Trump's principal war motivation was not human rights, natural resources, or even nuclear weapons. According to this farcical theory, it was all about China.
Does the author actually think that Iran was not pursueing a nuclear weapon? 30 years of actions by the regime say otherwise. They didn't enrich to 60% levels for civilian purposes so it's obvious whattheir int ent was. The argument that if we didn't strike they would build enough ballistic misdiles and launchers that they would be invulnerable to US and Israeli attack without massive destruction of ME oil and Israeli cities is also plausible and reason enough to attack now. Actually those are two very good reasons and if the author can actually argue how Iran having a Nuke is not an existential threat to both the "Big and Little Saten" I'd sure like to see it!
Iran put it's head in the noose and then when it failed to negotiate in good faith, jumped off the stool.
Hello! The piece wasn’t about Iran’s nuclear ambitions, civilian or military. Hopefully that clears up why I didn’t go to great lengths to examine what you’re looking for.
Iran already has the capabilities to do what you have been fearing, and yet, they haven't done it. They also have been "days" and "weeks" away from a nuke for 30+ years, as you state. Think about that....
Glenn has gone more absurd than Democrats and Al Jazeera. Yes China oil importation is affected by Iran and Venezuela. Yes Cuba are communists and negotiating. Yes, China and Brazil are using Peru ports and trains.
Relax. The political defenses being offered don't matter. They have nothing to do with the facts that sent us to war with Iran. You know this. You know we want our pal, Israel, to be Top Dog in the Middle East. You know we don't want China's pal, Iran, to eclipse them. The rest is polemics.
Hi, Michael. I’d argue that they matter for a couple of reasons. For starters, war with (and increased hate for) China is still a real possibility. Not vilifying a country reflexively is, in my mind, a good thing if it avoids war. Likewise, some people don’t know about our “pal, Israel.” But they want to know, and they may just go looking on Substack for answers.
The point you missed here is when China buys oil from other Middle East nations it buys it in US dollars. The oil it buys from Iran is in Yuan which weakens the US and makes Iran spend that yuan money in China because it isn’t easily a swapped currency in the open market because of sanctions. The quiet part doesn’t need to be said out loud Venezuela was doing the same deal. Keeping the “Petro dollar” might not mean anything to you but you can trust it means everything to the global economy. Biden in his infinite wisdom effectively killed it and this is what needs to be done to undue that idiotic move. Just because China isn’t being said out loud doesn’t make it any less true. China now needing to purchase oil on the open market and not getting deep discounts by Venezuela and Iran is somehow bad? Use your head. Two things can be true at the same time and just because it isn’t spelled out for you it doesn’t mean it isn’t true. My god.
China has an agreement in place to provide hypersonic missiles to the apocalyptic fanatics that run Iran. If you think that is an absurd reason to attack before they receive them you need to brush up on modern armaments.
That agreement is referenced in the article — and it importantly isn’t finalized yet, actually. But given that we’re bombing Iran again for the second time in less than a year, don’t you think that’s a powerful incentive for the Iranians to finalize it?
Thank G-d it isn't finalized...Don't you think that we should confront evil rather than wait for it to get stronger? Why must every generation learn this anew? PM Chamberlain was a well respected member of the ruling class, educated and without a scintilla of wisdom. It took the ruffian Mr. Churchill To set things right. The smooth talking Pres. Obama tried to accommodate this regime as well with predictable results. You either confront your difficulties or you experience them.
It IS about China.....and it isn't a 4-D chess calculation, if you don't fail to include all of the variables!
This is a monetary war! It's about the US Dollar.....and its reserve currency status......and the United States fear that it's about to lose that status. It is the last flailing, writhing, "death rattle" of a nation of Empire......and debt.
The United States, as well as most Western nation states, is bankrupt. Sure, the US has the Federal Reserve, able to print Dollars out of thin air......which is nice, considering it's the world's reserve currency and all, but when foreign governments refuse to continue to buy our Treasuries with all their trade surplus Dollars, and start to develop a financial system that will bypass SWIFT and make US sanctions impotent (i.e. BRICS), Then the US has a HUGE monetary problem (see Charles Ponzi here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ponzi_scheme).
Add in a sprinkle of Israel's "Greater Israel" ambitions, and here we are.
The US is preparing for World War, and they are buttoning up the oil and raw materials they'll need to wage this war.
What do Venezuela and Iran have in common? BINGO! Oil!
What Middle Eastern nation could be a thorn in the side of the Western alliance, while we are extracting oil for our war efforts? You guessed it. Iran! We are preparing the theater for conflict. Assembling the resources. Using our largest asset.....Our military war machine!
Don't get me wrong, I'm NOT in favor of this. I actually hate it! I would much rather our nation had remained a Republic, limited by the US Constitution, as written.
By the way, you can also apply this thesis of mine to the Ukrainian/Russian conflict, if you try.
But who am I, just a businessman, with my one vote, paying 50% of my income toward this slow motion train wreck!
I understand what you’re saying, Sam. But like I said in the piece: acknowledging that there are implications of war is different than saying, “This war is about XYZ because of this implication.” I completely agree that American global dominance could be fortified by this move. It also could be forfeited!
The sheer idiocy of this is that the one most likely beneficiary from this war will be China.
We won't benefit. Israel won't benefit. Iran DEFINITELY won't benefit. Russia may benefit, and China ultimately will. It's all going to push Iran right into China's arms.
I appreciate the article, but to your admission, not even the Trump Administration has floated the idea that this is even partially about China, and I am sure they would love more justifications for this war. Sure, there are some conservative media figures using the China excuse, probably due to them realizing this war may end up being a complete failure for Trump and the Republican Party. They are just grasping for straws right now from what I’ve seen. This China idea just highlights how the Trump Admin’s messaging has been regarding this war. They are constantly shifting narratives and no clear or consistent stance.
The Wall Street Journal jumps ship: 'WASHINGTON—President Trump said he was eyeing a quick end to the war in Iran, as some of his advisers privately urged him to look for an exit plan amid spiking oil prices and concerns that a lengthy conflict could spark political backlash. '
This is a very well reasoned expose of the “China boogeyman” story that is being trotted out repeatedly. It’s not that the CCP is not planning the destruction of USA hegemony, it’s that our leaders are conspicuously not doing anything to deter it. Rubio was entirely truthful when he said the Iran attack was for and about Israel. I think that the American people have accepted this and moved on and the only question now is whether any of it will benefit the Iranian people or not.
I noticed your use of "One would think"; you could have used "probably" or "perhaps" to indicate an unknown.
Yes, we know, you and your circle hate Trump, but he has managed to cut China off from cheap oil and force them to use dollars on the open market, and he stopped Iran's weapons program and (for the moment) defanged the world's largest sponsor of terrorism.
The US and Iran have been at odds since 1979, when they chant "Death to America" and "Death to Israel." They mean it. I would not be surprised if the Israeli government told Trump they would use all means to stop Iran from getting the bomb, up to and including the use of nuclear weapons. Considering the last time a government said they were going to exterminate the Jews, they almost did.
Last of all, Trump is well on the way to curtailing Chinese and Russian influence in the Western hemisphere, and while he zigs and zags, he is getting things done.
Suggestion, read Trump's book, The Art of the Deal, or ask AI to summarize it for you for some insight.
The idea that this war has nothing to do with China or Russia is laughable. In the words of Sleepy Joe: C’mon, man! Follow the oil and the weapons. The Strait of Hormuz is the artery of Asian energy—most of that crude flows straight to China, India, and the industrial engines of the East. Who bankrolls and arms Iran? Beijing and Moscow. Chinese cash keeps Tehran afloat. Russian weapons keep its military dangerous. When the U.S. and Israel smash Iran’s military infrastructure, it sends a message far beyond Tehran. The people losing sleep aren’t just the ayatollahs—they’re Xi and Putin watching America demonstrate what real power looks like.
I said this war’s not “all about China.” You say that it’s “laughable” to claim that this war has nothing to do with China or Russia. Who are you arguing with?
This war obviously has implications for China, but you’re going to have to gather some evidence to claim that this war was initiated because of China.
Cole, you’re arguing against a straw man. I never said the war was only about China. I said pretending China and Russia aren’t central to the strategic picture is absurd. Iran doesn’t operate in a vacuum—it’s part of a geopolitical triangle with Beijing and Moscow. China buys the oil that keeps Tehran solvent. Russia supplies weapons and military coordination. Both depend on the same regional leverage against the West. So when Iran’s capabilities get smashed, the ripple effects hit their entire axis. Strategy isn’t about a single motive—it’s about layered objectives. Weakening Tehran simultaneously pressures Beijing and Moscow. That’s not conspiracy. That’s basic geopolitics.
Now, let me ask you a question: Do you subscribe to the historical theory that the Spanish Civil War was "Hitler's Dress Rehearsal"? Because give it a week and all the Woke-Bots will be saying Iran is Orange Hitler's Dress Rehearsal for WWIII. Some are already saying it.
'...The people losing sleep aren’t just the ayatollahs—they’re Xi and Putin watching America demonstrate what real power looks like.'
Au contraire. I think we're demonstrating solely military power -- and we're about to demonstrate its limitations.
Military force is a tool -- and like any tool, it can only be useful for certain applications, and only if it is used correctly. All we're accomplishing with it at the moment is destroying our legitimacy as global hegemon, unifying Iran, and helping China to replace us.
Well, we're also putting another nail in Israel's coffin, but that effect's not intended.
I did a search of your article for "every". Not one result. Zero. Zip.
How can you write an article entitled "Iran War Supporters Invent a New and Absurd Justification: It Is All About China" without the word every? More precisely Every. As in Michael Every, a Brit, working for the large Dutch agriculture focused bank Rabobank. Really?
Located in Singapore, Mr. Every, before Trump 2.0 and even before Trump 1.0, has been writing and speaking on geopolitics and its impact on financial markets. In September 2021, during the Wynken (Yellen), Blynken (Blinken) and Nod (Biden) administration, Michael Every, and others, wrote a report titled In Deep Ship. In March 2025, Trump announced the Office of Shipbuilding.
Spend an hour twenty-three here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sTkt0dtxF4. He has refined his ideas over more than a decade, but once you hear his perspective, it is hard not to see the connections to what has happened and is happening. Yes it is about China. Has been.
This isn't random. This isn't rage. This isn't because Epstein. This isn't 25th Amendment stuff. This is the most effective, whether one likes it or not, presidential administration in my lifetime. To ignore that is to miss much. Detractors are always off target as the result.
One more thing. Did you watch the ceremony to sign the data center electricity pledge? During the introductions Trump mentioned to the people signing for companies owned by Musk, Bezos and others, without mentioning names asked each to say hello to their friends. Most people would see this as Trump sucking up to billionaires. What he actually did was put Musk, Bezos and others in that seat. Signers in spirit if not ink. Now imagine Joe Biden in that situation. You can't, because Wynken, Blynken and Nod never would have gotten there, let alone have had the mental acuity to do it.
1: ridiculously unreasonable, unsound, or incongruous
an absurd argument
: extremely silly or ridiculous
absurd humor
2: having no rational or orderly relationship to human life : meaningless
an absurd universe
also : lacking order or value
an absurd existence
3: dealing with the absurd (see absurd entry 2) or with absurdism
At the time the Clinton administration was negotiating China's ascension to the WTO and the granting of MFN trading status, they knew one thing for certain. They knew that it would decimate industries within the United States. Think textiles and furniture among others. They were right.
In exchange for decimating industries, communities and families in the United States, the Clinton administration saw two anticipated benefits. One was that participation among the trading nations of the world would encourage and lead to democracy in China. Xi is dictator for life. That one is a bust. Two, that American businesses would gain access to the more than 1 billion consumers in China. I can write much on this, but lets say this did not turn out quite a hoped. The driver being that China chose not to compete on a basis of free trade, let alone fair trade. China chose to compete as a mercantilist.
Key takeaways on mercantilism from Investopedia:
1. Mercantilism was an economic practice from the 16th to 18th century, where nations sought to increase wealth through export surplus and controlled trade.
2. The system emphasized accumulating precious metals and often used military force to protect trade interests and enforce monopolistic practices.
3. Although considered outdated, elements of mercantilism persist today, with countries like China and Russia controlling trade and imposing tariffs.
More than ten-years ago, Michael Every saw the deal was bad for western countries, and America in particular. A mercantilist China could not be allowed to continue unimpeded. I think it was in a January 2024 interview that Mr. Every said this could not go on as it had for four more years.
Do you read the Yes, I give a fig Substack of Michael W. Green? He got a pop for arguing the poverty line in the US is more like low six-figures, rather than the government set limit of $33k for a family of four. He too is a finance guy. A manager of assets. Within a piece issued on Sunday https://substack.com/home/post/p-190105807 he writes the following.
"While the US press breathlessly extols the risk to the US, our Israeli allies are leading the human intelligence operations. This is not an Israeli war, no matter what deflection Marko Rubio attempts. This is a strategic action by the United States to disrupt Chinese trade routes (especially for oil)."
"The US has one objective — to prevent China from breaking out of the first island chain:"
"If the US can destroy China’s trade routes AND convince them not to move on Taiwan, it’s game over."
So back to the word absurd and its definition. Are the two Michael's mentioned above ridiculously unreasonable, unsound, or incongruous? I think not. Are they system thinkers? I think so. They may see the world through a different lens, but they are not absurd.
Your headline is absolutely wrong. Its use of the word "absurd" is well...what word am I looking for?
The last word to Michael Every. On Thursday he wrote, "Yet to say there’s a lot riding on the US-China angle, which most commentators have belatedly explained this Iran war is all about, is an understatement."
Great article! It’s a tireless job to debunk these propaganda stories but it’s a worthy endeavor. Keep it up!!
“If the U.S. really wants to wreck China, it does not need to pulverize Persia.” Sums it up well!!
Does the author actually think that Iran was not pursueing a nuclear weapon? 30 years of actions by the regime say otherwise. They didn't enrich to 60% levels for civilian purposes so it's obvious whattheir int ent was. The argument that if we didn't strike they would build enough ballistic misdiles and launchers that they would be invulnerable to US and Israeli attack without massive destruction of ME oil and Israeli cities is also plausible and reason enough to attack now. Actually those are two very good reasons and if the author can actually argue how Iran having a Nuke is not an existential threat to both the "Big and Little Saten" I'd sure like to see it!
Iran put it's head in the noose and then when it failed to negotiate in good faith, jumped off the stool.
Hello! The piece wasn’t about Iran’s nuclear ambitions, civilian or military. Hopefully that clears up why I didn’t go to great lengths to examine what you’re looking for.
Iran already has the capabilities to do what you have been fearing, and yet, they haven't done it. They also have been "days" and "weeks" away from a nuke for 30+ years, as you state. Think about that....
Your post isn't even worth debunking.
What does any of that have to do with China?
30 years? Do you recall when JCPOA was terminated? Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Glenn has gone more absurd than Democrats and Al Jazeera. Yes China oil importation is affected by Iran and Venezuela. Yes Cuba are communists and negotiating. Yes, China and Brazil are using Peru ports and trains.
Relax. The political defenses being offered don't matter. They have nothing to do with the facts that sent us to war with Iran. You know this. You know we want our pal, Israel, to be Top Dog in the Middle East. You know we don't want China's pal, Iran, to eclipse them. The rest is polemics.
Hi, Michael. I’d argue that they matter for a couple of reasons. For starters, war with (and increased hate for) China is still a real possibility. Not vilifying a country reflexively is, in my mind, a good thing if it avoids war. Likewise, some people don’t know about our “pal, Israel.” But they want to know, and they may just go looking on Substack for answers.
Got it, Cole. And mostly agree. I'm just afraid our hero Glenn is slipping into the "vilifying reflexively" category....
Glenn did not write this article; Cole did.
Yeah...I know.
Glenn just wrote the last umpteen.
The point you missed here is when China buys oil from other Middle East nations it buys it in US dollars. The oil it buys from Iran is in Yuan which weakens the US and makes Iran spend that yuan money in China because it isn’t easily a swapped currency in the open market because of sanctions. The quiet part doesn’t need to be said out loud Venezuela was doing the same deal. Keeping the “Petro dollar” might not mean anything to you but you can trust it means everything to the global economy. Biden in his infinite wisdom effectively killed it and this is what needs to be done to undue that idiotic move. Just because China isn’t being said out loud doesn’t make it any less true. China now needing to purchase oil on the open market and not getting deep discounts by Venezuela and Iran is somehow bad? Use your head. Two things can be true at the same time and just because it isn’t spelled out for you it doesn’t mean it isn’t true. My god.
Right on.
Well said.
China has an agreement in place to provide hypersonic missiles to the apocalyptic fanatics that run Iran. If you think that is an absurd reason to attack before they receive them you need to brush up on modern armaments.
That agreement is referenced in the article — and it importantly isn’t finalized yet, actually. But given that we’re bombing Iran again for the second time in less than a year, don’t you think that’s a powerful incentive for the Iranians to finalize it?
Thank G-d it isn't finalized...Don't you think that we should confront evil rather than wait for it to get stronger? Why must every generation learn this anew? PM Chamberlain was a well respected member of the ruling class, educated and without a scintilla of wisdom. It took the ruffian Mr. Churchill To set things right. The smooth talking Pres. Obama tried to accommodate this regime as well with predictable results. You either confront your difficulties or you experience them.
It IS about China.....and it isn't a 4-D chess calculation, if you don't fail to include all of the variables!
This is a monetary war! It's about the US Dollar.....and its reserve currency status......and the United States fear that it's about to lose that status. It is the last flailing, writhing, "death rattle" of a nation of Empire......and debt.
The United States, as well as most Western nation states, is bankrupt. Sure, the US has the Federal Reserve, able to print Dollars out of thin air......which is nice, considering it's the world's reserve currency and all, but when foreign governments refuse to continue to buy our Treasuries with all their trade surplus Dollars, and start to develop a financial system that will bypass SWIFT and make US sanctions impotent (i.e. BRICS), Then the US has a HUGE monetary problem (see Charles Ponzi here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ponzi_scheme).
Add in a sprinkle of Israel's "Greater Israel" ambitions, and here we are.
The US is preparing for World War, and they are buttoning up the oil and raw materials they'll need to wage this war.
What do Venezuela and Iran have in common? BINGO! Oil!
What Middle Eastern nation could be a thorn in the side of the Western alliance, while we are extracting oil for our war efforts? You guessed it. Iran! We are preparing the theater for conflict. Assembling the resources. Using our largest asset.....Our military war machine!
Don't get me wrong, I'm NOT in favor of this. I actually hate it! I would much rather our nation had remained a Republic, limited by the US Constitution, as written.
By the way, you can also apply this thesis of mine to the Ukrainian/Russian conflict, if you try.
But who am I, just a businessman, with my one vote, paying 50% of my income toward this slow motion train wreck!
It's their world......we just live in it!
------------------------
I understand what you’re saying, Sam. But like I said in the piece: acknowledging that there are implications of war is different than saying, “This war is about XYZ because of this implication.” I completely agree that American global dominance could be fortified by this move. It also could be forfeited!
Nailed it.
The sheer idiocy of this is that the one most likely beneficiary from this war will be China.
We won't benefit. Israel won't benefit. Iran DEFINITELY won't benefit. Russia may benefit, and China ultimately will. It's all going to push Iran right into China's arms.
Since Iran was already in China's arms, what is next, Spooning?
WTF are you talking about? Who do you think has been buying the black market cheap Venezuelan and Iranian oil?
I appreciate the article, but to your admission, not even the Trump Administration has floated the idea that this is even partially about China, and I am sure they would love more justifications for this war. Sure, there are some conservative media figures using the China excuse, probably due to them realizing this war may end up being a complete failure for Trump and the Republican Party. They are just grasping for straws right now from what I’ve seen. This China idea just highlights how the Trump Admin’s messaging has been regarding this war. They are constantly shifting narratives and no clear or consistent stance.
The Wall Street Journal jumps ship: 'WASHINGTON—President Trump said he was eyeing a quick end to the war in Iran, as some of his advisers privately urged him to look for an exit plan amid spiking oil prices and concerns that a lengthy conflict could spark political backlash. '
That is to say, this is turning into a fiasco.
Try not to believe everything you read in the press.
This is a very well reasoned expose of the “China boogeyman” story that is being trotted out repeatedly. It’s not that the CCP is not planning the destruction of USA hegemony, it’s that our leaders are conspicuously not doing anything to deter it. Rubio was entirely truthful when he said the Iran attack was for and about Israel. I think that the American people have accepted this and moved on and the only question now is whether any of it will benefit the Iranian people or not.
I noticed your use of "One would think"; you could have used "probably" or "perhaps" to indicate an unknown.
Yes, we know, you and your circle hate Trump, but he has managed to cut China off from cheap oil and force them to use dollars on the open market, and he stopped Iran's weapons program and (for the moment) defanged the world's largest sponsor of terrorism.
The US and Iran have been at odds since 1979, when they chant "Death to America" and "Death to Israel." They mean it. I would not be surprised if the Israeli government told Trump they would use all means to stop Iran from getting the bomb, up to and including the use of nuclear weapons. Considering the last time a government said they were going to exterminate the Jews, they almost did.
Last of all, Trump is well on the way to curtailing Chinese and Russian influence in the Western hemisphere, and while he zigs and zags, he is getting things done.
Suggestion, read Trump's book, The Art of the Deal, or ask AI to summarize it for you for some insight.
The idea that this war has nothing to do with China or Russia is laughable. In the words of Sleepy Joe: C’mon, man! Follow the oil and the weapons. The Strait of Hormuz is the artery of Asian energy—most of that crude flows straight to China, India, and the industrial engines of the East. Who bankrolls and arms Iran? Beijing and Moscow. Chinese cash keeps Tehran afloat. Russian weapons keep its military dangerous. When the U.S. and Israel smash Iran’s military infrastructure, it sends a message far beyond Tehran. The people losing sleep aren’t just the ayatollahs—they’re Xi and Putin watching America demonstrate what real power looks like.
I said this war’s not “all about China.” You say that it’s “laughable” to claim that this war has nothing to do with China or Russia. Who are you arguing with?
This war obviously has implications for China, but you’re going to have to gather some evidence to claim that this war was initiated because of China.
Cole, you’re arguing against a straw man. I never said the war was only about China. I said pretending China and Russia aren’t central to the strategic picture is absurd. Iran doesn’t operate in a vacuum—it’s part of a geopolitical triangle with Beijing and Moscow. China buys the oil that keeps Tehran solvent. Russia supplies weapons and military coordination. Both depend on the same regional leverage against the West. So when Iran’s capabilities get smashed, the ripple effects hit their entire axis. Strategy isn’t about a single motive—it’s about layered objectives. Weakening Tehran simultaneously pressures Beijing and Moscow. That’s not conspiracy. That’s basic geopolitics.
Now, let me ask you a question: Do you subscribe to the historical theory that the Spanish Civil War was "Hitler's Dress Rehearsal"? Because give it a week and all the Woke-Bots will be saying Iran is Orange Hitler's Dress Rehearsal for WWIII. Some are already saying it.
'...The people losing sleep aren’t just the ayatollahs—they’re Xi and Putin watching America demonstrate what real power looks like.'
Au contraire. I think we're demonstrating solely military power -- and we're about to demonstrate its limitations.
Military force is a tool -- and like any tool, it can only be useful for certain applications, and only if it is used correctly. All we're accomplishing with it at the moment is destroying our legitimacy as global hegemon, unifying Iran, and helping China to replace us.
Well, we're also putting another nail in Israel's coffin, but that effect's not intended.
I did a search of your article for "every". Not one result. Zero. Zip.
How can you write an article entitled "Iran War Supporters Invent a New and Absurd Justification: It Is All About China" without the word every? More precisely Every. As in Michael Every, a Brit, working for the large Dutch agriculture focused bank Rabobank. Really?
Located in Singapore, Mr. Every, before Trump 2.0 and even before Trump 1.0, has been writing and speaking on geopolitics and its impact on financial markets. In September 2021, during the Wynken (Yellen), Blynken (Blinken) and Nod (Biden) administration, Michael Every, and others, wrote a report titled In Deep Ship. In March 2025, Trump announced the Office of Shipbuilding.
Spend an hour twenty-three here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sTkt0dtxF4. He has refined his ideas over more than a decade, but once you hear his perspective, it is hard not to see the connections to what has happened and is happening. Yes it is about China. Has been.
This isn't random. This isn't rage. This isn't because Epstein. This isn't 25th Amendment stuff. This is the most effective, whether one likes it or not, presidential administration in my lifetime. To ignore that is to miss much. Detractors are always off target as the result.
One more thing. Did you watch the ceremony to sign the data center electricity pledge? During the introductions Trump mentioned to the people signing for companies owned by Musk, Bezos and others, without mentioning names asked each to say hello to their friends. Most people would see this as Trump sucking up to billionaires. What he actually did was put Musk, Bezos and others in that seat. Signers in spirit if not ink. Now imagine Joe Biden in that situation. You can't, because Wynken, Blynken and Nod never would have gotten there, let alone have had the mental acuity to do it.
Merriam-Webster defines absurd as follows:
1: ridiculously unreasonable, unsound, or incongruous
an absurd argument
: extremely silly or ridiculous
absurd humor
2: having no rational or orderly relationship to human life : meaningless
an absurd universe
also : lacking order or value
an absurd existence
3: dealing with the absurd (see absurd entry 2) or with absurdism
At the time the Clinton administration was negotiating China's ascension to the WTO and the granting of MFN trading status, they knew one thing for certain. They knew that it would decimate industries within the United States. Think textiles and furniture among others. They were right.
In exchange for decimating industries, communities and families in the United States, the Clinton administration saw two anticipated benefits. One was that participation among the trading nations of the world would encourage and lead to democracy in China. Xi is dictator for life. That one is a bust. Two, that American businesses would gain access to the more than 1 billion consumers in China. I can write much on this, but lets say this did not turn out quite a hoped. The driver being that China chose not to compete on a basis of free trade, let alone fair trade. China chose to compete as a mercantilist.
Key takeaways on mercantilism from Investopedia:
1. Mercantilism was an economic practice from the 16th to 18th century, where nations sought to increase wealth through export surplus and controlled trade.
2. The system emphasized accumulating precious metals and often used military force to protect trade interests and enforce monopolistic practices.
3. Although considered outdated, elements of mercantilism persist today, with countries like China and Russia controlling trade and imposing tariffs.
More than ten-years ago, Michael Every saw the deal was bad for western countries, and America in particular. A mercantilist China could not be allowed to continue unimpeded. I think it was in a January 2024 interview that Mr. Every said this could not go on as it had for four more years.
Do you read the Yes, I give a fig Substack of Michael W. Green? He got a pop for arguing the poverty line in the US is more like low six-figures, rather than the government set limit of $33k for a family of four. He too is a finance guy. A manager of assets. Within a piece issued on Sunday https://substack.com/home/post/p-190105807 he writes the following.
"While the US press breathlessly extols the risk to the US, our Israeli allies are leading the human intelligence operations. This is not an Israeli war, no matter what deflection Marko Rubio attempts. This is a strategic action by the United States to disrupt Chinese trade routes (especially for oil)."
"The US has one objective — to prevent China from breaking out of the first island chain:"
"If the US can destroy China’s trade routes AND convince them not to move on Taiwan, it’s game over."
So back to the word absurd and its definition. Are the two Michael's mentioned above ridiculously unreasonable, unsound, or incongruous? I think not. Are they system thinkers? I think so. They may see the world through a different lens, but they are not absurd.
Your headline is absolutely wrong. Its use of the word "absurd" is well...what word am I looking for?
Stop the embarrassment. Retract.
The last word to Michael Every. On Thursday he wrote, "Yet to say there’s a lot riding on the US-China angle, which most commentators have belatedly explained this Iran war is all about, is an understatement."
This is an interesting article detailing the strategic links between China, Russia and Iran: https://www.specialeurasia.com/2026/03/01/russia-china-iran-tech-military/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
So does this mean we're no longer at war with Eurasia, and now we're at war with Eastasia?
It's so difficult to keep all these BS stories straight.