No. of Recommendations: 1
It's why OPEC never got to rule the world, despite having their finger on the trigger of the Oil Weapon.
The 1970's called and would like to have a word with you.
Plus, this sort of "power" is very much like having a hand grenade in an elevator. If we were in an elevator, and I had a hand grenade, and I told you that you had to give me your wallet....would you? Sure, I'm holding a hand grenade - which means I have the power to maim or kill you if you don't do what I say. But I'm in the elevator, too. I would also get badly hurt or killed if I pulled that pin. Since I'm holding the hand grenade, I have more control over the situation than you do. But at the end of the day that doesn't get me all that much.
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. In the case of China, they will have no compunctions about throwing their weight around to extract concessions from the Europeans, who collectively are too weak to do anything about it. That means outsized Chinese influence in global affairs and eventually more China-friendly governments around the world. That's not a great scenario for the West.
In the current mix of things, the Chinese wouldn't need a hand grenade in the elevator to make the Euros roll over. Them merely holding a paper clip would do it.
