A Note On Strategy
By 
Toward the end of Ezra Klein’s interview with Gillian Tett, a more general strategic point comes up
[The previous Washington consensus] is that America was made stronger by being the dominant or strongest figure in these various global alliances and institutions. That meant not using the full extent of our power.
This is not just a Washington consensus: It’s smart strategy. Keep power in reserve, and let others know that you do. That provides an uncertainty as to exactly how much power you have and warns them off from pressing too hard. You can come across as decent and also someone not to cross.
Donald Trump does not understand this. One of his complaints has been that the US has not been using all its power. “If we’ve got them, why don’t we use them?” he’s asked about nuclear weapons.
Tett observes that Trump is going for full-out use of economic power. Just as strategy implies, it’s driving other nations to find other trade options. It’s equally true in the military sphere.