Makes much sense, half = 50%. They are making the tariffs half. Yes. Makes sense. definitely didn't say they will half 145% which would be something else entirely. No not at all.

Well, don't tell US policy makers, they might have an aneurysm... Actually maybe tell them.

Increasingly incompetent administrations are heralding in a new multipolar world, let's just hope they don't resort to nukes.

It's interesting to see just how asymmetrical the repercussions are so far. Bodes well for China.

Of course, the lesson from this for the Brits will be to try to increase armaments, rather than, I don't know, learning to coexist with their nuclear neighbors?

Doubtful, although I wouldn't be surprised if the US leaked/encouraged this sorry to try to pressure Russia. Also, since the talks in Saidi Arabia started the US constantly comes away from the talks with different conclusions of what was agreed Upton than the Russians. https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202503/1330868.shtml

That's not even saving face, there is no face left, this is sheltering his ego and maintaining the illusion that he was successful to the MAGA crowd.

Well, the blinder they are to reality the better for the global majority. Unless he goes and starts a war.

I know a wealthy Chinese family, their kid has US citizenship, but I can tell they are starting to have a crisis. They clearly recognize things are getting worse in the US, but they have invested a lot of time and money into the US, such as buying a house and getting green cards. Despite that, they have not opted to have their kid go to school in China. Even those Chinese people that are the most receptive to the US and it's propaganda, those wealthy libs with vested interest, are recognizing it.

Besides other western countries are finally losing the blind trust they had of the US. They still can't do much about it, but they are increasingly recognizing that, as Kissinger's famous dictum puts it: "It may be dangerous to be America’s enemy but to be America’s friend is fatal"

Some fun effects of BPA^1:

Exposure to BPA is a concern because of the possible health effects on the brain and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children. It can also affect children's behavior. Additional research suggests a possible link between BPA and increased blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

All things we definitely don't have enough of in the US.

The point is not about impact but intention. Evidently liberalism, for all its flaws, certainly has had a significant impact. The progressive forces 250 years ago where for the most part already proto socialists. Fundamentally liberalism has been reactionary, even in the case of feudalism and monarchy, liberalism has tended to air for maintaining monarchy; such as constitutional monarchies where one can find leberals having preference for this rather than republics. This can be observed in historical cases such as France where many liberals wished to maintain the monarchy, but the contradictions and progressive forces where too great. Rather than a progressive force, I would contend that liberalism tends to be reactionary to development and progressive forces. Today this can be seen in the liberal leaders of developing countries handicapping themselves and their sovereignty by maintaining economic relations to the benefit of the imperial core. See ECOWAS and 'preserving democracy' as of late.

The point is that liberalism and facism are intrinsically linked. Liberalism does not seek to change the world and stems from philosophies instead seeking to explain it. Accordingly, liberalism is a philosophical justification for the capitalist status quo. As such, when contradictions in capitalism accentuate with time, such as those between classes, liberalism turns to fascism. Scratch a liberal and a fascist bleeds, because the liberal is a closet fascist when times are good; when class struggle poses a threat, it clamps down. You can see this throughout history.

That a poor, simplified explanation, but I hope it helps.

An American being the spokesperson for a foreign country's military? Next you will be saying the president of Ukraine actually works for US interests. /s