The petro-yuan! What a GREAT solution for getting out from under the thumb of the US! Because - as everyone knows - being under China's thumb is sure to be better...
Would the result have been good had we had the resolve? What would it have taken? Nuclear annihilation? I mean we did drop more ordinance on Vietnam then in all of world war II. Have you allowed for the possibility that from time to time we were mistaken?
What was the prize? Because if it was "Haw, haw, look at the size of our balls", then - speaking as a veteran - I'm just as glad for that "lack of resolve".
Do you really? That's good, because I don't expect it from the majority of those who haven't served. It may be that the subtle difference between putting your life on the line to defend your country and paying the cost of politicians' whims and posturing in life, limb, and every other type of horrendous damage escapes the average armchair strategist, but every soldier out on the sharp end feels it keenly.
Conflating fighting a war with trading can never end well. I suggest that line of thought be dropped by all involved. Respect the veterans, who, well...
It can be a bit hard, separating economics - and by extension, at least some aspect of politics - from trading, but overall, I agree. It's not a particularly productive direction.