By Momodou Alieu Njai
You don’t need to be an economist to know that this is a self-inflicted trade war that shouldn’t have been started by President Trump. If he feels that trade policies have not been in favor of the U.S which is the largest consumer, the best approach he could have taken is to negotiate better terms behind closed doors with countries he feels have taken advantage of the US. China for example, has a trade surplus with the US, but that is because even President Trumps ties don’t even get made in America, but in China because of his approach to cheap labor with China’s progressive attitude towards working with a larger population. If you want your cars to be taken by China, negotiate that, but don’t have a so-called “Liberation Day,” plunging the markets while even those who voted for you see their hard-earned 401K retirements wiped off for dumb policies. This can lead to a recession, and if it continues, into a depression.
We should be concerned with these tariffs because what happened to Elon Musk might happen to the US If people sense so much negative energy coming from you celebrating with a chainsaw while people lose their jobs, they can decide not to buy your cars, and even fear doing business with you out of others retaliating by humiliating them for driving their Tesla vehicles. Tesla stocks are way down, and Elon can’t save it while standing next to President Trump, cutting life-saving programmes. If allies like Canada don’t want to buy US products anymore and get into trade agreements with China and other nations for their National Security, you know prices will go up in the US Take President Trump’s words for it for a second that jobs are coming back to America, what he didn’t realise is that companies did not have enough time to build all those manufacturing jobs that are needed to now deal with this crisis. It will take years, and how can people survive when they depend on certain raw materials for heavy production? Be it in the automotive industry or even food, having to deport so many undocumented workers who would do the hard labour to make sure milk in the grocery stores is filled and low in price. Even Florida is panicking, saying they can’t find workers to do certain jobs, so they would rather pass child labour laws to have their children work long hours to make up for it. Would that not hurt their education?
This trade war is a disaster, and it is self-inflicted because the economy was doing well when President Biden left. Someone, please tell this President to stop bashing his predecessors cause the campaigns are over, and he is the one in control. If countries in Africa also trade amongst themselves, which they should be doing more, and if they continue to trade heavily with China, where does that leave the largest consumer, the US? How much debt do we owe China? Canada has already started selling their bonds and others will soon adjust to do what’s in their national interest. You can have all the money in the world, but if I feel like respect is not mutual, I can tell you to kick rocks just to have my dignity in place. Sorry to say, but the longer President Trump continues this trade war, the more Europe and other allies will know they don’t have a partner, but an adversary who is doing all the work for Russia. Many have noticed Russia wasn’t there, because they say they don’t trade, but it is deeper than that. The America we all love is now siding with dictators, and President Trump needs to know that bullying tactics don’t work anymore in this 21st century. People have the freedom to trade with whomever they choose, and this trade war will only cripple the US economy. Many will fill it globally, but having money doesn’t necessarily mean you can buy anything you want. Some things are not for sale, and when countries start to realise that their dignity is more important than selling their souls to a dictator with his Oligarch friends, you can later need your allies, but they may turn a deaf ear. Those who are succumbing to him kissing his rings are the genocide Chief Netanyahu, who just went there the second time saying they have put all tariffs aside. When you don’t have a soul and are busy committing genocide with the help of the weapons you’re getting from him, you would do anything he says.
Countries are wide awoken, and statements like owning Gaza, Green land, Panama Canal, and making Canada a 51st State are why relations and foreign relations are at an all-time low. After that embarrassing encounter in the Oval Office with President Zelensky, Europe also knows they can’t count on you. So they are also trying to get their security guarantees. While we all want the war to end in Ukraine and also in Gaza, it needs to be done responsibly. Since you wrote. “Art of the deal,” it seems like you are finding out that governing is different from running a business. You can choose to lay off many workers or failed businesses, but having to cut people’s jobs will only create millions of people protesting on the streets, which just happened this past Saturday. These actions of causing economic harm to Americans are impeachable.
Republicans don’t have the spine to stand up to you, but they may not recover from this for decades. You have got people like Senator Cory Booker standing for 25hrs, and many others fired up and ready to vote you out. You may have good intentions for America first, but in this Global world, you may realise soon enough that you can’t be in isolation. Stop the bullying tactics, and reverse these tariffs to get the market in the positive. The markets don’t like uncertainty, and unfortunately, with all the billions you made through scamming and cheating the tax system, I am not surprised that the Senate just passed tax cuts for billionaires while the average American pays more. The good news is even those who voted for you are now jobless, and they will soon echo their dissatisfaction with your leadership. What makes America great is its diversity, and uniqueness of having so much talent coming from different backgrounds of inclusion, not exclusion.
That is how Elon migrated from South Africa to be the richest man, so when he talks about how mass migration changes a country’s identity, he is yet to understand that it was because of migration that America led the world. Taking that away won’t make America great, but weak. Getting rid of all these programmes when it comes to health or otherwise won’t make the world healthy or safe. Having all these tariffs won’t necessarily mean jobs coming, but it will create other markets for others to explore weakening the economy. Free trade gives countries a win-win situation to compete on products. Not sure how much the next iPhone will cost that’s made in China, but getting it made in America, good luck getting the materials with all these tariffs in place.
You don’t need to be an economist to know the path you’re on is self-destruction.
