UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer dropped a big political bombshell on Sunday— the UK officially recognizes the State of Palestine. Not long after, Canada and Australia jumped on board. This isn’t just about former colonial ties; it’s proof the UK’s influence lingers beyond “its own backyard.” What’s really rattling Washington? The reality of “a world minus America.” Just days earlier, on September 17, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a joint defense agreement that states any attack on one is an attack on both.
Let’s not ignore the big deals here: Pakistan has nukes. And earlier this year, it routed its opponent in aerial combat using Chinese equipment. Put these two facts together, and you get a nuclear-armed military powerhouse with China in its corner. For the Arab world, this opens a new choice lane. Which side are they picking? America knows, and China gets it even better.
Israel’s Strike in Doha Jolts Gulf Alliances
Reports say Israel stunned the Gulf when it launched a rare attack on Hamas leaders in Doha on September 9. Qatar and the wealthy Gulf states, previously reliant on US military muscle, were left shocked and angry. The message is clear: Saudi Arabia is hedging its bets. Gulf states no longer have to walk the tightrope between powers — they can thank Israel for pushing them to diversify alliances.
Starmer’s pitch on social media: “The Middle East is boiling over with terror, so we’re stepping up to keep the peace and push for a two-state solution.” But let’s be real—now you don’t have a safe, reliable Israel and a working Palestinian state at the same time. Over 150 countries have recognized Palestine, and the UK can’t afford to drag its feet amid this shifting terrain.
The 2023 Gaza war’s has become a full-blown humanitarian disaster. The BBC pointed out that tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians have perished, and Abbas’s Palestinian Authority is stuck powerless in the West Bank, just watching. How long will the world tolerate this? The UK figures it can't for long. Along with Canada and Australia—traditional tough allies of Israel—Steamer’s move sends a message. Their unity is strong and it’s also a smart way to push back against Trump’s wild tariffs. Supporting Gaza? It’s a win-win.
India’s Surprise Rise Amid US Decline
But here’s the twist: India looks like the real winner, quietly hoping for America’s decline. Over the weekend, Trump ranted that Europeans shouldn’t be buying Russian oil: “The Europeans are buying oil from Russia – not supposed to happen, right?”
He then urged other G7 members to adopt 50-100% tariffs on China and India — the leading buyers of Russian oil — to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table.
Yet Ursula von der Leyen dropped a hint that she’s eyeing closer ties with India, praising its rising role in Indo-Pacific security and announcing a new EU-India Strategic Agenda focused on defense and security—without even mentioning the US.
"Now is the time to focus on reliable partners and double down on partnerships rooted in shared interests and guided by common values. The growing complexity of global security threats and rising geopolitical tensions underscore the need for closer EU-India dialogue and cooperation." She added, " We are exploring the creation of an EU-India Security and Defence Partnership to deepen strategic consultations and enable closer cooperation on crisis management, maritime security, cyber threats, and counterterrorism."
The message is clear: yet another ally is carving out a new path, diversifying away from the US. The days when America’s word was king are fading fast. Trump keeping hope for help to contain China? It’s wishful thinking—no one is lining up. The “world minus America” is real and accelerating. Soon, the US will be like Lai Ching-te, left with just a handful of close buddies in the world.
Deep Blue
** 博客文章文責自負,不代表本公司立場 **
The China-US trade talks in Madrid just wrapped up, and Treasury Secretary Bessent—who led the American delegation—probably wishes he could forget the whole thing. The guy must've been sweating bullets the entire time, and for good reason.
Here's a story that perfectly captures the mess Trump created: two brothers in North Dakota who've been farming soybeans for 76 years just watched their biggest customer—China—completely stop buying their crops. Their 930-hectare farm, as New York Times puts it, is “projected to lose $400,000 in 2025”. Mountains of soybeans that should've been shipped to Asia are instead rotting in giant steel silos.
When Actions Meet Consequences
China and America could've kept doing business just fine, but Trump had other plans. The moment he slapped tariffs on Chinese goods back in February, Beijing hit back exactly where it would hurt most—American soybeans. And why wouldn't they? It was proportionate retaliation, plain and simple.
NYT went on: “In a typical year, more than half the soybeans grown in the United States are sold to China. That includes around 70% of North Dakota’s soy-beans…But Trump’s trade war with China has changed that dynamic. After the president imposed tariffs on the goods of that country on the grounds that its economic practices threaten US national security, Beijing retaliated with tariffs of its own.”
The New York Times laid out just how brutal things have gotten for soybean farmers, but here's the kicker—there's an even bigger victim in this whole saga: Treasury Secretary Bessent himself.
The Treasury Secretary's Not-So-Secret Problem
Turns out Bessent owns thousands of acres of farmland in North Dakota, worth a cool $25 million. This land grows soybeans and corn—you know, the stuff that used to get exported to China. According to his financial disclosures, these investments were pulling in up to $1 million annually in rental income.
Sure, for a former hedge fund manager worth hundreds of millions, losing a million bucks might be pocket change. But for the actual farmers working the land? They're staring down financial ruin.
So here's the wild part—after getting hammered by Trump's trade war, will farmers finally turn on him? Not likely. As BBC puts it, “A survey by Pew last month found that 53% of rural Americans approve of the job Trump is doing, far higher than the 38% figure for the country as a whole.” Why? “For some farmers at the state fair, the explanation is simple: they believe the US president when he tells them that tariffs will help them in the long run.”
In BBC’s article “US farmers are being squeezed”, John Maxwell, a dairy farmer and cheese producer from Iowa expressed his support and beliefs. "We think the tariffs eventually will make us great again," says John.
"We were giving China a lot, and [previously] we paid tariffs when we sold to them. Let's make it fair. What's good for the goose is good for the other goose."
So what's Trump's master plan? Well, in August he took to social media to personally appeal to China's leadership, demanding China to quadruple its soybean purchases. His post basically said: "Our great farmers produce the most robust soybeans." Seriously, that was his strategy.
But China wasn't about to fall for Trump's stand-up comedy routine. They'd come prepared.
China's Countermove
After America's "Liberation Day" stunt, Bloomberg reported in mid-April that “China just scooped up an unusually large amount of Brazilian soybeans, highlighting how the escalating trade war is making purchases of US crops unviable.”
“At least 2.4 million tons of beans were booked earlier this week, almost one-third of the average volume China typically crushes in a month”, people “familiar with the matter” told Bloomberg News, “They noted that the buying spree was unusually large and fast.”
Caleb Ragland, the chairman of the American Soybean Association published a desperate plea through media outlets, begging Trump not to plunge the voter base that “helped reelect him in overwhelming numbers“ and to reach a deal with China ASAP. His conclusion was stark: "Now, because of the trade war with China, I’m worried we could be out of business by 2027."
A Family Tragedy
From China's perspective, this whole mess looks like a family tragedy—like the ancient tale of Cao Pi mistreating his brother Cao Zhi, showing zero regard for brotherly bonds. The farmers who voted for Trump are closer than brothers, yet he's asking them to risk bankruptcy to support his policies while casually telling China to "come take a look at our beautiful American soybeans." Does he really think that'll work?
Farmers are facing creditors at their doors—they need solutions faster than composing a seven-step poem, Mr. President! The soybean situation is critical, and not everyone can stay as calm as the Treasury Secretary with his deep pockets. Figure something out—China's always willing to negotiate.
