Subject: Re: Trade deal with China reached
The 1970's called and would like to have a word with you.

I was around back then - very young, but around. OPEC had influence....but that's it. Just influence. And not even too much of that - you'll notice that OPEC failed to achieve the primary goal of the 1973 oil embargo, which was to get the U.S. to stop supporting Israel. All they were able to do was force the U.S. to undergo a painful recession. Which we experienced, got through...and they never did it again, because the limits of the Oil Weapon were laid bare once it was used. It allowed OPEC to have a modest amount of influence on global policy decisions, but very much only up to a point.

That very much depends on who your victim is. If your victim believes you're crazy and willing to pull the pin, they'll hand over their wallet.

No one thinks China is crazy. Or whatever the analogue would be for anthropomorphizing a national government to the human condition of insanity.