申論題

        Read the excerpt below carefully and think about the assignment that follows. 

Sometimes in soccer, an attempt to defend one’s turf results in a score for the opposing team—an “own goal.” There have already been nine such incidents of self-sabotage in the 2018 World Cup, by far the most in the history of the tournament. But you won’t find the most spectacular example of the summer on the pitch in Russia. That distinction goes to Donald Trump’s administration, whose determination to start a trade war with China is, like the best own goals in soccer, muscular in its approach, blind in its aim, and self-injurious in its consequences. 

        –Derek Thompson. Why Donald Trump’s Trade War Will Fail. 

         The Atlantic, July 7, 2018. 

Assignment: Based on the excerpt, what is an “own goal”? What are the implicit similarities between “the best own goals in soccer” and Donald Trump’s trade war with China? Do you agree with Derek Thompson’s opinion of the trade war? Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.