A little? Donald Trump is about to plunge the nation and the world into the largest economic depression since the 1930’s with these threatened reciprocal tarifs. I’m not getting that people are understand what it means to be the center of world trade, and what these tariffs are going to do to producers of literally everything they and their millions of employees. This is a complete tanking of the domestic and global economy.
So the Atlantic finally admits what we’ve been muttering in dark corners: tariffs are just regressive taxes with extra steps, sold as economic patriotism while gutting wallets. Trump’s obsession with slapping levies on imports isn’t protecting industries—it’s kneecapping consumers already drowning in shrinkflation and insurance hikes.
The immigration crackdown is even dumber. Gutting the labor force during a housing crisis? Genius. Now watch construction costs soar as ICE raids leave job sites barren. But hey, at least we’ll have strong borders as we ration eggs.
The irony? All this performative policy theater was supposed to “make America affordable again.” Instead, it’s a masterclass in unintended consequences. But what’s a little stagflation between populists? We’ll just keep watching the circus from the cheap seats.
A little? I am probably over simplifying, but isn’t he doing 25% tariffs?
In some ways what he’s doing is worse. By loudly threatening a mixed bag of tarrifs and making it unclear where things actually are he drives companies to raise prices because everyone else is, because they can, because they expect the tarrifs, or because there actually are tarrifs.
He’s done a slew of tarrifs, threatened more, and also rolled some back shortly after imposing them.
Increasing profit by doing nothing. “We have to raise prices to prepare for a possible bad thing, not respond to it. And no, we won’t lower them even if we can”
