[blfr]

Yes, there was a whole idea about civilizing and pacifying the world through economic cooperation that would foster middle class in countries across the world that would then in turn make them democratize and become peaceful trade partners.

It didn't quite work out so now people are looking for other strategies.

[tcp_handshaker]

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/i1Hi_hacvN4

[galactushonor]

> It didn't quite work out so now people are looking for other strategies.

World will bifurcate into West and East with their own spheres of influence. As JD Vance said, US thought that China will be perpetually kept busy and enslaved in low level manufacturing work and the design and higher level work would happen in Cupertino. Too bad, that didn't pan out well and now US Empire is getting challenged by China.

[joe_mamba]

> US thought that China will be perpetually kept busy and enslaved in low level manufacturing work

It's OK, they'll repeat the same mistake again with India this time, when they move manufacturing from China to there, and in 10-30 years when they'll elect a nationalist strongman there, he'll squeeze the west for everything they got.

Because what are you gonna do about it then? They have all your manufacturing and they also have nukes and more soldiers.

[JumpCrisscross]

> in 30 years they'll electr a nationalist strongman

You’re about thirty years off on that estimate.

[zappb]

India is far ahead of that idea and already has legislation to encourage domestic manufacturing from global companies. Plus the nationalist government is in place.

[jampekka]

The idea does smell a bit like a rationalization for policy that was extremely convenient for stockholders and a disaster for workers.

[mitthrowaway2]

The government may have allowed it with that intention, but the corporate leaders followed through mainly with the intention of short-term share price increases. I don't see how the same incentive isn't in place today with respect to data. Perhaps only the perception of China's ability to outcompete its American customers has changed.

[goatlover]

And if that fails, the US can always use economic and military pressure to get what it wants.

[joe_mamba]

>then in turn make them democratize

Most non western countries lack the foundations of western democracy, and you can't force that onto them neither peacefully not through war. The west has tried and failed for 40+ years to do this, it doesn't work, time to drop it and let them self govern the way they always have. Stop trying to export our version of democracy onto others.

Plus, the main reason they exported manufacturing to China was precisely so capitalists could avoid the issues democracy gave them back home and easily exploit Chinese labor and environment for profit because just bribing the CCP meant all your problems go away, no unions, no employee rights, no environmentalism etc. like in democratic countries. So given that, why would the west want China or other countries they want to exploit, to be more democratic? Unless their version of democratic just means a puppet government under western(US) control.

>become peaceful trade partners.

Which countries did China bomb VS how many the US bombed? My energy prices (and directly inflation) is now higher because of (yet again) US military intervention, not because of China.

[zozbot234]

> Most non western countries lack the foundations of western democracy, and you can't force that onto them

Several East Asian countries managed to democratize successfully up thru the 1980s and are extremely successful today, so this is not just a uniform failure story. Even mainland China might still come around (at least partially) as it gains a true massive middle class by Western standards, which it's still very far from today. Southeast Asia is also doing comparatively quite well.