A seamlessly unserious president: Damage from Trump’s protectionism mounts domestically as danger abroad rises. - "Before Alaska, Trump threatened Russia with 'very severe consequences' unless it took certain steps toward a Ukraine settlement. When Russia took none of them, and suffered no consequences, Trump emitted another gust of bluster: He would put a recalcitrant Russia in a 'rough situation.' It is probable that Putin yawned when, last Friday, Trump said his patience was 'running out fast” and 'we’re going to have to come down very, very strong.'"
‘More Hawkish Than When I Arrived’: A View From Inside China - "Second, 'our allies are our superpower,' Burns said. This is America's decisive asymmetric advantage. China has 14 neighbors and no treaty allies, save one with North Korea. The U.S. has a formidable network of powerful democracies in the Indo-Pacific and Europe who share its concerns.
"As Burns noted, when the U.S. adds the power of its alliance system to its own, America is 'significantly more powerful' than China. Antagonizing friends in Japan, South Korea, or Europe with punitive tariffs isn't tough—it's a 'strategic mistake,' as Burns put it, that weakens the U.S.’s hand against its primary competitor."
Four Bipartisan Efforts That Could Become Law: Checking in on across-the-aisle legislating.
Britain and France’s debt crises are bad. America’s will be worse.: Washington’s fiscal failings mirror Europe’s economic mess. - "America’s economy, workforce and tax code are not equipped to finance the expanding Social Security and Medicare shortfalls. France and Britain are at least debating solutions. The U.S. continues to slash taxes, add benefits and ignore unfathomable budget deficits. Yet the laws of math and economics always win eventually, and Americans are dangerously ill-prepared for what is coming."
