Week of 06/03/2019

“Tariff Man” Trump Puts Ego Over Economy
– by David Matthews 2

There is an old but uniquely American meme that best applies to the incompetent in power.

“The beating will continue until morale improves.”

Our orange-skinned narcissist, President Donald “Dotard” Trump, has come up with a new way to make Mexico “pay” for people coming to America “illegally”.  He has decided to do to them what he is doing to China, by hitting them up with tariffs.

Our so-called “very stable genius” has decided that as long a Mexico doesn’t do “anything” to stop the people from coming from their country into ours, he’s going to hit Mexico with increasing tariffs.  First at 5% starting June 10th, and then eventually up to 25% in October.

So anything coming from Mexico would pay this ever-increasing tariff until Mexico supposedly does something to stop all the people coming into America.  They won’t pay for Narcissist Trump’s ego-wall, so he’ll supposedly make them “pay” this way.

Except that they won’t.  That’s not how tariffs work.

A tariff is basically a tax placed on products coming from other places.  It’s a tax paid by the people who buy the product.  In other words, the consumers.  Us.  It’s not paid by the home country.  Mexicans or the Mexican people won’t pay this tax.  Americans will.  You know, the people that “Tariff Man” Narcissist Trump claims to stand up for?

The American people will pay for this tax on everything they buy that comes in from Mexico, be it made there or just travelling through.  Even the things that are partially made in other nations before coming over.  The American automakers will get hit bad by this.  Electronic products, including TVs, will get hit bad by this.  Food and drinks will be hit bad by this.  Like that guacamole dip?  That comes from avocados from Mexico.  Prepare to pay more for it.

And that’s on top of “Tariff Man” Narcissist Trump’s already ongoing pissing contest with China, where mutually-increasing tariffs are already hurting American farmers.  Those tariffs are expected to affect over 70% of the goods and services American buy.

And, again, China will not be paying for these.  Americans will.

These things do not happen in a vacuum either.  Americans have been treading water for so many years financially.  Healthcare gouges, pharma gouges, stagnant wages, greater demands on the family for things like child care and education, they have all been eating away at us. 

What has kept us from completely falling apart is the fact that other things are still affordable.  Inflation is low and has been kept as low as possible.  We can afford to buy the new electronics.  We can afford to keep ourselves fed with food and drinks that come in from other nations.  The price of gasoline has been kept relatively low over the years.  Fifteen years ago, we were outraged that gas prices were racing over $5 a gallon nationwide.  Not so since the Great Recession.

A lot of that is now in jeopardy thanks to “Tariff Man” Narcissist Trump.

And I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that this sudden “brainstorm” idea magically appeared at a time when there is a strong call for Narcissist Trump’s impeachment, or, at the very least, a start of an impeachment inquiry, including from someone in the Trump Party.  Recent comments from now-retired Special Prosecutor Robert Muller along with Narcissist Trump’s disastrous visit to Japan, including the disgraceful attempts to hide the U.S.S. John McCain to avoid triggering the Snowflake-in-Chief, have all damaged the overinflated “brand”.  Coincidence?  Bull!  Coming up with a new drama as a divert is textbook narcissism.

Let’s get brutally honest here... “Tariff Man” Narcissist Trump is endangering America’s economy, not only with his sick fetish for tariffs, but also on the pretense that he is doing “something presidential”.  Worse yet, it has to deal with a problem that is only considered an “emergency” in his own head and in the script of his propagandists. 

America’s economy has been kept afloat because of this global market that has been built over the decades.  Is it unfair to some parts of America?  Absolutely.  But that’s when you fix it from within.  You address it with the framework of the global marketplace.  This asinine territorial “me first” idea that is championed by “Tariff Man” Narcissist Trump, using his own form of taxation to supposedly “punish” other nations, does nothing to fix those problems.  Those taxes will not get China to “play fair”, nor will those taxes encourage Mexico to “fix” a problem that is only seen as a glorified campaign stunt.  All they will do is pass those taxes onto Americans in the form of higher prices.

China will not pay for “Tarrif Man’s” tariffs.  Americans will.  Mexico will not pay for “Tariff Man’s” punitive tariffs.  Americans will.  “Tariff Man” will not suffer one iota of consequence for his egomaniacal follies and policies.  Americans will.

The beatings will continue until morale improves... or until the one issuing the beatings is removed.

Tired of this “winning” thing yet?