To my own detriment, I'm attempting to find some sort of silver lining in this whole "tariff war" we’re partaking in. There are a few people I respect who seem happy about it, but I think their reasons are myopic—or, at the very least, disconnected. You see, the idea of temporary pain for long-term gain only makes sense if you're not already drowning, if you can actually survive the "temporary" part.
One of the voices excited about things getting a lot more expensive is Anthony Pompliano.
But, because I respect him, and know him to be smart, I will attempt to present his position in the best light possible.
In the eyes of plenty of tariff enthusiasts (as I will call them from now on), this battle is about leveling the playing field. They believe that for far too long, America has been taken advantage of, and it's about time we strike back.
The common question they love to ask is: What is wrong with America First?—Clever, but the framing doesn't address the concerns people actually have. It's obvious no American wants bad things to happen to their country, but we can’t seem to agree on what "bad" and "good" even mean.
Pompliano insists that these tariffs will bring countries to the negotiating table and that we will eventually fine-tune them accordingly. No time frame, of course, can be offered—because at this point, there’s not a single person who knows. Not even Trump himself. The pain is temporary, they’d say. How temporary?—Coming soon. Trademark pending.
A sure sign of shifting tides is how libertarians are reacting to these new moves from the Trump administration. Some are very vocal about their disappointment, but it’s a bit late for backsies, as they say.
People have begun digging up old tweets to throw back in the faces of those who knew best—an activity that, although entertaining, does nothing to help anyone.
Aside from the Orwellian language (which already says a lot), sensible people are worried about the instability this is causing. Markets are reacting accordingly, of course. It’s hard not to feel overexposed when a simple tweet can sway the tides so much—when Trump’s political bipolarity is the only thing you can count on.
It’s hard for me to imagine Trump and his administration making these moves out of anything but self-indulgence. I accept that my biases pull me in one direction, but the messaging is too confusing for anyone to make real sense of it. It seems like those who defend these moves have to spend quite a lot of mental capital on justifications—post hoc rationalizations.
Those who make their living from engagement-farming people with red hats have received their orders. They’ve begun the next phase of the gaslighting process: Yes, it’s true, it’s bad, but we are going to be okay anyway. We are but one move away from everything being Biden’s fault—the culmination of this theatrical cacophony.
This type of messaging reminds me of an opinion piece I saw months ago. A hard-hitting report about how our desire to eat breakfast is destroying our economic futures.
Sounds like a joke, because it is a joke.
Because I want everyone who reads my ramblings to walk away with some fire in their hearts, I’ll leave you with the only tweet that makes sense this morning:
https://x.com/tyrannideris/status/1907818049417203979
Take your time to read it, and make the only sane choice you can. Reject their ridiculous framing.
MenO
