Donald Trump on Monday, January 19 threatened 200% tariffs on French wine and champagne over France’s intentions to decline the US leader’s invitation to join his “board of peace.” The board was originally conceived to oversee the rebuilding of war-torn Gaza, but the charter does not appear to limit its role to the occupied Palestinian territory.
“I’ll put a 200% tariff on his wines and champagnes. And he’ll join. But he doesn’t have to join,” Trump said, referring to French President Emmanuel Macron. A source close to Macron told AFP on Monday that France “does not intend to answer favorably” to the invitation.
The board’s charter “goes beyond the sole framework of Gaza,” the source close to the French president said.
Soft power isn’t implicitly evil and if it helps to prevent outright acts of aggression and related acts that lead to world wars, they’re a welcome tactic. Money and resources from one of the richest countries going to help some of the poorest countries is generally a good thing. I’d argue that the alternative is worse, even if it may seem less insidious to you.
Oh sure, it’s a fine tactic, it’s just the end goals of the people exercising the power and the amount of it they have that I take issue with.