Comment by pavlov
6 hours ago
I suppose the charitable interpretation is that Trump favors transactions that offer short-term benefits to the country, rather than America’s traditional investments into long-term goals that tend to be more nebulous (“soft power” etc.)
Of course, one look at Trump’s actual transactions in office should dissuade of that notion. After he made the preliminary trade deal with the EU, he bragged on TV that Europeans are investing $600 billion and Trump himself gets to decide where the money goes. It’s baffling that anyone would assume that’s how any of this works, but he clearly thinks the point of these transactions is to get more power and wealth for himself.
>It’s baffling that anyone would assume that’s how any of this works.
It's because the president said it on TV.
Is that a recursive loop? The president thinks that’s how it works because the president said so on TV.
I can believe that kind of reinforcement happens. Trump watches Fox News, sees himself saying X, and thinks “yes, it’s very good that {X}.”
*Trump favors transactions that offer short-term benefits to himself (via maintaining or expanding power or money).
FTFY.
Which is exactly what I wrote…?
Sort of. I was still too quick. In the first paragraph you didn't but that's because you were trying to be charitable. Your final sentence brings it full circle.