*** “Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”
[ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ]
[NOTE; the following excerpts are fro David Frum’s “That ’70s Feeling,” The Atlantic; June, 2025 ]
1] “In January..Trump inherited an economy..growing strongly.” Low unemployment. Restrained inflation. If Trump left it alone, he could’ve coasted to economic success. “Instead, Trump single-handedly plunged the economy into chaos..Trump’s tariffs are like a hundred self-inflicted oil shocks, all arriving at the same time.” Trump and surrogates promise a new era of prosperity where investors build American factories. Even if this were true, “the result would still be a bad bargain. Tariff-sheltered industries tend to produce inferior goods at higher prices.”
“But Trump’s tariffs will not induce much factory-building. Who’d invest..unless assured that foreign competition would be excluded for a long time, if not forever?”
*** “wooden-headedness consists of assessing a situation in terms of preconceived, fixed notions while ignoring or rejecting any contrary signs. It is acting according to wish while not allowing oneself to be confused by facts.”
historian. Barbara Tuchman, 1980 ]
2]. “Donald Trump has no grasp of history. The people around him are afraid to teach it ti him. So Trump’s trade war could well lead him, as the economy sinks, to ever more interventionism of his own: subsidies and tariff exemptions for favored companies; payouts to farmers and other constituencies; political warfare against the independence of the Federal Reserve.”
“The most dangerous temptation that Trump may face is to impose some form of capital controls to stop investors from dumping dollar assets. Trump’s trade war has driven a sell-off of U.S. Treasury bonds, which raised interest rates in the United States.”
*** “In public affairs, stupidity is more dangerous than knavery.” [ President Woodrow Wilson, 1913 ]
3] “The grim fact about stagflation is that – once stumbled into – it is very hard to escape.”
*** “Stupidity is far more dangerous than evil, for evil takes a break from time to time, stupidity does not.”
[ Anatole France ]
4] “Ultimately, the end of the crisis will depend on the actions of millions of people across dozens of trading nations. Only if and when they recover their trust in the United States will the U.S, and world economies fully recover from the breach of trust Trump has created. How long will it take? No one knows.”
*** “How can you be a person if your words are not to be trusted.” [ Confucius ]
5] “As a businessman, Trump was notorious for operating in bad faith….He repeatedly drove his properties into bankruptcy, leaving creditors, investors, employees to bear the costs of his failure.. Trump vowed to “make America great again” with the same predatory methods….The only way he feels confident that he prevailed is if the other party suffers.”
***. “No change of circumstances can repair a defect of character.” [ Ralph Waldo Emerson ]
[NOTE; Trump’s first trade war cost between 160,000 and 240, ooo American jobs. This one already is ringing major alarm bells about what will happen to small businesses. Trump’s chaotic off-again, on-again tariffs are already creating much uncertainty – neither investors, business, nor consumers spend in such a climate – meaning stagflation is a very distinct possibility. Most respected economists REJECT Trump’s theories. There is some sell-off of U.S. financial assets – which is nothing but trouble. Major question: how does Trump’s trade war against the world “..promote the general Welfare..”?????????? Exactly WHO will suffer “a little pain” from Trump’s STUPIDITIES ??????]
Tag: tariffs
The Trump-Musk DICTATORSHIP – American Amnesia – Voices From 2018, II
1]. “We have an executive branch that seems determined to conduct trade policy based on a level of ignorance not seen at this level for 150 years and one that is virtually unknown among other major industrialized nations.”
**** [NOTE what this says: “..a level of ignorance not seen..for 150 years..” THE ENTIRE TRUMP TRADE POLICY IS BUILT ON GARBAGE, LUNACY, NONSENSE, IGNORANCE]
“I refer to the nonsense that says having the Untied States import a greater value of goods from another country that it exports to that country is not only harmful to our economy, but also represents some conscious, malign action on the part of the “surplus” country. Every economist knows that such bilateral balance of trade between a specific pair of countries is meaningless and should be ignored. If you doubt that, email your old econ prof or one at a college you support with your tax dollars or charitable contributions and ask them.”
“The sad thing about our situation is that nearly all of Trump’s economic advisors understand that his position is nonsense…So do most GOP members of Congress. So does nearly everyone in finance or in corporate management. But no one is willing to speak up. The media have failed abjectly.”
[ Edward Lotterman: “Let’s end the fallacy of trade ‘deficits'”; St. Paul Pioneer Press; 11/25/18 ]
*** “Never let yourself be persuaded that any one Great Man, or any one leader, is necessary to the salvation of America. When America consists of one leader and 155 million followers, it will no longer be America.”
[ Dwight D. Eisenhower ]
2]. “Two of Donald Trump’s favorite economic metrics are failing”. [Heather Long; Washington Post; 12/9/18]: “President Donald Trump has made it clear that he wants the stock market to rise and the trade deficit to fall and that his policies will make it happen. But so far this year, Trump is getting the opposite result: The trade deficit is soaring while the stock market is careening down.”
“The U.S. trade deficit is at its highest level in a decade…Trump’s trade war appears to be making the trade deficit worse.”…
“The Dow and Standard & Poor’s 500, two of the most closely watched metrics of U.S. stock market performance are now negative for the year.
“The stock market couldn’t be any more disapproving of the president and his economics team…This administration has to tone down its war with the world…with all gains wiped out for 2018, he has turned to blaming others for the market spiral.” [ And, as we all ‘know,’ Trump as the ‘savior’ of America, is NEVER WRONG!!! ]
NOTE: how gullible and misinformed are YOU??? What makes YOU think the 2025 ‘trade war’ is going to end any different??? Economists for 200 years, corporate leaders apologizing in foreign country business trips, the stock market, and – YOUR pocket book – ALL tell YOU one thing: Donald Trump is an IGNORANT IDIOT on economics [and, much else] – unfortunately for YOU, he is “running’ YOUR country.
*** “Every man is a damn fool for at least 5 minutes every day. Wisdom consists in not exceeding the limit.” [ Elbert Hubbard ]
*** “Power does not corrupt men; fools, however, if they get into a position of power, corrupt power.” [George Bernard Shaw]
*** “The risk is not in what he does not know, but in what he thinks he knows.” [ Jean Jacques Rousseau ]
The Trump-Musk Dictatorship Stupidity, Corruption, Cruelty, Craziness, VIII – THE BIG TARIFF LIE
1] “Tariffs instead of an income tax?” [Nobel prize winning economist Paul Krugman; New York times; 6/24/24]: “Recently Donald Trump floated a truly terrible, indeed unworkable economic proposal…an ‘all tariff policy’ in which taxes on imports replace income taxes. Why is that a bad idea?
“First , the math doesn’t work..in reality, there’s probably no tariff rate high enough to replace the income tax.
“..we’d in effect sharply raise taxes on working-class Americans while giving the rich a big tax cut – because the income tax is fairly progressive..”
“How did the Republican National committee respond…’The notion that tariffs are a tax on U.S. consumers is a lie pushed by outsourcers and the Chinese Communist Party.” [stop laughing, they were serious!]
“..economists have been saying tariffs are a tax on domestic consumers for the past two centuries..”
[Note: read the entire column. Krugman’s Nobel Prize was for international trade theory]
2]. “The Real Reason Trump Pushes Tariffs” [Kimberly Clausing; New York Times; 2/23/25]: “A better way to think about tariffs is as a key tool to achieve the core of Mr. Trump’s economic agenda: He wants to shift the tax burden away from the well-off and toward the poor and middle class – while consolidating his power.” One study had Trump tariffs costing a “typical American household in the middle of the income distribution more than $2,600 a year.”
[Note: read the entire article – Trump’s objective is NOT to bring back American jobs]
3] “The ugly truth of ‘beautiful’ tariffs” [Heather Long; Washington Post Weekly; 1/19/25]: “..this week, he laid bare why he will raise tariffs this year: He needs money to pay for bigger tax cuts….The math doesn’t add up.”…..
“The Peterson Institute for International Economics found that the bottom 80% would be worse off, and only the richest Americans would benefit.”….
“In the worse case scenario, the average tariff rate could spike to the highest level since the Great Depression.” [Note: research effects of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930!]
“Regardless of whether they are friend or foe, Trump is likely to lose the trade war with China.” [Note; research how China previously, and now – is moving factories to foreign countries to escape Trump’s tariffs on them!!! Read the entire article]
4] “Trump’s tariff plan would sow chaos” [Jeff Stein, David Lynch; Washington Post; 10/17/24]: “…an attack on the international trade order that would likely raise prices, hurt the stock market and spark economic feuds with much of the world.”…
“The consequences would be far-reaching..higher prices for grocery staples..U.S. manufacturers would almost certainly see sharp declines in orders…gas prices would increase by as much as 75 cents a gallon..the annual cost could be as high as $7,600 for a typical household.” [Note: read the entire article]
5]. “New tariffs would lead to price hikes” [David Lynch; Washington Post; 10/31/24]: “U.S. companies say they’ll pass added costs to customers if Trump is re-elected and makes good on his promises.”…
“A consistent theoretical and empirical finding in economics is that domestic consumers and domestic firms bear the burden of a tariff, not the foreign country,” according to analysis by the nonpartisan Budge Lab at Yale University.”
[Note: read the entire article – IT DESTROYS TRUMP’s TARIFF PLANS]
***** And then, this: Trump claims Mexico and Canada aren’t doing enough to stop the flow of immigrants into the U.S. or to stop the flow of fentanyl. REPEATED comments by U.S. border patrol personnel say one thing: the vast majority of illegal drugs into the U.S. is smuggled in by. AMERICANS!!!!! Canada, Mexico and others have ALREADY taken steps – before Trump’s threats – to cooperate with the U.S. in reducing immigration into the U.S. For more perspective: research American birth rates since 1980. Some advanced nations are ALREADY in danger of disappearing because their birth rates are too low.
*****Bottom line: What will be the cost in lost good will by some of America’s best friends – when the REAL enemy of democracy is China??? “Beautiful tariffs” is just another BIG. TRUMP. LIE. We are cursed with a president living in n alternative universe of his own “alternate facts.”
Trump as “savior” !!! – Hang On To YOUR Wallet; Trump’s “numbers’ DON’T Add Up !!!
***Republican President Herbert Hoover: “You know, the only trouble with capitalism is capitalists. They’re
too damn greedy.”
1} Christine Benz, director of personal finance & retirement planning for Moringstar: “Whoever takes over as president is inheriting a fairly robust economy, mild inflation, average-to-below-average interest rates and fairly high valuations for U.S. stocks.” [“How election results could affect your retirement accounts.”; Michelle Singletary; ll/ll/24; Wash. Post]
2] “Manufacturing already has made a comeback…Rebound Trump promises has been underway in many places”: “McLean County is part of an unusually strong jump in manufacturing jobs between 2019 and 2023…The Biden administration tried to use policy to ensure..more..would be union jobs, or at least offer union-level wages..this approach is almost certainly dead due to the results of the election.” [Tim Henderson; 11/17/24; Stateline.org]
***Adam smith: “We can’t have free markets because the world is too complex and independent to let everyone run around doing whatever he or she wants to do. As a society, we have to regulate conduct when it interferes with other people’s freedoms or when it threatens damage to other people’s properties.”
3] “For voters, economy is key”: “..many economists warn..Trump’s plans are likely to worsen the inflation he’s vowed to eradicate, drive up the federal debt and eventually slow growth…Last month, 23 Nobel-winning economists signed a letter warning..a Trump administration “will lead to higher prices, larger deficits, and greater inequality..Among the most important determinants of economic success..are rule of law and economic and political certainty, and Trump threatens all of these.”..The centerpiece of Trump’s economic agenda is taxing imports..In fact, American companies pay them – and then typically pass along their higher costs to their customers via higher prices..Trump has threatened to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, potentially undermining one of the factors that allowed the United States to tame inflation without falling into recession.” [Paul Wiseman; 11/10/24; Assoc. Press]
***Republican President Theodore Roosevelt: “Of all the forms of tyranny the least attractive and most vulgar is the
tyranny of mere wealth, the tyranny of plutocracy.”
4]. “Musk Looks To Benefit From New Pal Trump…Billionaire’s six firms, deeply entangled with the U.S., pose a conflict with any new job he gets” [E.Lipton, K.Grind, D.Fahrenthold, T.Schleifer; 11/10/24; New York Times]
5] “Biggest Donors Expect Returns on Investment…Moguls Look to Lifting of Regulations”: “Limit the reach of federal regulations on artificial intelligence. Make room for cryptocurrencies to thrive. Ease the anti-trust crackdown on big companies. Buy more military drones. And don’t raise taxes on billionaires.” [Eric Lipton; 11/17/24; New York Times]
**!!**!! – This & MUCH MORE is the “to-do list” for Trump from his donor billionaires – WHO. is missing from any concerns here??? – YOU, Mr. & Mrs. lower 90% !!!!!!!!!!!!
*** Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis: “We can either have a democracy in this country or we can have great
wealth concentration in the hands of a few. But we cannot have both.”
6] “Trump’s plans likely don’t lower grocery bills…Proposed tariffs, deportation could make food prices rise, according to economists”…”..food producers rely on imported goods like fertilizer, equipment and packing materials. If they’re forced to pay more..they will raise prices….U.S. farmers also could have trouble selling their goods overseas, since other countries would likely respond with retaliatory tariffs..”There is a fundamental disconnect between a stated goal of reducing grocery prices and a tariff policy that only stands to increase those costs.” [Dee-Ann Durbin; 11/17/24 Assoc Press]
7] “Trump tax cut vows face fiscal realty”: “The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office..estimated..continuing all of the expiring provisions would cost roughly $4 trillion over a decade, and Trump’s campaign proposals could add trillions more to the debt.” [Andrew Duehren; 11/8/24; New York Times]
***!!!***!!! – Republican tax cuts, 1981-2017 increased the national debt from LESS than $1 trillion for 1789-1980 America to some $35 trillion – because they cut tax rates for the obscenely rich – which leads to Right-Wing 7 Republican demands for “austerity” – i.e. – cuts to social programs that benefit YOU – see Roosevelt & Brandeis quotes above & more
*** Adam Smith: “The subjects of every state ought to contribute towards the support of government, as nearly as
possible, in proportion to their respective abilities; that is, in proportion to the revenue which
they respectively enjoy under the protection of the state.”
*** Billionaire Bill Gates: “I need to pay higher taxes. I’ve paid, in absolute, more taxes over ten billion [dollars].
than anyone else, but, you know, the government should require people in my
position to pay significantly higher taxes.”
*** Billionaire investor Warren Buffett: “There’s class warfare, all right, ubt it my class, the rich class, that’s making
war, and we’re winning.” **Buffett has long said his secretary pays taxes at a higher rate
than he does. Recent analysis reveals many billionaires pay a 3.4% tax rate, if anything.
8]. Do. YOUR. own. REAL. research:
A] study 1947-1980 income, wealth, tax rates – compared with 1981-2024 numbers. 1947-1980 top marginal taxe rates AVERAGED 81% – Republicans cut those, first in half, now 1/3-1/4. The 1947-1973 American middle class enjoyed THE. STATISTICAL. PEAK of prosperity in American history. It was “too good a deal”. – for. YOU, so the rich [see Buffett, Brandeis, Roosevelt, Smith quotes above] declared WAR [quietly – through “campaign contributions”]. on. YOU – cut their taxes, cut YOUR income, increased costs for YOUR food, medical care, housing, etc…., move jobs overseas………
B]. find. REAL. critical analysis of “PROJECT 2025” and “Agenda 47”. – to decode what their innocuous language REALLY means to YOU. – it is a Right-Wing blueprint of the R-W “wish list” to COMPLETE the transformation of America into a PLUTOCRATIC. THEOCRACY.
***** WATCH. YOUR. WALLET !!!!! – how uninformed, how misinformed, how gullible. – are. YOU??? If YOU voted for the Con Man, the Entertainer – “who said what you thought” – or – “said what you wanted to hear” – the NUMBERS above – and MUCH, MUCH more – indicate YOU will NOT get what YOU thought YOU voted for; a better, more prosperous life>
*** SO – now what? – vigilance – hold Trump and his Republican enablers to account – but don’t wait until 2026, could be too late. WHY. did 23 Nobel economics winners write a letter warning of economic consequences if Trump puts his plan and his campaign rhetoric into law???? No – they don’t “hate America,” they don’t “hate Trump”. – they examined Trump’s numbers! – and they DON’T. ADD. UP
*** Adolf Hitler: “If you tell a big lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed.”
*** New analysis by the “Conservative Think Tank “Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget” finds Trump plans would. WRECK. SOCIAL. SECURITY – But!!! – Trump promised to “fight for and protect SocialSecurity” –
what if Trump DOESN’T ????
***. On October 4th – McDonalds sued the big four meatpackers for “allegedly conspiring for years to limit beef supplies”. – meaning increased cost of. YOUR. Big Mac – what if Trump DOESN’T. support the suit?????
*** “The top four companies control 90% of the cotton seed market, 80% of corn seed, 70% of soybean seed, 67% of pork, and 62% of agrichemicals according to the advocacy group Farm Action.” **These monopolies cost. YOU. at the grocery store and more – what if Trump. DOESN’T. do anything to lower YOUR. costs ????
*** What if “Joe Biden’s “bad economy'”. DOESN’ T change under Trump???
*** What if Trump’s tariffs, tax cuts for the rich, deportations of food, farm workers, construction workers, and others. – DOESN’ T work?? DOESN’T help. YOU ???????????
*** What if the warning by the 23 Nobel Prize winning economists that Trump’s policies will cost YOU money is correct ?????????????? [ does that mean you voted AGAINST. YOURSELF !!!!!!!!!!! ]
*** Are. YOU, Trump supporter. – still going to vote for his Republican enablers in 2026 –
will the same “rules” that applied to Biden & Democrats in 2024. apply to Republicans in 2026 ?????
HANG. ON. TO. YOUR. WALLET !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
With Justice For All 