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@bakuninboys@aus.social
Post #564224
2026-03-05 10:16 UTC
I thought I posted this idea but I can't seem to find it in my history. I need it to explain Albo's position here:
Trump is a bully / thug. The way bullies and thugs work is that they (1) force an interaction; and (2) get the best out of that interaction.
So in the protection racket example, you can be minding your own business, and they will come to your shop, then act like jerks. You just want them to leave but their whole plan is to interact with you as much and for as long as possible, and get the best out of that interaction. So maybe they'll be looking for signs of disrespect, then shake you down for money, then they come back and repeat the process. Or maybe they'll be looking for you giving them what they want so they'll leave, and then they come back and expect that treatment over and over. There are lots of ways it shakes out, but the point is: they know you want them to leave, and they use that to stay longer.
On the street example, you're walking minding your own business, they will run into you on purpose, then expect an apology. The apology is the metagame, the purpose is the interaction. Even if you're strong enough to beat them up, then they'll go to the police. The more you want them to leave, the more they take advantage.
Trump is the same. You hope he doesn't notice you, but once he does, he interacts and does stuff until you "lose" the interaction.
People have said you can "stand up to him", but this is only partially true. He'll leave the first time, but like bullies he knows you're there. He'll wait until there's an advantage and then do that.
Replies (2)
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So, to get to world leaders, companies, etc. the "weak counter" is to interact in a way that he goes away. Just capitulate. That just shows him he needs to do it more because he's winning these encounters.
The "hard counter" is to stroke his ego and waste his time. The ego stroking "gives" him something without actually giving him anything, and the time wasting means he gets bored and leaves. The important thing is that he knows you're not going to slip up because you don't want him to leave. You show you're just good at this game of interaction. There's an anecdote from Jason Alexander about how he would deal with the mob and it's instructive.
So Albo's been doing the thing (there's a bit of "don't be noticed" weak counter as well), more or less. Says nice things, pays lip service, gives up a bit of stuff to not lose even more, but more or less he's able to negotiate fairly well for Australia.
BUUUTTT that brings us to the US using Australia's US bases to launch attacks on Iran, and Australia's policy being more or less "it's fine". This is still playing the game, sure, but the US isn't the only player. At some point the thing Trump costs us from the interactions is actually our relations with other nations. This feels like a mistake.
Open ##1944372
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@bakuninboys Which is why it's important to gather round allies who also want to stand up to the bully.
Open ##1944377