Donald Trump is a bully, plain and simple. He wields his money and power with all the casual flair of a bludgeoning stick, not worried in the slightest bit whom he injures or how terrible the damage is. From whatever perch he deems necessary, he sees the world as his to mold, and woe be to anyone who crosses his path.
OK. So?
Trump is the same as every other political despot that has ruled their little cornhttps://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/jack-smith-files-drop-jan-6-charges-donald-trump-rcna181667er of the world. His tactics may seem more brutal than other, but that’s merely because he enjoys being so public about it. More often than not, power and retribution in this manner is wielded behind the scenes. In politics, most bullies don’t want attention. They prefer to move in the shadows and never make a public ripple.
Trump is simply the other side of that coin. He revels in the power and mostly the fame and glory that he believes comes with the territory. He wants you to know he’s in control. He wants you to lash out at his every move. To Trump, and those like him, reaching that degree of power is a drug he readily ingests with every waking moment.
While those on the outside see this as a character flaw, those on the inside admire Trump and wish they were more like him. They yearn to have this level of unchecked power, being able to write their own rules and fearing not for an instant any backlash because, they would know, the course they’ve set makes them seem nearly invincible.
All one has to do is view current events and witness how Trump has dodged almost every single bullet. The dropping of charges related to the January 6th insurrection and his theft of classified documents is just the latest, an historic figurative torching of what American jurisprudence was supposed to be. Under the radar at the moment is how his transition team is quietly and thus far successfully avoiding any of the standard FBI background checks for his Cabinet nominations. It is just the latest in what for Trump is a rousing success in being the bully in charge.
Which leads us to his promised and “right on time” tariff battle with anyone and everyone who fails to follow his edicts.
As expected, Trump announced his directives at Canada and Mexico, using trade and national economies as his chosen weapon. Either these nations bend completely to his will when it comes to border control, immigration and what he perceives as a panic regarding smuggled drugs, or they will pay the price.
Already there is alarm in Canada as to what the tariff wars will cost their economy. There are those in the Canadian government who believe PM Justin Trudeau must bow to Trump in whatever form it takes, in order as they believe to save their national economy. From the first salvo, Trump’s use of trade as a bully pulpit is having exactly the effects he wanted. Shock. Fear. Anger. Sauce for the goose, in his mind. Simply part of the game he without question believes he has already won.
Of course, if he indeed follows thru on these threats, there will be more pain than what will be experienced in Canada, Mexico, or any other entity that dares challenge him. It will all, eventually and inevitably, sift down to the America consumer. There will be Hell to pay, and it will be in the form of a higher cost of living and a lack of ease in buying certain goods.
It is more than just folly. It is incredibly ill-advised and dangerous.
Donald Trump’s economic policies, particularly his unwavering enthusiasm for tariffs, reveal a fundamental misunderstanding of how global trade works. Tariffs, heralded by Trump as a tool to "protect American jobs" and "punish unfair trading partners," have repeatedly failed to achieve their intended results. Instead, they drive up costs for American consumers, strain relationships with key allies, and damage the U.S. economy.
You, the consumer, will pay the price for his war.
To Trump, this is little more than a pesky mosquito buzzing about his jowls. You, me, all of us, are the ones who will feel the sting.
Tariffs is a fancy word for taxes on imported goods. When Trump imposed tariffs on steel, aluminum, and an array of goods from countries like China, Canada, and Mexico during his first iteration, it wasn’t foreign manufacturers or governments paying the price. It was American consumers. Every time a tariff is levied, the cost of those goods rises. Businesses often pass these costs directly to the consumer, resulting in higher prices for everything from appliances to automobiles.
What, you think these manufacturers and greedy little toadies will just lower their profit margins for you? Have you been struck in the noggin more than the usual amount of times before reading?
A report by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that the Trump administration's tariffs cost U.S. consumers and firms $3 billion per month in added tax costs and $1.4 billion per month in efficiency losses during his tenure. This means that while Trump promised tariffs would hurt foreign nations, they inflicted significant pain on American wallets instead.
Those are your wallets. That money is yours. You are being punished by Donald Trump.
Trump’s decision back then to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada and Mexico, two of America’s closest trading partners, was particularly baffling. Both countries are key players in the supply chains of many American industries. By targeting them, Trump sent a damaging message: the United States is no longer a reliable partner. He sent that message not only to Canada and Mexico, but to the entire global economy.
Canada, often referred to as America's closest ally, was slapped with tariffs under the guise of "national security" concerns. This move baffled both policymakers and the public, as Canada poses no threat to U.S. security. Mexico, too, faced tariffs as part of Trump’s broader attempts to pressure the country on unrelated immigration issues. These actions risk irreparable harm to relationships that have taken decades to build.
And he’s right back at it in V2.
One of Trump’s key arguments for tariffs is that they will incentivize Americans to buy goods made domestically. But here’s the reality: the U.S. doesn’t have the necessary manufacturing infrastructure to replace the imported goods that tariffs target. Building new factories and supply chains takes years, if not decades, and requires investments that many companies are hesitant to make amid uncertain trade policies.
Take the example of the steel industry, which Trump often used as a justification for tariffs. While some domestic steel manufacturers benefited from reduced competition, industries reliant on steel, like construction and automotive, suffered due to increased costs. The overall impact was a net loss for the economy, including the vast number of jobs that were lost because Trump’s tariffs forced down profits.
I go back to that idea about “don’t think the barons will take pity on you”, my friend.
The economic damage caused by Trump’s tariffs is undeniable, but the diplomatic consequences are equally troubling. By treating allies like adversaries, Trump undermined global cooperation. Canada and Mexico were forced to retaliate with tariffs on American goods, escalating trade tensions and hurting American exporters.
The message to the world was clear: under Trump, America is more interested in punitive measures than in building strong, mutually beneficial relationships. This kind of isolationist policy doesn’t make America great; it makes America irrelevant in an increasingly interconnected global economy.
That message is being repeated once again, at a global time when America can ill afford to be seen as a repugnant bully.
For the millions of Americans who voted for Trump V1, many were drawn to his promise to revive American manufacturing and improve the economy. But tariffs have done the opposite. Jobs in manufacturing declined during his presidency, with companies either passing costs onto consumers or moving production overseas to avoid tariffs altogether.
In the campaign for Trump V2, he made the same promises, used the same rhetoric, and despite history teaching us what a terrible idea it was in the first place, a very slim majority of Americans voted to let him have a go at it again.
The results will be the same. Write it down.
The irony is that many of the industries Trump claimed to protect, such as agriculture, suffered immensely under retaliatory tariffs from other nations. Farmers, particularly in the Midwest, were left struggling as China imposed steep tariffs on American soybeans, pork, and other products. Trump’s solution? Massive government subsidies funded by taxpayers, which did little to address the root cause of the problem.
Trump, like so many other failed politicians and faux leaders before him, simply kicks back and brings out the band-aid approach. Kick that can as far down the road as he can. Once it’s out of sight, no one will see the steamroller about to crush it. In the end, the outcome is the same. You are the ones paying for his arrogance.
Trump doesn’t care. So long as he’s “winning”, there are no other options.
Trump’s tariff policies left a lasting impact, and not a good one. By prioritizing short-term political wins over long-term economic stability, he demonstrated a fundamental misunderstanding of the global trade system. His actions hurt the very people he promised to help—working-class Americans—while alienating allies and emboldening competitors like China.
Know this. The Chinese laughed at Trump and America once before, and they will do so again. As the source of trillions of dollars in goods, they hold the cards. What is misunderstood is that China like everyone else, is first and foremost interested in profit. Sure, there are those claiming all the Chinese want is “world domination”, but that’s a smokescreen. China needs to make money, and they have shown a willingness to make a deal. However, they, like anyone else, brittle at doing business with the muzzle of a bully gun pointed smack in their puss.
Americans must recognize that tariffs are not the solution to the complex challenges of globalization. Instead of resorting to punitive measures, the United States should focus on strengthening its competitive advantages, investing in innovation, and fostering collaboration with allies. Under Trump, none of that has ever been a priority. It’s all about showing “strength”, and forcing others to knuckle under to our, to his, whim.
It didn’t work once. It won’t work a second time. Trade wars are not easily won, and Trump’s tariff experiment should serve as a cautionary tale.
The next time a leader promises to “make America great again” by slapping tariffs on everything in sight, voters should ask a simple question: Who’s really paying the price? If history is any guide, it’s the American people.
You either learn from this mistakes of history, or you keep repeating the same failures over and over again.
Just like now.
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