And that deal had nothing to do with making allies. It was about selling seed and grain.
The point of it all is not to avoid dealing with bullies. That is not realistic. We are not in a position to do that. It’s, rather, to ensure that we’re not just a vassal state to a single bully, to be taken for granted.
It weakens the US position if we have other large markets to sell our shit to. It weakens China’s position if we haave options beyond them. We don’t make ourselves stronger by closing doors and hoping we lock ourselves in with the best bully, but ensuring there are a large number of open ones for us to escape through when things get abusive.
And that deal had nothing to do with making allies. It was about selling seed and grain.
The point of it all is not to avoid dealing with bullies. That is not realistic. We are not in a position to do that. It’s, rather, to ensure that we’re not just a vassal state to a single bully, to be taken for granted.
It weakens the US position if we have other large markets to sell our shit to. It weakens China’s position if we haave options beyond them. We don’t make ourselves stronger by closing doors and hoping we lock ourselves in with the best bully, but ensuring there are a large number of open ones for us to escape through when things get abusive.