Tariffs: The Most Expensive Way to Pretend You’re Winning a Trade War

Tariffs: The Most Expensive Way to Pretend You’re Winning a Trade War

So here's the brilliant economic strategy, straight out of the 101-level wishful thinking playbook:

Step 1: Tax the rest of the world with tariffs.

Step 2: Watch prices go up for American consumers.

Step 3: Tell yourself it's totally fine because maybe the dollar will weaken,

which maybe makes U.S. exports more competitive,

which maybe helps the trade balance… eventually… somehow?

It's the economic version of lighting your own house on fire and hoping your neighbor gets the smoke.

Sure, you could argue that over time, a weaker dollar might make our exports cheaper abroad. But that assumes the inflation from rising import prices won’t gut domestic demand first. Spoiler alert: it usually does.

This isn't a real strategy. It's a coping mechanism.

Tariffs don’t punish China.

They punish you. At the register. In your grocery cart. On your next car.

But hey, at least we’re sticking it to… ourselves?