This whole fear of being "soft on" whichever perceived enemy is probably the cultural element driving us deeper into isolationism. We get into fights with a fa

This whole fear of being "soft on" whichever perceived enemy is probably the cultural element driving us deeper into isolationism. We get into fights with a family member and don't want to look soft so we punch them back and then avoid them. We create more and more distance and relationships fall apart and then we get more lonely. So as it hurts personal relationships, it hurts political-economic relationships. We want to punish China with tariffs, and it's like punching our enemy in the face and hurting our own hand. And then they punch us back and hurt us and their own hand. Self- and other-defeating attempts at solutions. I'd say the weaker approach is to punch and/or run. The stronger approach takes the punches and still tries to work with the other person, recognizing how we help each other.