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The Trump Administration's Economic War on the World: Hitting Adversaries, Punishing Innocents, Angering Allies - Antiwar.com Original
'...Imagine. China is acting like … the US!
It’s almost charming to see such anger over Beijing’s behavior when America continues to be the global leader in using its economic power to penalize governments which refuse to heed its commands. In January the president said he would punish Iraq if it acted like a sovereign state and insisted on the withdrawal of American troops.
In June the Trump administration threatened to impose sanctions on everyone, including family members, associated with the International Criminal Court if it proceeded with plans to investigate US military personnel. Washington would treat a United Nations body created by multilateral treaty like Iran. And borrow enforcement tactics from North Korea, which punishes multiple generations for offenses against the regime.
Last month the Trump administration added new sanctions in an attempt to block construction of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline between Germany, a supposed ally, and Russia, essentially demanding that Berlin submit its energy policy to America for approval. (It is widely suspected in Europe that Washington’s ultimate objective is to force US natural gas exports into the German market.)
However, what continues to most set America apart from ever other country, including China, is the former’s insistence on conscripting the rest of the world to follow US policy. Originally American officials punished American companies and individuals trading with disfavored states. However, in the 1980s the US began expanding penalties for commerce with the Soviet Union and later Cuba to foreign, especially European, subsidiaries of American firms.
The next step, applied to Sudan in 1997, was financial sanctions, punishing any company or individual doing business with anyone in Sudan if they had the slightest connection to any US banking institution. Which prevented normal commerce, irrespective of where a firm was located. As a result, even Khartoum’s embassies had to operate on a cash basis. After the 9/11 attacks Washington extended this form of penalty. Today the US uses America’s dominant economic role to insist that every resident of earth follow Washington’s directives.
The Trump administration sanctions everyone everywhere for everything even if there is no likelihood that doing so will have any practical impact. That is most evident in the administration’s high-profile "maximum pressure" campaigns against Iran, North Korea, and Venezuela....."
'...Imagine. China is acting like … the US!
It’s almost charming to see such anger over Beijing’s behavior when America continues to be the global leader in using its economic power to penalize governments which refuse to heed its commands. In January the president said he would punish Iraq if it acted like a sovereign state and insisted on the withdrawal of American troops.
In June the Trump administration threatened to impose sanctions on everyone, including family members, associated with the International Criminal Court if it proceeded with plans to investigate US military personnel. Washington would treat a United Nations body created by multilateral treaty like Iran. And borrow enforcement tactics from North Korea, which punishes multiple generations for offenses against the regime.
Last month the Trump administration added new sanctions in an attempt to block construction of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline between Germany, a supposed ally, and Russia, essentially demanding that Berlin submit its energy policy to America for approval. (It is widely suspected in Europe that Washington’s ultimate objective is to force US natural gas exports into the German market.)
However, what continues to most set America apart from ever other country, including China, is the former’s insistence on conscripting the rest of the world to follow US policy. Originally American officials punished American companies and individuals trading with disfavored states. However, in the 1980s the US began expanding penalties for commerce with the Soviet Union and later Cuba to foreign, especially European, subsidiaries of American firms.
The next step, applied to Sudan in 1997, was financial sanctions, punishing any company or individual doing business with anyone in Sudan if they had the slightest connection to any US banking institution. Which prevented normal commerce, irrespective of where a firm was located. As a result, even Khartoum’s embassies had to operate on a cash basis. After the 9/11 attacks Washington extended this form of penalty. Today the US uses America’s dominant economic role to insist that every resident of earth follow Washington’s directives.
The Trump administration sanctions everyone everywhere for everything even if there is no likelihood that doing so will have any practical impact. That is most evident in the administration’s high-profile "maximum pressure" campaigns against Iran, North Korea, and Venezuela....."