Yes.

What? Oh, do you prefer ‘all of the above’?

No, I will not tell you what the words mean, Whippersnapper! Isn’t that what Chat GPT is for these days?

Pretending I’m not talking to a three year old… Yes, the tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration on practically the whole world are all three things. Which one to whom kinda depends on who you ask.

Bane to friend and foe alike – no one likes having to pay the bill. Trump is far from alone in his belief that the US gets the short end of the stick on most trade deals because we rarely impose duties, tariffs or other protectionist measures yet many if not most other nations impose such restrictions on American goods. This is decades in the making.

Boondoggle for those Americans convinced that Trump is the worst thing to ever happen to the US. They see only the potential downsides. Now, being fair, the downsides are real and have the potential to be damaging to the US economy. No amount of trade fairness is worth that risk to those who either dislike Trump, fear an economic downturn or both.

Ballyhoo for the media worldwide. They know full well Trump likes to negotiate and that the whole thing may be a play for leverage to get better trade deals for the US. But they will make mountains out of even the smallest molehill if it will get them viewership or hurt the Trump administration. This is why no one trusts the media – or should.

There is another possibility: brilliant. If Trump can get favorable deals that help drive industry back to American shores it will likely start reversing decades of income inequality. It’ll definitely make life better for both the working class and minorities as jobs become more available.

I’m a political commentator, not an economics professor. Personally, I suspect a combination of Bane and Brilliance, but it’s way too early for even the legit experts to be certain.

So, what to do? Well, you could act like the media wants and run around like Chicken Little in a storm but other than wet and tired, that won’t get you much. If you think Trump is on the wrong track, write your congressman. Yes, really. Orchestrated protests look good on cameras but get almost no reaction; a well written letter will be taken much more seriously.

You can respectfully write President Trump himself if you aren’t a US citizen. It’s got a chance – despite what the media tells you – and is a lot more likely to get the result you want than vandalizing Teslas. That said, you can’t vote in the US so only expect this to work if you can get your American friends to also write letters.

FYI: booing the national anthem is unlikely to garner American sympathy. Honey, not vinegar, is what you need.

Or, hear me out, you can give this some time to sort itself out. If Trump is using tariffs as negotiating tools this is unlikely to last very long. Truth is the world needs the American consumer far more than the American consumer needs the world. This isn’t a one sided fight but it probably isn’t a fight most world leaders want to take to the mat. That means taking the fight all the way to its conclusion for you folks who don’t speak American English and you kids under 20.

So far, every time Trump has used the tariff card the opposition has yelled, hollered, threatened and finally backed down. Will the world come together as a unified force to oppose American tariffs or will they holler for a bit and cave?

Y’all have lived on this planet long enough to know that the latter is the most likely answer. Don’t believe me? Where are those weapons and munitions you promised Ukraine, Germany? Europe? Got those industries cranked up yet? No?

Russia literally invaded European soil. Now, I’m plum proud of how well Europe did pull together in the face of the invasion – it was a lot better than most analysts thought they would. But let’s face facts, Ukraine would be far worse off if it had had to rely only on the EU. If Europe can’t get it together in face of military invasion, why would you expect them to do more than bluster in the face of tariffs?

Bluster? Another word beginning with B to ask Chat GPT about, Whippersnapper!

Like I said, economics AIN’T my field but politics is. Groups of people making decisions usually do so in predictable patterns. Unless a given nation state believes that opening up its markets to US exports will destroy their economy, they are going to go for the least painful, quickest option – give the US what it wants. As long as the US’ demands are as fair as possible – or at least not deliberately unfair – it’s going to be best to just give in as soon as possible.

By my reckoning, about a week or two of hollering about how unfair and unreliable the US is being should give most world leaders the political cover internally to not have their own people too ticked off with them for giving in to the Americans. National leaders have to look like they are standing up for their countries while doing what’s best for the country. Their political careers depend on it.

Tanking their own economies by having a showdown they can’t win with the US is equally politically suicidal. So, be nice and let them bluster for a few weeks.

That’s when we should have a good idea of how this will shake out.

Don’t ya hate cliffhangers?