The Great Sucking Sound

“The three greatest untruths are lies, damnable lies, and statistics.”—Mark Twain On April 2, a.k.a. “Liberation Day,” Donald Trump launched a tirade against the world outside the US using his doctored Reciprocal Tariffs chart for backup. On it were listed countries he claimed the US had been subsidizing for years. He boasted his new tariff policies would  bring trillions of dollars back to the US by relocating foreign production to American soil.

Seriously, “Tariff Man?” Trump again demonstrated his economic incompetence by referring to trade deficits as subsidies. We don’t subsidize countries through foreign trade. Such policies are dictated by the private market, though lawmakers do intervene with restrictions like tariffs, sanctions, and embargoes. If we buy more because of availability and/or price, then we have a trade deficit. If the foreign country buys more, we have a surplus. Simple economics.

MAGA policy wonks fudged the figures to make it appear we were subsidizing the foreign countries, with China at 67%. MAGA supporters took the deficits, then factored in export values. Real tariff figures were not used. Actual economists called the figures “surplus targeting.” Confused? You are not alone.

Why would Trump engage in such subterfuge? Because he knows his MAGA faithful trust every fabrication that pops out of his blowhole. If he can con his idolaters that he won the 2020 election, then they will believe anything.

Our foreign trade deficits, now 50 years old, increased with Ronald Reagan, the first MAGA, who coined the term Trump copyrighted for personal profit. It gained steam under Bill Clinton’s NAFTA, which augmented the foreign exodus of good paying union jobs. Immense profits to multinational corporations, but US plant closings and The Rust Belt here, with bipartisan support.

Only 1992 Reform Party candidate Ross Perot raised serious opposition, condemning “the great sucking sound” of The American Dream vanishing south and overseas.

Zenith was the last US company to make TVs. I purchased one 25 years ago — 50”, around $1,000. My current TV is 65” and cost $390. It was probably made in Mexico, where 57% of US TVs are assembled, by line workers making between $3-$5 an hour, with far fewer health and safety regulations. India can do it cheaper — and will.

Expect “the great sucking sound” to continue to “trump” any MAGA disingenuous “Liberation Day” statistics. Bipartisan? Not this time.

ED ENGLER, Sebring, Fla.