Plan Option 3
 Source Latest from Kevin Rudd

1. Preface

U.S. Government Not Designed for Governmental Grand Strategies
a. Separation of powers requires compromise
b. Many want limited government
c. Private Sector Renewals solve problems

Recent Exception After WW 2
a. The Long Telegram described a very aggressive Soviet Union.

b. Result was a 40-year multi-administration coordinated policy of containment.
 c. It worked-The Cold War ended peacefully

 Containment Success
 a. Fragility of Soviet Economy and Society Caused Implosion from Within
b. China is very different.

Trump Would Say We Have a Strategic Policy

1. National Security Strategy issued in 12/2017
2. National Defense Strategy issued in 1/2018
3. Future of US Defense Manufacturing Industry issued mid 2018

2. US Strategic Plan

Era of Strategic Engagement Over Replaced by Strategic Competition

a. Engagement-you engage and one side backs down.
b. Competition is more adversarial but no guidelines given.
c. Rules to be determined

3. Washington's Latest Attitude Toward China Not Positive.
 a. Makes any kind of convergence of societies difficult
b. Move toward McCarthyism in U.S. and Australia is not good Foreign Policy.

4. Geopolitical Factors for Next Four Years
 a. China under Xi Jinping "will resist any forces: economic, social, political, or foreign
    which in any way challenge the long-term survival of the Communist Party.
b. Strong-man, long-time party member, assistant Vice Premier Li Keqiang
    has moved toward markets rankling conservative politburo bureau members.

Situation 4. Trump's Trade War Becomes Geopolitical War
Editor W. Antoniotti 5/21/19

Part 1 Summary

Steve Bannon and Kyle Bass on China Trade Deal
      Both agree that the move to confrontational capitalism is warranted.
 Tom Friedman agrees on the seriousness of issues.

Parag Khanna Google’s pulling Huawei's Android license is 'intimately connected' to US-China trade war.
 

Editor's Prelude:
Trump wants sacrifice to possibly protect against a possible Chinese Hegemony replacing US Hegemony
Democrats want sacrifice to possibly protect against a possible climate change.
Historically the US has delayed sacrifice until the last possible moment.

Part 1 Trump's Will not blink!

His objective is to enhance political awareness of China's Geopolitical potentials long neglected by Clinton, Bush 2, Obama/Bidden. All of neglected  worker and blinked to China's business model because they wanted to Avoiding Thucydides Trap.

Kevin Rudd feels Xi Jinping ability to consolidated more power is partially based on  fulfilling a  “China Dream.” He can’t back down.

Trumps China Trade Strategy according to Bannon
Forced Armistice in a long existing China instituted Trade War

Use, for the first time, a Whole-of-Government strategy uniting Democrats and Republicans to create the structural changes necessary to integrate China into the Democratic Free Market economy.

Bannon feels Corporate America, the Communist Party's lobbying firm,
and Wall Street, China's PR firm, use pressure to limit  Trump's Geopolitical agenda.
Pressure also comes from Republican free traders.

Kyle Bass agrees ant points out that  corporate America tried to limit the activities of the US Committee on Foreign Investment. (CFIYS)

The Other Side of the Story

In the 2016 Democratic Party nomination battle, Sanders did well in this while area while Hillary flip-flopped.

Is it a Geopolitical War?


After WW 2 U.S. strategy to contain communism was followed by every administration until RR closed the deal.

Does Kyle have a vested interest in protecting U.S. investors?

 
China's Main Political Economy Goal

Keep Communist party in power

Control Asia's Political Economy with One Belt, One Road expansion
creating debt followed by default using 5G superiority to complete
a made in China 2025 policy enhanced by trade to manage US
companies to force US out of Asia.

Control Program names have changed to counter western apprehension  concerning Chinese dominance.
 

Give a Point to Bannon, but

US Capitalistic Oligarchs
have always had control of power.

U.S. Control America's political economy
with a Managed a Constituting .

Is Inability of Democracy to equitably apportion income finally inspiring change?

China's Political Economy

1. China has  a suppressive, controlling, totalitarian dictatorship that uses new technology like facial recognition to accomplish their geopolitical aims. To  maintain status quo communist party oligarchs implement reforms to subdue opposition, and to protected the party from repudiation/retaliation.

US differs: rule of law, a constitution, free Speech, free religion, free Enterprise, and Markets Capitalism.
Fareed Zakaria thinks tying America's principle to Trump's attacking Huawei is important.
 Parag Khanna feels Google’s move to pull Huawei's Android license is 'intimately connected' to US-China trade war just forces her to plan B which is her own operating system. Apple a big player in China, will must diversify in Asia or continue to lose ground. The trade war and export controls will slow and maybe reverse the progress of some US tech companies while encouraging China's 2025 efforts. Rearranging supply chains will be easy for China.

Steve Lavine , "Etched into Chinese policy is the unforgettable humiliation of the Opium Wars of the 19th century, when the U.S. and Britain forced China into far-reaching concessions." axios.com 1/16/19

  

Keep business oligarch control

Founding fathers Feared Direct Democracy so their control began early, required  compromise with a watchful eye on continuing Power Grabs.

 
2. China is  using free trade with a dash of Predatory Capitalism
combined with mercantilism to gain control of Asia in much the same way
England used East India Company profits  to finance her colonial America empire.		 US did the same thing in the Carrabin under the guise of the Monroe Doctrine. We  used Business Oligarchs, helped by a succession of Presidents, to take economic control while showing little individual wellbeing consideration.
3. Trumps wants structural changes to negate China's Control Tools.

1) Forced Industrial Transfer
2) Nontrade barriers
3) Currency manipulation
4) Cyber intrusions
5) Exporting deflation
6) State Owned Enterprises

Bannon China must be forced to make changes.

Tom Friedman agrees with the severity of the problem,
worries about the politics, and corporation from Europe
with the same problems. Fareed Zakaria concerned that the
a bipolar world hurting globalization of the world economy.

Tom would of 1) signed TPP because it was 40% of Worlds GDP and designed to protect IP
2) got Europeans on our side and not have bothered with steel and aluminum tariffs Fareed agrees
3) Negotiate in secrecy as we had the most leverage and our success would embarrassing Xi
Fareed worries developing countries might choose Huawei veer the US because it is cheaper and
they have fear of China and US both advantage snooping.

Kevin Rudd As US China trade negotiations seemingly enter an end game, there's one problem with Trump's "art of the deal". He prefers face to face brinkmanship. But there's no way Xi would go to Mar-a-Lago unless the deal was already done.  twitter 3/19/19

Bannon feels Europe will come around but their leaders, like the US leaders, accepted their ascension.
See Where Tom Friedman Agrees With Trump's China Trade Approach

 U.S. Controlled with a Post WW 2 Dollar Standard because she had enough consumer and business demand, financed by debt, to supply dollars for world trade. Dollars came back to the US as foreigners bought US assets and debt.

All of Asia exports, not just China's are deflation.

Steve, a member of the committee on   peril thinks controlling China requires an effort equal to that of controlling Russia. An equal playing feels for Globalization is his goal. Like Trump, he is much more aggressive.

3. Status quo in three stages
 
 Under Mayo politics ruled.
Under Ping, economic reform ruled but was modified when resulting stress
led to less harmony, slower growth and sluggish government.
Under Xi politics is back in command. 		 

3. Status Quo in three stages

Following the dollar to see how US oligarchs, lead by business, have maintained command of Geopolitics.

 
Editor on the US-China Trade War

Hopefully unlike most observers, Bannon understands that
the military industrial complex, not just Wall Street and Corporate America
control the Worlds Political Economy.

Gilded Age had business Oligarch exploiting immigrant, females/children/blacks, and immigrant labor, They fought
Progressive Movements Popularism physically and politically.

Supreme Court Manages Stress..
 Assigned Federal Government Sovereignty over Sates Governments, it
 protected Individual and business rights from arbitrary government action.
 It fulfilling the needs of presidents, congress, and citizens with civil war
anarchy the only major blemish of our 225 year constitution. 
 See Constitutional History of the United States.		 Between the lines.

Is Bannon still an anarchist or has he just added a new audience to the ultra conservative oligarch who finance his beliefs.

Does Bannon wants a managed wage move from West to East? This seems much less revolutionary than two years age

Bannon is not a big advocate of capitalism, not sure if he is a libertarian or a utopian, but he does choose his words carefully.

 

Sources
Steve Bannon and Kyle Bass on China Trade Deal

Additional contributions from Tom Friedman agrees on the seriousness of issues
Where Tom Friedman Agrees With Trump's China Trade Approach
 Steve Bannon: Trump is Doing the Right Thing in Challenging China
Parag Khanna feels Google’s move to pull Huawei's Android license is 'intimately connected' to US-China trade war
 

Part 2 Trump’s Foreign Policy

Brookings Institute: Thomas Wright

Trump  visceral foreign policy instincts date back three decades.
He has long rejected

1. US security alliances as unfair to the taxpayer,
with allies of conning Washington into defending them for free.

2. Trade deficits are a threat to U.S. interests rejecting virtually all
trade deals that the United States has negotiated since World War II.

3. Admires strongmen around the world: in 1990, for example,
he lamented Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev had not cracked down
on demonstrators as Beijing had in Tiananmen Square one year before.

Phase 1 was that of constraint from his inauguration until he grew frustrated
at [things like] McMaster’s arguing to keep troops in place.

Phase 2 began in 9/17 with the unilateral action began to bypass
the formal deliberative interagency decision making process and
announced the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
Soon he ended the Iran nuclear deal, imposed tariffs on friends
and rivals alike, renewed his criticism of NATO  keeping  troops in Syria.
Most famously, he decided to meet with Kim in Singapore without
consulting his national security cabinet and  made the unilateral
decision to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

A new empowering team began  2018 with the removal of Tillerson,
McMaster, and Cohn over three-weeks  with their replacements—
Mike Pompeo, John Bolton, and Larry Kudlow—all having personal
loyalty to Trump. Then UN Ambassador Nikki Haley’s departed,
then the Mattis’ resignation on December 21. 

A recent positive development from the administration
was welcomed by many foreign policy experts.
Recognized that Russia and China posed to the U.S.-led
international order and affirmed the importance of alliances.

National Security Strategy and National Defense Strategy
1) Moved focus from terrorism to great-power competition.
But Trump seems uninterested and his remarks introducing
the strategy with a single sentence about rival powers
with a plea for the importance of cooperation with Russia.

2) A transactional approach, it places little value in historical ties.
It has no permanent friends and no permanent enemies.
It favors Authoritarian governments that offer swift concessions
and are easier to deal with than with our democratic allies.
For example, Saudi Arabia was able to reduce the price of oil
to appease the president after the president sided with it
following the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

3) Leverage is used to gain an economic advantage
Examples 
1) Trump’s team entertained Poland’s bid to pay for a
U.S. military base in its country
2) has pressured the United Kingdom to pursue a hard
Brexit so that the United States could pocket concessions
 in talks on a bilateral U.S.-British free trade agreement.

" Paradoxically, the advent of a more unified and predictable U.S. foreign policy is likely to weaken American influence and destabilize the international order.
A deeply divided Trump administration was the best case for those who believe in
the United States’ postwar strategy, defined by strong alliances, an open global economy, and broad support for democracy, the rule of law, and human rights.
Because Trump was never going to change his worldview, his administration
had been marked by either division or agreement on his terms.
We now have the latter. Thus begins phase three—
the impact of a unified Trump administration on the world.

Source: Brookings Institute: Thomas Wright

Editor's Note:

Because Trump's methods put much of the foreign establishment
out of business, trusting this and similar Trump articles is difficult.
As a result, I include few opinions reporting mostly historical activities.

This entry was posted in Doomsday scenarios, Economic fundamentals, Europe, Guest Post, Income disparity, Politics, Russia on January 17, 2019 by Yves Smith.