Looking over how much corrupt Hillary Clinton dirt the intelligence community hid in the 2016 election, the big picture aspects deserve an expanded discussion.
In the larger picture it is clear the Obama administration weaponized the institutions of government to target his/their political opposition. It is also increasingly clear a Hillary Clinton administration would have monetized the U.S. government.

President Obama’s team used the DOJ, CIA, FBI and IRS to target their opposition.  The intelligence apparatus was weaponized; one small example that scratches the surface is the FBI/NSA database exploitation.  Black files on DC politicians, private sector groups and individuals facilitating leverage, and we are still seeing the ramifications.
When Patrick Byrne recently discussed his role within the  “political espionage” operations, he is describing this exact process; not coincidentally he also seems to have retreated into a safe-space.
Big multinational interests, Big Pharma, Big Ag, Big Global Banking interests, etc, were exclusively supporting both President Obama and candidate Clinton.  The domestic politics of the U.S. were/are tools toward an end; and, so long as the person occupying the oval office did not interfere with Big Club objectives, they too would benefit financially.
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After benefiting from ridiculous preferential treatment by the World Trade Organization under “emerging nation” status for the past two decades, Beijing now turns to the WTO and files a complaint against the U.S. over recent tariffs and countervailing duties.

The substance to Beijing’s complaint is silly.  China claims there was a “leadership agreement” during the Osaka G20 summit not to apply additional tariffs.  However, the latest round of U.S. tariffs on China were in response to Chinese tariffs applied after Osaka.  Bottom line, Beijing is playing political games.
China, once again playing the wounded panda routine, is trying to set up a narrative that President Trump has broken his word.  That’s the cornerstone of their position, and they know such a complaint won’t go anywhere at the WTO; the complaint is really for the use, exploitation, and consumption by President Trump’s political opposition, domestic and international.  (emphasis mine)

HONG KONG/GENEVA (Reuters) – China has lodged a complaint against the United States at the World Trade Organization over U.S. import duties, the Chinese Commerce Ministry said on Monday.

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An interesting article in the South China Morning Post outlines how Chinese companies producing everything from canned mandarin oranges, to mid and high-tier furniture, cannot sustain a business model without access to the U.S. market.
Their problem?…
In essence, when they established their decades-old business model the overwhelming majority of their manufacturing was/is contingent on U.S. buyers.
Right now those Chinese companies are praying the CCP central government keeps devaluing their currency, because U.S. purchasers, including wholesalers and intermediaries, have told those manufacturers they will not pay the import duties.
Apparently, U.S. corporate buyers are leveraging the pressure applied by President Trump – a remarkable dynamic.

The efforts of the Wall Street pundits and financial class to talk the American consumer into creating a recession is failing. The Consumer Confidence Index remains at historic highs as U.S. workers/consumers are confident in their economic position. Yes, Main Street USA is optimistic about current and future expectations.

The Consumer Assessment Index, a measure of the percentage of consumers claiming business conditions are “good”, increased from 39.9 percent to 42.0; and the Present Situation Index is now at its highest level in nearly 19 years (Nov. 2000, 179.7).
These are all key indicators because the U.S. consumer is the engine of our economy.  The U.S. consumer generates over two-thirds of our GDP activity through purchases.  One of the strengths of the U.S. economy is our internal self-sufficiency; approximately 80 percent of all consumer goods created in the U.S. are purchased in the U.S. by U.S. consumers [we are not reliant on exports to sustain growth].
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Perhaps President Trump has to play the public pretend game to China’s panda mask presentations, but we do not.

The corporate U.S. media are pushing a hard narrative today surrounding claims by Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He and wanting to create “calm” to work in earnest toward a U.S-China trade deal.  However, those who follow the dynamic closely will remember Liu He’s role was changed back in July.  Today’s Panda announcement is pure cunning.
Everything China is doing is intended to make it harder for President Trump to be aggressive in the confrontation:

BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese Vice Premier Liu He said on Monday that China is willing to resolve its trade dispute with the United States through calm negotiations and resolutely opposes the escalation of the conflict, a state-backed newspaper reported.
Liu, China’s top trade negotiator, was speaking at a tech conference in Chongqing in southwest China, the Chongqing Morning Post reported.

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President Trump holds a bilateral discussion with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.  PM Modi is a key figure in any strategy designed to blunt the influence of China.  [Video and Transcript below]

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[Transcript] – PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you very much. It’s great to be with Prime Minister Modi of India. Incredible country and he’s an incredible man. Just had a tremendous election victory and he really is a man who’s loved and respected in his country.
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The third day of the G7 Summit in Biarritz, France, has more bilateral discussions between U.S. President Donald Trump and international leaders outside the traditional ‘group of seven‘ construct.  The topics of Macron’s selected G7 group discussion include planetary sustainability, climate change, biodiversity, oceanography and aquatic justice.
Additionally, President Trump will be holding bilateral economic meetings with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (Egypt) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi (India) from outside the G7; and then German Chancellor Angela Merkel from inside the G7.

At the conclusion of the summit, 9:30am EDT, President Trump will hold a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron where it is likely Macron will exhaust his remaining pre-staged effort to advance the cause of multinational globalism; with customary assistance from rude left-wing American journalists.
♦ 2:30am EDT / 8:30am CEST – THE PRESIDENT participates in a bilateral meeting with President Abdel Fattal al-Sisi of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Biarritz, France
♦ 3:05am EDT / 9:05am CEST – THE PRESIDENT departs the Hotel du Palais en route to the Centre de Congrès Bellevue, Biarritz, France
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The structure of the global trade reset is visible.  The China decoupling is underway; the scale of this geopolitical dynamic is incredible.
KORUS  (Korea-US) is in the books; the North American USMCA is complete, pending ratification; the EU has agreed to purchase U.S. beef exports; and effective today the Japan-US deal is agreed in principle (sans auto and industrial products TBD).  Now  President Trump is working on a post-Brexit UK-US bilateral package.

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It does not take a deep geopolitical weed-walker to see the background for inviting the African delegation to the Biarritz summit.  Here we see the the G7 working session group on ‘partnerships with Africa‘:

What we don’t see in this picture is the main reason for the meeting, the 800lb panda in the room. All of these non-G7 members and meeting participants have been previously exposed to the One-Belt One-Road influence of Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping.
Combine World Bank President David Malpass into the equation, a direct U.S. nomination by President Trump now in place; mix in the visibility of Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison; and then recognize the sudden appearance of Sebastian Pinera from Chile and Prime Minister Narendra Modi from India; and the picture of a multi-continental meeting to discuss the potential downstream ramifications of President Trump confronting China becomes visible.
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Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow discuss the ongoing trade and economic discussions amid the G7 summit in  France.  The G7 was originally formed to address economic issues amid the top industrial economies. President Trump has been trying to return to that focus.
Secretary Mnuchin did a good job knocking back the narrative gnats.

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