> Have stuff shipped to you without having to ship back anything?
This makes you completely dependent on the whims of a foreign power who might not care for your concerns as their priorities change
This makes you completely dependent on the whims of a foreign power who might not care for your concerns as their priorities change
For better or worse, there's no replacement for the US consumer at the scale and prices US consumers are willing to pay. Just take pharmaceuticals as an example, Nova Nordisks growth is due to massive revenue in the US.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolae_Ceau%C8%99escu serves as a pretty good example.
Yes, and as such, their primary threat is large-scale popular unrest. They aren't going to lose an election, they aren't going to be reined in by other branches, they aren't going to voluntarily retire.
Which, in general, means you have to at least try to do things that don't piss everyone in the country off.
> Putin for example has invaded Ukraine, and can never lose power or he will be murdered by one of many.
Great example! He thought it'd go quickly and smoothly. It didn't, and for years now he's avoided the mass mobilization he'd need to win outright, because the regular people would hate it.
> Stalin and Mao never lost power despite their insane policies and ruthlessness.
Both had to backtrack when they pissed people off too much.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuhan_incident
"Fears of a more widespread PLA revolt led Mao and his core associates to scale back the movement's most radical components."
And had extensive propaganda efforts to shape public opinion about it. Because it mattered.
Contrast with your original question:
> In fact, wouldn't a 100% trade deficit be ideal? Have stuff shipped to you without having to ship back anything?
Most people call that theft or, at best, gifts.