"No, my point, based on all sorts of past historic evidence, was that gratuitously cutting China off from receiving the resources they require for their economy to function, just forces them to seek those resources by other means."

Just like BRICS de-dollarisation.
Hit everyone with tariffs and sanctions, soon those people will form a group, and trade with each other without you.
The West is just making it's troubles worse.

END GAME: U.S. Pays Record $1.2 TRILLION On Interest As Trump Demands Russian Peace NOW
http://youtu.be/VDWIlGenG1g

China CUTS OFF EU Banks, Bessent Orders EU To PUNISH BRICS, Trump Declares 300% Chips TARIFF
http://youtu.be/dcsJsQWc4V4

Bessent Just Panicked: Major DOLLAR DEVALUATION Is Coming As U.S. Demands Massive CUTS
http://youtu.be/ULHYR8OrCvA

Trumpster,

"I feel China can be nudged into playing fairly on the world economic stage". Not a word about the American tariff war, as they try to extricate themselves from their economic woes, by means of their own economic madness!

"China can be nudged into playing fairly on the world economic stage. Not a word about the American tariff war,"

Too complex for you Paul? Its the tariffs that are doing the majority of the nudging. A signal to Xi that the old ways of China getting a free ride from the US is over. For example, the US trade deficit with China in June 2025 fell by over 60% as compared to the previous year. China either plays nice or doesn't play at all.

Trumpster,

"China either plays nice or doesn't play at all." If China is the bad guy, then why all the tariffs on everyone, are we all the bad guys. Why the 10% tariff on Australia. AND with a decline in American imports, what effect does that have on American employment and living standards?

Paul, you shouldn't do numbers. You know you always get confused when you do.

The US tariffs on China are at around 53%. The US tariffs on Australia are 10%. You work out whose being nudged more to abide by the international rules.

"what effect does that have on American employment and living standards"

Well currently both are going up so you're obviously very confused.

This is yet more projection, mhaze.

//Paul, you shouldn't do numbers. You know you always get confused when you do.//

A bit rich coming from someone who just finished telling us that renewables had failed the test - a test you’d cooked up with the wrong numbers and the wrong measure.

If anyone’s track record on figures is shaky, it’s yours.

//The US tariffs on China are at around 53%. The US tariffs on Australia are 10%.///

“53%” isn’t the universal US tariff on Chinese goods, it’s the average rate on the subset Trump targeted. Many imports remain untouched, so presenting it as a blanket figure is misleading.

And Australia doesn’t face a flat 10% tariff either. Under AUSFTA, almost all Aussie exports still enter the US tariff-free. Trump’s broad 10% announcement has carve-outs and exemptions, it’s not a blanket impost on allies.

///You work out whose being nudged more to abide by the international rules.//

A one-month drop in the US-China deficit isn’t proof tariffs “nudged” Beijing into fair play. Economists across the spectrum agree those tariffs were mostly paid by US consumers and firms.

As for jobs and living standards - employment is strong, but not because of tariffs. Every serious study shows US firms and households paid nearly the full cost of Trump’s tariffs. Tariffs didn’t “nudge” Beijing, they acted as a hidden tax on Americans.

You shouldn't do numbers. You know you always get confused when you do.