Protectionism, or Personal Gain; Motives Behind Trump’s Tariff Binge?

Buffoon in Chief Donkey Hotey

(image courtesy United Steel Workers)

"seeing a rising tide of imports as a threat to the domestic metals industry"  Washington Post

Via Wilbur Ross, yet another ventriloquist dummy pursuing power and security at our expense, we’re forced to endure one more whiff of the unbearable stench being emitted in a perpetual zephyr of bullshit flowing freely from Trump’s mouth.

I’ll be the first to admit that I know little about either industry (but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night).  It does require, however, a bit more than the average skill required to read, write, and understand the two-hundred eighty character limitations in Twitter.

"Imports account for more than 90% of the 5.5 million tons of aluminum used by U.S. companies……at least 2.5 million jobs depend upon steel and aluminum.” Fortune

Fulfilling his juvenile ambition to antagonize our allies, friends, and even adversaries, Trump’s malignant narcissism and his impulsive behavior is, once again, severely retarding the ability of the United States to compete in global markets, or develop new domestic markets, thereby placing many of the nation's industries, employees, consumers, and even national security at risk.

Warnings from those who actually know the steel and aluminum industries - the industry executives, economists, investors, and The Heritage Foundation, are clear.

"Restrictions on basic steel imports will actually adversely impact national security, the economy, and the steel industry itself because it will undermine our competitiveness and limit our ability to make value-added products here. In that event, these products will be made elsewhere, resulting in lost business and jobs for our members and reduced purchases from the domestic basic steel industry. Everyone in the U.S. steel supply chain will be damaged by restrictions on steel imports.”  Letter to Trump from industries relying on steel BEFORE he imposed tariffs.  The Heritage Foundation

Steel production in the U.S. is currently less than ten percent of the volume produced by China’s 831.7 million tons.  Also; the nation imports 90% of all the primary aluminum used for manufacturing.  Finished products such as aircraft, trucks, tractors, construction material, and automobiles require high-quality product, thus we are incapable of supporting current needs for exportation or domestic consumption and it would take years to rebuild the manufacturing, logistics, and support systems required to meet the needs of such an industry.

"The United States has maintained a persistent trade deficit in steel products. Since 2009, imports have returned to the average levels seen prior to the 2008 global recession while exports have remained relatively flat in comparison, and the trade deficit has widened accordingly. Imports grew by 134% between 2009 and 2017, and the steel trade deficit grew by 327%"   United States International Trade Administration

And precisely the same situation is clearly evident in production of aluminum.

“Aluminum Association conceded that not all the needed aluminum needed can be produced in the U.S.”  Fortune

Once again, ”Businessman/deal-maker” continues to demonstrate his amateur business skills by boorishly pushing through ill-planned executive orders.  The questions Trump and his bad of morons don't seem to be considering; "what will happen when our trading partners decide to retaliate? Will we be prepared and equipped to handle retaliations?  If you read the information just provided, the answer is a resounding NO.

Is his behavior simply further demonstration of his inextinguishable proclivity to act foolishly, or should we be asking; “exactly what does Trump have to gain personally from his latest whims?”

The Fossil Fuels of the Future

T-rump Courtesy Daily KOS

Culture; commonly defined as customary beliefs, social forms and norms, material traits of a racial, religious, or social group, foods, and laws shared by people in a place or time.  

All humans, whomever and wherever we are, tend to establish these defining characteristics as an extension of who we are by assuming our cultural identities as our own, sometimes to the detriment of the very cultures with which we identify.

Throughout human history, cultures have influenced virtually every aspect of our lives.  It determines what and how we eat, how we view and interact with one another, our religious and political preferences, our housing and even our sexual behavior.

We can certainly reject some of the attributes of our cultures, however, none can authoritatively claim the overly coveted “self-determined individual”, for there are far too many factors influencing our lives.  From the moment we’re born, until we’re pushing up daisies, we become little more than the sum of our surroundings, influenced by other people and the cultures in which we’re born.

Likewise; merging and converging cultures, or “transculturation”, has unavoidable effects on all aspects of life for us.   As with each human, cultures influence and change other cultures as well.  Through the technological advances influencing today’s trade, exploration/tourism, migration, and even war, cultures change via appropriation of the attributes of other cultures.

From food to dress; from religion to politics, cultures have and will continue to impact others.

This phenomenon is not without conflict, however, and those vociferously opposing the idea of blending cultures, desiring to remain isolated, fail to realize that all modern cultures are, and will continue to be, representative of almost every other culture on the planet.

And this fact creates opportunity for two very distinct choices; hegemony and harmony.

The convergence of cultures screams opportunities in education, personal growth, and expansion of one’s understanding of the world; in short, wisdom.  And, in todays world, it also screams necessity for change, for acceptance of and growth within this challenge, much in the same manner as biological evolution, will ensure survival of the culturally fit.

Regardless of personal preferences, converging cultures WILL evolve and survive.  It is inevitable, for one cultural identity simply cannot exist in a global society of many cultures, and we are now, much to the dismay of some, a global community.

The technological advances shrinking Planet Earth have ensured inevitable changes, and they will continue to drive cultural evolution, leaving behind those who cannot, or will not, evolve.

And what of those who are themselves products of the very enculturation of generations before them, yet, in their own hegemonic bigotry, intolerance, and xenophobia, choose to ignore this evolutionary fact?

Like the prima donna dinosaurs they are, they will be left to decay, leaving behind nothing but fossils for a culturally advanced civilization to marvel upon.

Insert Trump comments below.

THIS IS MY STORY & I’M STICKING TO IT

Let’s make one thing very clear from the start; this is my blog, so the opinions within are, without question, correct and accurate.  It is abundantly clear to all that my insight into the topic is thorough, precise and unquestionably accurate and there’s not a damned thing you can do about it.  You cannot electronically enter the Net and punch my ticket; you cannot call the local law enforcement for harassing you; you cannot even swear at me effectively; can you?

You don’t like it?  Too damned bad!

So; let’s get on with it; shall we?

1. The Electoral College has, once again, proven its worthless existence by placing the biggest buffoon ever into the Oval Office, that buffoon being, of course, Donald Trump. 

2. Said buffoon is the biggest embarrassment to the nation; at least since leisure suits were a thing anyway.

3. The only thing more embarrassing than leisure suits would be the President of the United States  tripping on his own tie.

Or is it his opponent wearing bath robes to campaign rallies?

MY well-researched perspective is: We have entered a veritable political Twilight Zone wherein we all speak a common language, yet we have no idea what in Hell we’re saying to one another.  So, in order to clarify, we repeat the same position even more firmly and vociferously with each reiteration.  After all; that’s how we, as “rulers of the animal kingdom”, are supposed to communicate, isn’t it?  That’s how we begin to understand one another as fellow human beings/U.S. citizens/liberals and conservatives, right?

To forcefully reaffirm our own thoroughly enlightened perspective so those who are not as intellectually gifted as ourselves will inevitably see the error of their ways is how we reach common ground; is it not?

THE HUMAN CONDITION:

"The positive and negative aspects of existence as a human being, esp. the inevitable events such as birth, childhood, adolescence, love, sex, reproduction, aging, and death AND POLITICS"

A fascinating thing about humans; we inherently choose a tribe in which to function and with which to identify.  Imbedded in our very DNA is an undeniable survival characteristic, that of belonging to a group.

Our prehistoric ancestors established this trait simply for the need to survive the harsh environment in which they lived and, adhering to the genetic code, we continue to do so likewise, but we now select and promote truly pointless abstracts too, as though our lives depend upon our tribal selection; our schools as if our lives depended upon the selection (I know!  I repeated myself.  It made you understand; right?); our nation of origin; our favored football team; our political affiliation.

The implication of the tribal “politics” is filled with treachery and devastation for the human race.  Our membership in that particular tribe seems to require that we freely and vehemently deny the one truly important group its due validation - “tribe humanity”.

There’s even a place where I can aggressively offend you; the only place I can demean you without threat of retaliation, or embarrassment; the place which provides anonymity for all perspective-mongers.

The Net!

I can think of nowhere that provides such freedom, yet such destructive capability, as the “World Wide Net”.  Here, we can express our thoughts, ideas and opinions without mercy, without respect for another’s perspective.

The once unwritten rule of human interaction and communication; “the rule of respect for one another’s perspectives” has been left at the firewall.  Our ability to communicate effectively has been reduced to an unwanted virus, or malware.

I reiterate!  My opinion is the one that matters.  It is without doubt accurate and valid.  My opinion trumps yours (pun intended).  My group is far more important to the existence of humanity than yours will ever be.

So deal with it.