Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 09:44 pm
*The following is an opinion column by R Muse*
According to one dictionary definition of the word “shock,” it is something that “suddenly causes emotional distress,” and one would add that the only reason a human being would experience “sudden emotional distress” is due to a surprise. This column regularly acknowledges the level of stupidity affecting a significant segment of American society, but a report from CNN informs that even when some Americans were told incessantly what their fascist hero running for president was going to do, they are “suddenly” shocked when he pledges to fulfill his promise.
One of the things Donald Trump pledged to do immediately on entering the White House was to levy tariffs on imported goods, an action that now the American business community is “shocked” is actually being debated within the “new administration.” CNN reported that two sources representing Washington business interests are “shocked and alarmed” that Trump’s transition team is vehemently “defending new tariffs as part of the confirmation ‘murder board’ practice of Wilbur Ross,” Trump’s selection for the next commerce secretary.
Apparently, one of those business community sources said the “community” viewed Trump’s idea of imposing crippling tariffs was a just a trial balloon when first raised, and possibly another campaign ‘lie’ to incite the “nativist yokel” class to vote for Trump. The source believed that given the strong negative reaction to import tariffs from the business community meant that Trump’s ridiculous idea was “dead on arrival.” Now that the absurd idea is gaining traction and still alive and well, the community is experiencing “shock and alarm.”
They are shocked, obviously, that Trump wasn’t lying about imposing import tariffs and alarmed at the economic damage everyone and their dog warned those tariffs would wreak on all American consumers, job seekers, and of course the vaunted “business community” whose unwavering support helped put the Trump in the White House.
Now, Kevin Drum at Mother Jones said he “kind of felt sorry for all the working-class folks who voted for Trump because they fell for his con,” even though they knew he promised to punish foreign exporters shipping their cheap goods to America as much as was anxious to punish Muslims, people of color and immigrants. This author feels no sorrow for the “working-class” idiots who voted for Trump any more than the business community that supported him because they wanted outrageous tax cuts, the end of labor unions, and a ban on regulations.
If anything, the business community should have understood that Trump will swindle any and everyone he can and they were duly “conned” because they believed they were smarter than regular folk. Now that it appears the pledge to impose tariffs is a reality, the business community should be alarmed that maybe Trump’s promise to punish companies outsourcing jobs will also come to pass. He may also stop immigration that provides the business community with all that cheap, disposable labor force; another boneheaded move that will damage the economy, and businesses.
There is a possibility that Congress will block Trump’s attempt to wreck the economy with tariffs on imports because Republicans claim, like their feckless leader Trump, they are the business community’s greatest friend. But this is Trump and it is curious that the super-rich, educated folks running the “business community” knew damn well what kind of unqualified, egotistical and vindictive malcontent Trump was and yet they still supported him for his promise of outrageous tax cuts and deregulation. They may get their tax cuts and regulatory cuts, but they will also likely get a healthy dose of “Trumponomics” that every economist on Earth has predicted will wreak serious damage on America’s economy and that includes the American business community supporting Trump that deserves whatever damage the cretin Trump imposes on them.
Born in the South, raised in the Mid-West and California for a well-rounded view of America; it doesn't look good.
Former minister, lifelong musician, Mahayana Zen-Buddhist.
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