We need normal!

 

It was a classic, but not unexpected, move. 

In a long screed this morning, Trump’s social media account said the president is placing tariffs of 10% on all goods from the countries currently protecting Greenland after February 1, and that the tariffs will increase to 25% on June 1. The post says the tariffs will be in effect “until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.” (Letters from an American)

And where is the money to purchase Greenland coming from? Congress certainly has not appropriated such funds. Did anyone notice that the residents of Greenland do not want to be Americans? 

Who suffers at the end of the day? 

We do!

Trump has already added more than $2 trillion to the national debt during his first year in office. 

We get to fund that. 

And the increase in prices caused by the punitive tariffs is not going to improve affordability, nor will it encourage American production of exports when the retaliatory tariffs are applied. 

I remember, decades ago, when George H.W. Bush called Ronald Reagan's economics plan: Voodoo Economics--turns out it was. But Reagan got elected and Bush became his VP.

I have a name for Trump's economics plan--Bankrupt Economics. He is, after all, the king of bankruptcies. 

Consider that Greenland, tariffs on Europe, and Venezuelan oil are definitely not America First policies--they Trump First policies. 

I know the phrase was used unsuccessfully by rival presidential candidate, but I saw it scrawled on a protestor's sign in Copenhagen yesterday--we need to be normal again. Make America Normal Again! We need to restore our traditional alliances and trading partners. The insanity has to stop. 

Instead of punishing the American people with tariff wars, suffocating debt, and loss of healthcare access, we need someone who remembers that the president is the servant of the people and the steward of democracy. He is not the king of the world. 

Note to Congress: WAKE UP!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL