I wrote a bunch of words trying to explain how economically incomprehensible the tariff stuff is. It explains how a 5th grader understands basic econ better than Trump and his economic advisors. www.techdirt.com/2025/04/03/t... - ThreadSky

mmasnick.bsky.social • 57 days ago

I wrote a bunch of words trying to explain how economically incomprehensible the tariff stuff is. It explains how a 5th grader understands basic econ better than Trump and his economic advisors.

https://www.techdirt.com/2025/04/03/trump-declares-a-trade-war-on-uninhabited-islands-us-military-and-economic-logic/

Comments

pyperkub.bsky.social•57 days ago

Also extremely notable is that they have had years (since the issues with the first Trump Tariffs), or at least months (the past 2 monthly backdowns) to figure this out, and they couldn't even be bothered to vet the list and drill down even a little bit. It's not just stupid & incompetent it's lazy.

dajohns77.bsky.social•57 days ago

To use your analogy. Let's say you both own a store. You buy 100$ item from their store for what you need and they buy 75$ item from your store for what they need. Their deficit with you is 25$ on their 75$ buy. So you use their formula 25/75 and slap a 33% tariff on their store. You both lose.

ranchoapocalypto.bsky.social•57 days ago

Trump & team don't have to understand economics. That's completely beside the point. IMO they were told by one or more hostile foreign powers to destroy the US economy by any means necessary. Maybe they were even given a to-do list since they really, truly don't understand basic econ. Cui bono?

nmlaura.bsky.social•57 days ago

His goal is to tank the economy. Why would you assume otherwise?

bellamy.bsky.social•57 days ago

Your analysis is sound, but I think this policy is truly a negotiating tactic disguised as an economic plan to coerce the American economy into going along with whatever he says through concessions and one-sided compromises, specifically to avoid the consequences you've identified.

laikax.bsky.social•57 days ago

📌

nbrockmann.bsky.social•57 days ago

Hey, those were some well-written words. Thanks!

roderickgraham.bsky.social•57 days ago

The problem is that the voters and hangers on who support the administration (presumably those who could put a check on this foolishness) are the least knowledgeable people in the country.

"We're going to make them pay for cheating us" plays well to the uninformed.

pj1304.bsky.social•57 days ago

Or...His vengeance is toward to whole country who didn't vote his into office in 2020.

naturesown.bsky.social•57 days ago

Moron…

thisuserisdumb.bsky.social•57 days ago

Leeroy Jenkins did more planning for his raid than Trump did for his tariffs

gillant.bsky.social•57 days ago

At least he had chicken

factsmustwin.bsky.social•56 days ago

I think his economic advisors understand. This is just the Mad King dynamic.

aiiswizardofoz.bsky.social•57 days ago

Trump isn’t the only one coming up with this! They (including tech billionaire advisors) want to crash the economy/run banks and induce panic, force adoption of crypto, make people even more dependent on his “generosity” including getting a pretext for martial law. They know what Smoot-Tawley did!

myfriendsareplants.bsky.social•57 days ago

Great article!

autonomousreason.bsky.social•57 days ago

This is how you know they used AI, but not even for its opinion based on research, just to make the spreadsheet, then all patted each other on their backs.

rvbdrm.com•57 days ago

📌

steveknapp.bsky.social•57 days ago

I’m assured it’s a negotiating tactic, like invading Ukraine.

tegacaysc.bsky.social•57 days ago

And you expect those UNQUALIFIED PEOPLE TO GET IT? GOOD LUCK with THAT!

plaintext1.bsky.social•57 days ago

It's time for courts to stop being cowards. People are free to dislike the status quo created by our trade policy, but you can't plausibly argue that the status quo is an emergency.

treebits.bsky.social•57 days ago

Are there no people around trump who should know better? Or, if they do know better, they go along just so they can be close to power?

cynthialeeseats.bsky.social•57 days ago

Mike thanks - Trump is using tariffs as punishment so businesses and countries submit to him to get relief. As Chris Murph says - then economic improves again & dissent is silenced.

This is not about the economy for Trump this is about being a mob boss

lbluth.bsky.social•57 days ago

ronjan.bsky.social•57 days ago

Thank you for this. I've spent all day freaking out over just how stupid everything in here has been and you've captured it well enough that I can at least calm down and read this over and over.

jameslonghurst.bsky.social•57 days ago

"And presumably Santa’s Workshop (someone check for a North Pole entry)" That's Svalbard, an island close to the North Pole.

mikethemadbiol.bsky.social•57 days ago

📌

lho12345.bsky.social•57 days ago

Thank you for explaining this so clearly. It made me laugh and cry at the same time, but mostly made me shake my head in despair and disgust.

jenniferdiascro.bsky.social•57 days ago

Yes, but you used “they” so you’re clearly a DEI or woke writer of words & know nothing.

In all seriousness, thank you. I fear your 5th grader understands all of this better than me (admittedly I’m not on the Council of Econ Advisors tho) but this was hugely helpful and I’ll be sharing it widely.

theodoric.bsky.social•57 days ago

Not even Trump believes this will help the economy.
It's to create another opportunity for Trump to extort businesses.
He wants them to come to him begging for individual tariff relief. He will grant it...for a price.

chipsmcgee.bsky.social•57 days ago

also countries. Those ‘deals’ are going to be with Trump not the US

ulrikjg.bsky.social•57 days ago

Exactly

https://bsky.app/profile/chrismurphyct.bsky.social/post/3lluxkmx7wc2m

drgeophysics.bsky.social•57 days ago

Yet here we are.

yozootoo.bsky.social•57 days ago

Yes he clearly has a middle school understanding of global trade. After the economy is completely destroyed I can’t wait for the “who knew global trade was so complicated” speech.

throwingschlitz.bsky.social•57 days ago

📌

eveningstarnm.bsky.social•57 days ago

It doesn't matter. The tariffs are law now, and there is no plan nor any action being taken to prevent the generations-long catastrophes that are being ignited.

Buckle up. Even your grandchildren won't enjoy the ride. Our own neglect got us here, and it will be our doom.

bridget330.bsky.social•56 days ago

Thank you.

philco.bsky.social•57 days ago

You touched upon using chat gpt for the algorithm. I think I tracked down the paper chat gpt consumed to come up with the "idea" of "bilateral trade balance of zero". There is, as always, a special twist of stupidity

https://bsky.app/profile/philco.bsky.social/post/3llwhmex47c2t

bridget330.bsky.social•56 days ago

Thanks

ulrikjg.bsky.social•57 days ago

Love this read.
I just don’t think they’re incompetent economists, as much as they are very dangerous authoritarians.
https://bsky.app/profile/chrismurphyct.bsky.social/post/3lluxkmx7wc2m

jammpack.bsky.social•57 days ago

I am not starting a hard rock band called, "Reciprocal Pillow."

Don't tell me nothing good came from this new penguin policy.

woolsian.bsky.social•57 days ago

It’s a race to see whether the breathtaking stupidity of his economic advisors, health advisors, or national security advisors kill us first

noelwalling.bsky.social•57 days ago

It’s never been about the economy. It’s about control and political power over the administration’s rivals.

orobharris.bsky.social•57 days ago

Chair of Trumps National Economic Council is Kevin Hassett. The chief economic advisor to the President. Kevin’s
Wiki page excerpt

mockingjaysongs.bsky.social•57 days ago

It’s sabotage. They are destroying the economy so a new system can be put in place to “fix it”.

re0dor.bsky.social•57 days ago

😂

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