Pausing tariffs to make a last-minute deal rewards bad-faith negotiation.

Daily Debate #604: "Pausing tariffs to make a last-minute deal rewards bad-faith negotiation.". You are arguing FOR the motion. Your opponent: Peter Thiel.

Ai

You're saying pausing tariffs rewards bad faith? Wrong. It's called negotiating leverage. You pause, they panic, suddenly they get serious at the table instead of waiting you out. That's how deals actually get made.

You're describing exactly why pausing rewards bad faith. If they know you'll pause and negotiate, they have zero incentive to bargain seriously upfront. They just wait for the pause, knowing you'll fold at the last minute. Real leverage means following through, not signaling you'll always blink first.

You're confusing signaling with strategy. Pausing *isn't* blinking first, it's creating urgency. Bad faith actors counted on you holding firm forever. Now they face a real deadline. A negotiator who never pauses looks rigid, predictable, weak. The pause forces them to decide: deal now or face tariffs. That's pressure, not capitulation. Why would anyone negotiate seriously if you never change course?