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Comment by CaptainZapp | Hacker News Reader

"Trump's ignorant, hap-hazard way of "negotiating" has alienated foes and made the world re-evaluate why it is playing the US agenda."

What's much worse is that he has allienated friends (specifically when they refuse to kiss his ring, but I digress) and mostly for no good reason at all.

The US squandered their advantage of having been respected as a (mostly) reliable partner to a definite CAN NOT BE TRUSTED! in not even two short years.

You may argue that who cares? "We're America, Bitch" [1] But I really don't see any sustainability and long term gains in the current model for the world in general and especially for America.

[1] https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/06/a-senio...

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I think you’re using the word respect wrong. Respect is not earned by being amiable.

In the not too distant past we had a president draw lines in the sand and dared others to cross it. Then they crossed it and we did nothing.

That did more to lose respect in the world than anything being done today.

Today we are saying we want better trade deals for US goods and we’re not asking.

Earning respect starts by behaving respectably.

I don’t disagree. To be belligerent when there is no need isn’t helpful. Trump is certainly guilty of that.

But willingness to turn your rhetoric into action is more important so that others understand that you mean what you say.

For example, if you say nice things, but demonstrate that you don’t mean what you say, then what do all those nice things you said amount to? Nothing.

I’ll concede that Trump indeed doesn’t say nice things. But there is little point in understanding what he says because tomorrow he could just as well say the complete opposite. Most of it is just empty posturing anyway so there isn’t a lot to understand.

I think most countries are just trying to shield themselves from his damage until his term ends.

>empty posturing

Trump has followed through on his posturing several times now. I think he’s shown the world he’s not joking around.

I think it’s legitimate to criticize his actions, but I don’t thing it’s accurate to say his posturing is empty.

> Most of it

You can’t change most of it by changing some of it.

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