Likewise, if someone brings a loudspeaker to a beauty spot they're essentially claiming control over the whole area. They're decreeing that no one else is allowed to enjoy it in peace. We might accept that now & then, but there's a point at which liberals can intervene to roll back power over others

Not necessarily. In essential shared public spaces - like buses or the tube - playing loud music is an exercise of power over others. It compels them to listen to it & means they're no longer free to sleep, relax or work. Liberal societies often limit one person's freedom to protect that of others.

Robert Lighthizer, then USTR, is a good read for a Trump admin perspective on the talks. the tone of humouring an old friend with limited expectation of success