Have you considered that the word "order" was meant for Chinese consumption? The people of China are used to being ordered around. Now their media will report Trump's words to the Chinese people, and they will come away with strong concerns.
We can deal with his use of the word [executive] "order," especially when he is warning American companies that he's about to make some executive orders regarding Chinese trade, backed by various commerce statutes, and it's in their best interests to prepare.
I have no problem with his use of the word "order," whether it's in the phrase "executive order" or for agitprop against our enemies.
-PJ
Yes, I have considered that as well as a lot of other things but realize speculation is a waste of time. Someone will be correct in speculation but never know it. What I do know is that what he said has been responded to with alarm. If his intent it to shake the footing of his opponent he has done that as well as to shake up most of the rest of us.
I do not subscribe to the theory expressed by so many in response to any criticism of Trump though; that he is just so much smarter than anyone he is acting in an arena of rarefied air that mere mortals can’t comprehend. Instead I think he must subscribe to orchestrating chaos so that only he knows what is really going on and that creates a wake of collateral damage. He may win in the end and the collateral damage may be repaired or it may not. What is important to him is that he wins.
Powell made a reasonable comment last week that it is impossible for the FED, no matter how much I hate them, to manage a stable economy with Trump pulling the strings on a roller coaster trade war. Neither is it possible for we mere investors to earn a return. In two years we have ridden a roller coaster and ended up at the boarding platform agian. People don’t like this and won’t let it go on for long after they find someone to pin it on.
Trump could stand to try a little more steady hand on the tiller or just announce that he is having none of that instead of trying to be the everyman. In fairness to Trump, I believe he did suggest from the outset that we are in for a rough ride for him to execute his programs.