Trump has now upped the general tariff rate to 15% from 10% and the maximum that he can without immediate Congressional approval.
The first round of Liberation Day tariffs were almost immediately exposed as a grift and a strongman tactic. He levied high tariffs, affected companies came to him and bent the knee, contributed to his ballroom, gave him solid gold iPhones. He then relented like a magnanimous potentate. It was corrupt, it was the sort of self-dealing that typifies everything this shallow man does.
When SCOTUS (barely) reaffirmed the Constitutional prerogatives of Congress (even if they are too supine to do it themselves), Trump reacted like the whining petulant pissant that he is at the deepest core of his personality. His rambling press conference would have embarrassed any previous holder of the office of Chief Magistrate.
The reason for reinstalling tariffs at all are...not great. They can accomplish nothing, because they will sunset in 150 days. No one is onshoring a factory because of this tariff.
Instead, it only suggest one of two things.
The first is that he is deeply committed to tariffs and transferring the tax base from income and capital gains taxes that impact the wealthy. He wants to replace them with an excise tax on imports that will affect the average American far more profoundly than they will affect the rich.
The second is that this is a tantrum. Denied his Big Beautiful Tariffs, he's just going to demand that he get MORE tariffs. Are they unpopular? FUCK YOU, I WANT MY TARIFFS. Frankly, it's the emotional logic of a domestic abuser. "Why did you make me hit you?"
It's like Veruca Salt is president.
No comments:
Post a Comment