The only way to deal with Trump's demands for capitulation

On Tuesday, the Trump regime targeted Harvard University, threatening to withdraw about $9 billion in contracts and multiyear grants unless Harvard capitulates to unspecified demands.

Last week, Trump targeted major Washington law firms, threatening to cut off their access to government buildings and government contracts unless they agreed to various ultimatums.

Yesterday, the regime placed 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico and “reciprocal” tariffs on imports from all other nations. Some governments say they’ll retaliate. Others, Israel and Vietnam, for example, are responding by rolling back their own tariffs. Trump says he’ll continue to raise tariffs until other countries capitulate to various unspecified demands.

What do all these have in common? Trump’s unquenchable thirst for power, dominance, and intimidation.

Here are 8 rules for dealing with this.

1. Don't believe his said reasons for action. He'll use whatever pretext he can find to issue demands and get universities, for example, to capitulate.

2. Don't assume that Trump is concerned about other nations’ “unfair” trade practices or illegal immigration. These, too, are pretexts. He is using tariffs, immigration, and every tool at his command to force them to cave in to his demands.

 3. Surrender and domination are the goals: whether a university, a large law firm, a big non-profit organisation, even a Democratic state like California. Surrender is the point. 

4. Each capitulation confirms the narrative that Trump is all-powerful, invincible, and able to get every person, institution, and country to prostrate themselves before him. 

5. Each submission fuels his lust for dominance and attempt to create an image of absolute power, King Trump.

 6. It’s vitally important, therefore, that institutions and countries join together to fight this systemic intimidation. University faculties must united under the American Association of University Professors to speak out against Trump’s assault on free speech and debate at universities, sue the Trump administration for violating their rights under the First Amendment, and develop a media strategy to alert the public to the demagogue's threats.

7.  Canada, Mexico, Japan, and the European Union must unite to create a special trade zone that bars the United States. They should threaten to curtail American banks’ access to their public procurement markets, limit the large figures their citizens invest in American companies annually, and increase tax and regulatory pressure on American digital platforms.

8. The media should highlight institutions that are standing up to Trump (such as the Jenner & Block law firm, Canada, and Mexico) and condemn those that are surrendering to him ( Columbia University, the Paul Weiss law firm, and Israel and Vietnam on tariffs). This is all about Trump’s thirst for power, transforming the United States into a dictatorship.

The only way to deal with Trump's demands for capitulation | Opinion

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