The Wall Street Journal has been hammering Trump and especially his economic policies during his disastrous start to his second term. That’s particularly the case with the Tariff based Trade War Trump has initiated and once again the WSJ “Battleship” has fired a devastating broadside on the hapless scow named the USS Trump Tariffs. China they say might have (and did) indulge Trump to some degree during his first term. Now the Journal says China has said “Enough” and has chosen to unmistakably flex it muscle. More importantly, they’ve pinned Trump to the mat and have him ‘crying UNCLE.”
According to this article from HuffPost that’s the gist of a new WSJ editorial. They note the overall matter of Trump’s trade war, along with his meddling with the independence of the Federal Reserve and that Trump seems to finally be allowing some reality into his thick ORANGE PAINTED skull:
The Wall Street Journal said President Donald Trump is “finally listening to reality” as he caves on his tariff agenda and backs off his threats to try to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
“The MAGA media echo chamber that praised Mr. Trump’s tariffs as strategic genius looks foolish,” the newspaper’s editorial board wrote on Wednesday evening.
I like that word “foolish” as I believe it comes directly from Rupert Murdoch who has always seen Trump for the fool he is. Yet like Putin, Murdoch saw Trump as a “useful idiot” and helped elevate him to the WH. And, while the Murdoch owned WSJ and other outlets he owns have criticized Trump harshly at times he still allows Fox News plenty of room to “fluff” Trumpty Dumpty. (You never know – he might still turn out to be useful sometimes!) But that Fox Stuff is just entertainment for the masses that generates revenue for the Murdoch media empire. It’s the WSJ where Murdoch lets his true feelings about Trump and Trump policies known.
In a scathing Wednesday evening editorial the WSJ succinctly describes how the Trump Trade War has played out to date. It points out Trump placed massive tariffs on just about every nation causing markets to crash. Then Trumpty paused most of them – except on China (or CHY-NER as he calls it) BUT he created a few carve out for some specific Chinese products. But then yesterday (Wednesday) he seemed to be backing away on China tariffs saying ‘they will come down substantially.’ In other words, Trump looks like he’s caving in. That sentiment will drive Trump nuts, but what will send him into meltdown mode is what the WSJ bluntly states about his shift:
“Another harsh reality is that China called Mr. Trump’s bluff and seems to have won this round,” the Journal said in its assessment of the move.
Ouch! To quote Chris Farley playing the character Tommy Boy “That’s gonna leave a mark.” However the WSJ wasn’t done as it pointed out what I noted earlier which was China used a measure of restraint dealing with Trump during his first term. Well, that was then and with Trump having done so much damage (and so quickly) to the United States reputation around the world on not just trade but other issues China sees an opening to REALLY do a beat-down on Trump and by extension our entire country:
“He retaliated in tit-for-tat fashion and pushed all of his anti-U.S. economic and diplomatic levers,” the editorial board wrote. “He has cut off U.S. access to crucial rare-earth minerals, stopped the delivery of Boeing jets, looked elsewhere for food and natural-gas imports, and unleashed regulators against American companies.”
Jinping also warned other nations not to make deals with the US that didn’t include China.
“With even U.S. allies facing Mr. Trump’s tariff assault, Beijing’s threat has resonated in a way that it never previously did,” the newspaper said. “U.S. diplomatic sway is ebbing.”
The WSJ editorial does end more gently, suggesting Trump ‘take the path to political survival’ and continue backing away from his (disastrous) trade policies. However I want to return to the statement in there that jumped out at me, and I’ll be REALLY jumped out at Trump. That part about China calling Trump’s bluff and whipping his fat butt. You know he’s seen it. Perhaps “Doctor” Ronny Jackson was around to give him a knockout shot but at some point you have to figure Trump will lash out. Or worse, instead of doing the smart thing and continue backing away instead ramp things back UP.
Sure, come this evening the three hour White Power Hour of Waters, Hannity and Ingraham will give Trump a series of verbal handjobs to (they hope) settle him down. In the meantime Trump’s “human printer”, that gal attached to his hip that seeks and prints out flattering stories for him to read might keep him under control. It remains to be seen whether all that will work. After all, we’re talking about Trump. In what’s left of his mind He’s ‘by god TRUMP!!!’ Every day he PAINTS HIS FACE ORANGE and then rips open his shirt like Superman converting from Clarke Kent to ‘TARIFF MAN!!’ Oh well, the next day or two will be interesting to be sure. I don’t know about you but I’m sick and tired of “interesting times” as in the context of that old (Chinese?) proverb.
The past couple of days do at least show some of the time people around him that actually know stuff both get access to Trump and get him to listen to reason. Let’s hope they are there today and in the days ahead, and Susie Wiles finds a way to convince the Secret Service to keep the crazies Trump loves so much way the hell away from him.
****** Zoomers, we would happily accept a small donation to defray expenses as we trek through cyberspace. It’s going to get a lot crazier, that much we can guarantee you. Thanks. Ursula ******
They should have called that TV show ‘starring’ him, ‘The Biggest Loser’
It’s turned out his most accurate descriptor.