What should be painfully obvious is how America is pushing the world into becoming allies of China / Russia / N Korea.  Last week's" China party" demonstrated how many 'once American friends' are now cozying up to China.

Most of Africa has been moving in that direction - including South Africa. (ie joint Chinese / Russian / South African naval drills.)  Even countries that wanted closer relations with America - due to fears of China  - are now flirting with China (ie Vietnam).  Now that America has defined even Vietnam as an adversary.

Worst example of what America has done in only one year is bluntly stated by The Economist:

Seven years have passed since Narendra Modi last set foot in China.  The clock resets on August 31st, when India's Prime Minister turned up in Tianjin ...  The trip is a striking example of the improving ties between India and China ... But Mr Modi's mind will also be on his country's bust-up with America and how India should respond.  

In just a few months Donald Trump ... has found two ways to humiliate India's government: first by appearing to side with Pakistan ...; second by whacking India's exports with extortionate tariffs....

For the past 25 years, almost all India's tilting has been towards the West. ... That reflected a shared interest in continuing Chinese power. ... But until a few months ago, decades of diplomacy seem to have persuaded most Indians to see American as a reliable underwriter of their country's rise.  That is no longer true.

Trump has again done what he always does.  Bully others to make himself look good.   To demean some so that the most naive supporters will praise him.  For being a bully.  He knows which supporters are to be enchanted and enraptured by alienating others.  That was his history even 40 years ago.  He openly admitted he could shoot someone on Fifth Ave and still be elected president.   He admits he often pays no taxes (and is applauded). He know the attitude of his supporters.

That's 25 years of diplomatic work with India all thrown away in months.  He did same with TPP.  An economic alliance that took ten years to build. He destroyed it immediately to appease extremists.

We are now learning about the attempted assassination, by Brazil's Bolsonaro, of Supreme Court justices (including the chief justice Moraes) and elected president Lula.  So that Bolsonaro would remain in office.  Including an insurgency in Jan 2023 (patterned like Trump's in 2001) to attack both the Brazilian Congress and Supreme Court buildings.   Who is praising Bolsonaro today?  Trump, of course. Who is now on trial for a long list of crimes?  Since Bolsonaro has a long history of right wing extremism that justified his crimes.  He (therefore) is close friends of Trump and Steve Bannon.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin shocked Brazilian military Generals and Admiral in the 15th Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas.  About the need for civilian leadership of a military.  To all attending nations, that was a blunt message, at the Brazilian military, to not conduct (what was being considered) a military coup.  To put Bolsonaro back in power.  But again, Trump has installed massive tariffs on Brazil because Brazil is currently prosecuting Bolsonaro.

As Urbane Guerrilla so clearly stated.  He wants to "fuck things up".  Trump (like Bolsonaro) is popular among hardened extremists.  Who know using short term (emotionally based) thinking. And an ability to rally people with contempt for democracy.  Adult who cannot bother to first learn.

Even both Pakistan and India shared together the same celebration in China.

But then American incompetence was made further obvious by a Washington event just a few months ago. 

Donald Trump's military parade astounded Chinese viewers in June.  The sloppy marching, the corporate sponsorship, the paltry crowds; how could the world's greatest military power put on such a tawdry display?  China's parades are minutely choreographed extravaganzas designed to inspire awe and respect.

The world is watching America that make decisions like business school graduates.  Not like world leaders that was America for over 60 years after WWii.

This China party celebrated the end of WWII.   They could not have make the point more blunt.  Who was not mentioned during those celebrations?  America.  Why bother? Ever since a fiasco known as "Mission Accomplished" (an American boondoggle justified by another business school graduate; and irresponsible like VietNam), right wing conservatives in China successfully convinced Chinese leaders that America is only a paper tiger.  They have facts to justify that accusation.  Facts that American extremists (both left and right) ignore.

World's worst steel is American.  Even American cars cannot be exported.  Most cars made in American now have foreign nameplates.  America no long manufactures the worlds best microprocessors. Even Intel has now run to the government for protection.   American trains are even inferior to those in Indonesia.  Boeing cannot design one world class product in the past 20 years. Boeing cannot even convert a 747 for the American president.   American white appliances are no longer world class.

We cannot even build ships.  Eighty years ago, American built a new cargo ship every eight hours.  Now the military is looking to South Korea and Taiwan to construct many American Naval ships.   Both the Littoral and Zumwalt ships are defective.  US cannot even make its own coast guard cutters.  What China has just demonstrated is extremist denials that Donald Trump uses to obtain wealth and power.  Rather than make America great.

We have problems first and foremost because so many think Trump is an honest man.  Because so many do not even recognize just what was and clearly demonstrated in China.