***. “Adam smith’s case for free trade was richer and deeper than just the simple presumption that trade was beneficial and therefore should be left alone. Smith pointed to two specific benefits..a country would derive from trade. First, countries could exchange their superfluities…Second, and more important, countries would benefit by increasing their productivity..and thereby …increase the real revenue and wealth of the society.” [ Ryan Hanley, Editor: “Adam Smith” ]

This post presents excerpts from “The Ludicrous Argument Behind Trump’s Tariffs” [ New York Times “Editorial”; 8/30/26 ]:

10] “In economic terms, the policy so far has been a disappointment. The tariffs have raised prices on many goods, without producing a revival in manufacturing employment. Overall job growth and economic growth have slowed in recent months. Instead of pulling back in response, Mr. Trump has doubled down on his trade war. Incredibly, the 1930 law that he has used to justify the Canadian tariffs is the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, a law notorious for contributing to the Great Depression.” [ NOTE: fanatics on a “mission” aren’t deterred by inconvenient facts!!! ]

***. “Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”
[ Martin Luther King, Jr. ]

1] “President Trump’s repeated attempts to impose tariffs have become an encapsulation of his second term. They have hurt the American economy and his own popularity. They also range from legally dubious to blatantly illegal.”

2] “The Supreme court has already rejected most of Mr. Trump’s tariffs once. In February, it ruled them to be illegal, and he immediately made it clear that he would not be deterred. “Their decision is incorrect,” he said within hours of the rulings release. “But it doesn’t matter.” [NOTE: it doesn’t matter if you’re a king, or think you ARE a king ]

3]. “Mr. Trump’s defiance stands out. He has twice tried to circumvent the court’s tariff ruling, imposing new rounds of import fees by invoking legal justifications that are patently ridiculous.” [NOTE: kings, and dictators often try “legalistic noncompliance,” or. – they remake the court……. ]

***. “The tariffs, or Trump tax, are a mistake in many different ways. but the most important error is a fundamental misunderstanding of the global trading system.” [ Philip Coggan: “The Economic Consequences of Mr. Trump” ]

4] “..several of Mr. Trump’s individual justifications are far flimsier than those that past presidents have attempted. His latest round of global tariffs offers an example. The administration’s rationale for them is a section of a 1974 law that empowers a president to enact tariffs against countries that import goods made with forced labor. Last month, the administration cited the law to impose tariffs on nearly all goods entering the United States. That round of tariffs is a successor to the similarly sized tariff level that the Supreme Court rejected in February, as well as a temporary tariff Mr. Trump imposed after that decision. A panel of federal judges ruled that temporary tariff to be illegal as well.”

5]. “some countries do deserve scrutiny for importing goods made with forced labor. One major source of forced labor is China, which has compelled residents of Xinjiang, a predominantly Muslim region, to produce cotton, car parts and other items. Yet federal law already empowers the government to address forced labor in other ways, including by simply blocking the entry of goods made with such labor. Mr. Trump has used a genuine problem as an excuse to apply tariffs to more than 80 countries that are collectively responsible for more than 99 percent of American imports.”

6]. “..[Trump]..is effectively claiming that products made with forced labor are a major issue in Canada, Japan, South Korea, Britain, France and dozens of other countries. The tariffs apply even to Norway, which has been a pioneer in fighting forced labor around the world.” {NOTE: morons aren’t convinced by real facts ]

***. “In “On the Jealousy of Trade,” Hume suggested that international trade should not be viewed as a zero-sum game, in which countries were competing with each other as rivals, but rather as a form of mutually beneficial exchange that should be encouraged.” { Hanley: “Adam Smith” }

7]. “Then there is the sketchy rationale for his latest tariff on Canadian goods. The president invoked part of a 1930 law that has never been used before to impose tariffs, while ignoring more recent laws. – as well as the trade agreement that his first administration negotiated with Canada. He has imposed a 50 percent tariff on many Canadian goods by claiming that Canada has discriminated against American goods, even though his administration started the trade dispute.” [NOTE: for perspective for Trump’s war on Canada, see “The Real Winner of the Trade War With Canada? China” [Chad Brown; New York times; 8/30/26}. and “The Tinfoil Folly of America’s Trade War”. [Bill Saporito; New York Times; 9/3/26: “It’s not cheating when Canadians undersell American aluminum producers. It’s an advantage. It’s logical for the United States to import lower-cost Canadian aluminum and invest in industries in which America enjoys its own advantage. – chip design and artificial intelligence, for instance.” ]

8] “While federal judges have often done an admirable job of trying to respond to Mr. Trump’s illegal policies, the tariff cases highlight a core problem: Mr. Trump’s legalistic noncompliance moves more quickly than the courts do. when a judge rules one Trump policy to be illegal, he replaces it with a new one accomplishing similar aims.”

9]. “Eventually, the forced labor tariffs will probably go back to the Supreme Court, which needs to become nimbler about protecting the constitution from Mr. Trump’s disrespect for the balance of power among the three branches of Government….When faced with blatant defiance of the law from Mr. Trump, however, the court’s Republican-appointed majority sometimes takes its time or demurs. In the meantime, Mr. Trump’s policies do damage.”

***. “Wooden-headedness consists of assessing a situation in terms of preconceived fixed notions while ignoring or rejecting any contrary signs. It is acting to wish while not allowing oneself to be confused by the facts.”
[ Double Pulitzer prize winner Barbara Tuchman; author of “The march of folly”. – a study of governments pursuing self-destructive policies. – “From Troy To Vietnam” ]

{NOTE: – AGAIN!!! We ask YOU to judge Trump’s policies in terms of THE test: the U.S. Constitution’s Preamble: “…promote the general Welfare…” HOW do Trump’s tariffs ‘promote the general Welfare” of America and the American people??? Think on this: “The idea that things will return to ‘normal’ once Donald Trump leaves the White House is probably just wishful thinking,” Montreal’s McGill University political science professor Daniel Breland – as in long-term damage to America’s 200-year peaceful alliance with Canada. – Bob Gillies; Associated Press; 8/25/26 ]