Trade wars always hurt the consumers. They always have and always will. Industry simply passes the extra cost along, plus a little more to cover the extra accounting. This isn’t news. Economists have known it for decades if not longer. This knowledge is why multiple generations of political leaders worldwide have sought, to the extent they felt able, to break down and remove trade barriers. All face some domestic resistance to the idea, so they all have to “sell” it to the populace. Which usually means going only so far and no farther, while still protecting what are seen as vital domestic businesses. Now comes this clueless, cocky maroon who expects everyone to cater to his every whim. His whims change by the minute. And he thinks he can “win” a trade war. Only to the extent that he personally profits from it, which is actually the only extent to which he thinks about anything at all.
Trade wars always hurt the consumers. They always have and always will. Industry simply passes the extra cost along, plus a little more to cover the extra accounting. This isn’t news. Economists have known it for decades if not longer. This knowledge is why multiple generations of political leaders worldwide have sought, to the extent they felt able, to break down and remove trade barriers. All face some domestic resistance to the idea, so they all have to “sell” it to the populace. Which usually means going only so far and no farther, while still protecting what are seen as vital domestic businesses. Now comes this clueless, cocky maroon who expects everyone to cater to his every whim. His whims change by the minute. And he thinks he can “win” a trade war. Only to the extent that he personally profits from it, which is actually the only extent to which he thinks about anything at all.