by John Ellis
The stock market had a good day today, thanks to Trump’s standing down in the trade war he started. On the flip side, common sense and the needed return to normal political theatre and away from Trump’s (unintentional) political theatre of the absurd have not had a good day. Seriously, if you haven’t read 1984, I wish you would if only so that you’ll understand the reference when I quip that we’re deep into the “we always been at war with Eastasia” stage of Trump’s political theatre of the absurd. George Orwell was right; the past is alterable. I mean, just listen to the crowing of Donald Trump and his supporters as they point to the pause of tariffs with China as evidence of his genius.
To be clear, I’m thankful that smarter people have apparently managed to corral the paleoconservative movement’s useful idiot and convince the current President to stand down in the trade war he started with China. Trump’s trade war was ill-conceived from the start and would (still will – see footnote 2 when you get to it) wreak havoc not just on the US economy but across the globe. I truly hope that this “cease fire” translates into an agreement to lower the tariffs. One thing I’m not happy about – downright annoyed, in fact – is how this is being spun as a victory for Donald Trump. So, this needs to be shouted as loudly as possible: THIS IS NOT A WIN FOR DONALD TRUMP!!!
China has not offered to deal with the currency and trade imbalance issues that Donald Trump was complaining about and were his main justification for the stupidest trade war in the history of stupid trade wars. Likewise, this will not bring factories back to America. In fact it’s hard to point how this is a win for America. And it’s hard because it is, in fact, not a win; it’s a loss, just not as much of a loss if Trump had insisted (and he still might) on prosecuting the trade war.
Historians describe the Treaty of Ghent, the treaty that ended the War of 1812, as the status quo antebellum. If this “cease fire” between American and China holds, future historians are going to say that coming agreement makes the Treaty of Ghent look like the Treaty of Versailles from France’s perspective[1] because this is worse than a status quo ante bellum. The negative repercussions of Trump’s trade war are going to continue to be felt for years.[2] China is no doubt currently laughing at Donald Trump, the Republican Party, and America as a whole.
Don’t let your gaslit Trump supporting friends and family gaslight you (or others). This is not a win for Donald Trump. This does not prove that he knows what he’s doing. This is more evidence of his incompetence. Unfortunately, his incompetence has created much harm and will continue to do so. Trump and his supporters churning out the equivalent version of “we’ve always been at war with Eastasia” adds annoying insult to injury. Turns out, political theatre of the absurd isn’t nearly as much fun as regular theatre of the absurd.
[1] I’m exaggerating future historians’ claim, to be clear. The point stands, though.
[2] Here are two dominoes that are about to fall: 1. Ports across the country are currently empty. The gaps in supply lines are going to start wreaking havoc soon. 2. However, merchants are about to start flooding China with orders just in case the 90 day “cease fire” doesn’t hold and the nonsensical Trump tariffs return to their “cutting your nose off to spite your face” level of 145%. Shipping costs are about to skyrocket, impacting the cost of goods in stores and the cost of building houses and, well, all buildings. The ping ponging of “feast and famine” of the supply lines is going to continue the chaos Trump started. And these are just 2 dominoes.
Practically Known Theology 