Thursday, 27 September 2018

“How Trump made being tough on China the new normal” | SCMP




I've spoken of the Overton Window before. And Trump, like him or hate him, has certainly shifted the Window. Not just the Window of discourse but of action as well. 
On China for example. I can well remember Bill Clinton's tough rhetoric on China in the campaign; followed up by nothing in office. Except to get China into the WTO, which they promptly set about cheating on. 
As Kristin McGuire says:
By taking action to rectify US-China economic relations, Trump may have raised the bar for future American presidential candidates. To be electable, candidates on the left and right may need to step onto the campaign trail with a plan for challenging China's harmful economic policies.
Moreover, once in office, future presidents might feel greater pressure to live up to their tough campaign rhetoric for fear of damaging their odds of re-election.