(ThyBlackMan.com) Donald Trump ran on a platform of peace, economic revitalization, prosperity, secure borders, domestic tranquility and order. He won in a landslide because people were thirsty for a so-called “America First” common-sense program. However, in three months Trump has only delivered on the border security issue while his domestic, foreign and trade policies are creating undo anxiety and chaos with the potential for humongous blowback and repercussions at home and abroad.
When he ran in 2016 Trump falsely claimed the world was ripping America off and that he was going to make things right. He immediately embarked upon trade wars with Mexico, Canada, the EU and China, claiming he was going to renegotiate better deals and a better position for the US. Trump railed against NAFT and said he was going to renegotiate that agreement which he did but the end result wasn’t much different from the original deal.
Trump reiterated the same claims in 2024, he said China was ripping the US off, that the world was taking unfair advantage of the US and he was going to right the ship. Just like in 2016 he picked fights with Mexico, Canada, the EU and China only this time he went hog-wild threatening to impost tariffs of 20% or more on all of them. Then he doubled down and imposes a universal tariff on all countries!
The blowback was swift and immediate. The Stock Market tumbled, people lost trillions of dollars in their 401Ks, Pension Fund principle, meanwhile the world responded vociferously to his actions, so he had to back down or as he said “delay” for ninety-days. His actions made him look wishy-washy; but in this case his delay demonstrated good sense and prevented additional hemorrhaging and blowback.
The major problem with Trump’s assertions the world was ripping America off is, it is false! If anyone ripped America off it was the Owners and Controllers of Global Financialized Capital (OCGFC). They were the ones who decided to shut down US manufacturing, shutter American industry, transfer capital, jobs, technology overseas and transform the American economy into a service economy employing gig workers, part timers in a hollowed-out deindustrialized economy. These are the same people who caused the 2008 financial implosion with their derivatives Ponzi schemes.
This is the real cause of America’s decline as a manufacturing giant, Sad to say, because of globalization and capital flight these jobs and industries are not coming back to the US. Even if a few do return, they will be fully automated, robotized using AI and very few humans.
Trump’s ire was and still is directed at China but it was not the Chinese leaders who sold American workers out. All the Chinese leaders did was change their philosophy to allow direct foreign investment, accept US technology and capital to help transform their society from a poor subsistence agrarian economy into a manufacturing and technological behemoth.
The Chinese Communist leaders benefitted from being admitted into the World Trade Organization, given Most Favored Nation Status by the OCGFC and their globalist minions like Richard Nixon, Henry Kissinger, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, the Bushes and Obama. China would not be America’s prime rival in the world today if it had not been for these people! Trump’s indignation is misdirected.
On top of this, Trump’s misunderstanding of the role of tariffs may prove to be his undoing. Tariffs are a means of protectionism. A country imposes tariffs to protect its domestic markets and businesses from foreign competition. Tariffs are a way for the home country to provide itself with an advantage over its’ foreign competitors. Tariffs are also a way to raise funds.
Trump may see this but he fails to see the larger picture, there can be a downside to tariff wars. Historically trade, currency and tariff disputes often lead to shooting wars and the US is in no position to wage war against adversaries like China, Russia and Iran! The US doesn’t have the industry, manufacturing, money (the US is bankrupt teetering on the brink of default) or the technology to fight modern warfare against the nations it is currently provoking, neither does Europe/NATO!
Trump’s bluster, saber rattling and bombast are bluffs. But in this modern era, bluffing against people who are not afraid of you who can go tit for tat and better against you may not work. Look at how US sanctions against Russia failed over the years. Russia and China have the BRICS+ alliance as trading partners and much of the Global South wants in. China has its Belt and Road Initiative which it is aggressively pursuing all over the world.
Thanks to Trump’s tariffs and trade wars, who can the US count on other than Israel? Yes, loss of US markets will be a major blow to China but the Chinese personality will not allow them to lose face, be defeated or disgraced. They will do everything in their power not to allow this to happen so don’t expect China to capitulate, bow down or kowtow to Trump ever.
There is an old adage, “never let your mouth write a check your behind can’t cash.” I say Amen to that.
Written by Junious Ricardo Stanton
Official website; http://fromtheramparts.blogspot.com
