Doc wrote:The real point of difference is this. The US has indeed looked to open world markets for well over 100 years. But since at least WWII the US has above all looked to keep the seas open to commerce. If China gets away with what it is doing in the South and East China seas by ignoring international laws of the sea then before you know it, countries all over the world will start to do the same. After that the concept of freedom of the seas will quickly come to an end. Claims of hundreds of miles of territory will be made and most of the oceans will be closed to free commerce. Then the law of the sea will be might equals right.noddy wrote:yeh, america has played this role well in the asia pacific region as a rule.
nice bit fat market everyone is allowed to play in, stable shipping lanes and stable market rules and a general lack of interest in compromising anyones sovereignty.
china is not open to foreign investment in the same way and until it is , america has its main point of difference.
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US neither did nor is looking up for "open world markets", nor to "keep the seas open to commerce".
What is does and did was and is to make sure "US is the ARBITER" for markets and the seas and commerce.
In communism period, US did this in "stealth" mode, by political under the table "arm twisting", to keep the shine of "the good guy".
After communism, when America and NeoCons thought America "ruler of universe" things did not need be "under the table" but quite open.
Iran, a victim of west, suddenly could not send money to buy medicine, SWIFT (and American instrument) did not accept Iranian banks anymore .. many other American "instruments of commerce and finance" were openly used, 1st against Iran, later against Russia and soon will be used against China .. Iranian "Dollar" not only frozen but Iran can not execute legal commerce in "dollars", forbidding others to buy Iranian Oil and and and .. all, according to UN, acts of war.
America wants to have the absolute power, ARBITER, to decide who gets what and who does what .. US could suddenly decide nobody should sell Oil or Gas to China, same mindset that nobody allowed to buy Oil from Iran.
That's why Russia, China, Brazil and others now testing their own SWIFT and dropping the U$.
US overplayed it's hand
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