It's consistent with how other countries, organizations, and
people have defeated him
Robert Reich
Last night, 90 minutes before Trump said he’d cause the
death of a “whole civilization” if Iran didn’t open the Strait of Hormuz, an
Iranian official said the shipping channel would be reopened for two weeks if
the United States stopped bombing Iran. The U.S. has now stopped bombing Iran.
So we’re back to the status quo before Trump
began his war. Only now, Iran can credibly threaten to close the strait if it
doesn’t get what it wants from Trump — thereby causing havoc to the U.S. (and
world) economies. Trump’s only remaining bargaining leverage is the threat of
committing war crimes.
In other words, last night’s showdown was a clear victory
for Iran and a clear defeat for Trump (although he’ll frame it as a victory).
The Iran fiasco is only the latest in a host of examples
revealing how to defeat Trump.
In addition to Iran, similar strategies have been used by
China, Russia, Canada, Mexico, and Greenland. Inside the United States, the
people of Minneapolis have used them, as have Harvard University, comedian
Jimmy Kimmel, writer E. Jean Carroll, and the law firms Perkins Coie, Jenner
& Block, Susman Godfrey, and WilmerHale.
What’s the strategy that connects them all?All
refused to cave to Trump, despite his superior military or economic power.
Instead, they’ve engaged in a kind of jujitsu in which they use Trump’s power
against him, while allowing Trump to save face by claiming he’s won. Consider:
Iran knew it was no match for the superior might
of the U.S. (and Israel). So it used cheap drones and missiles to close the
Strait of Hormuz and incapacitate other Gulf oil installations, thereby driving
up the prices of oil and gas at the pump in the U.S., which has put growing
political pressure on Trump, months before a midterm election. Hence, Trump has
been forced stop his war.
China knew what to do when Trump imposed a giant
tariff on Chinese exports to the U.S.: It put restrictions on seven types of
heavy rare earth metals and magnets, crucial to U.S. defense and tech
industries. Beijing continues to use these rare earth restrictions as tactical
levers in ongoing negotiations over trade, rather than demand complete
surrender by Trump on his trade policies.
Russia has leveraged its vast deposits of oil
and natural gas with U.S. allies. It has also demonstrated its power to intrude
into U.S. elections (the Mueller
Report detailed a “sweeping and systematic” campaign by Russia to
interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, primarily favoring Trump).
Canada and Mexico have won every tariff showdown
with Trump by leveraging America’s substantial economic dependence on them for
components and raw materials, but without crowing about their victories.
Greenland has leveraged public opinion globally
and in the United States — overwhelmingly against an American invasion or
occupation — to curb Trump’s ambitions there.
The citizens of Minneapolis and St. Paul have
leveraged their asymmetric power against Trump’s ICE and Border Patrol agents
by carefully organizing themselves into a force of nonviolent resistance to
protect immigrants there. Their strategy showed itself to be especially
effective, tragically, after Trump’s agents murdered Renee Good and Alex
Pretti, and the public outcry forced the agents to leave the Twin Cities.
