𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗦𝗢 𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 𝗜 𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗗𝗢𝗡'𝗧 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗗

                                                                                

There are things I just don't understand, like the need for Paramount, the parent corporation of CBS to pay Donald Trump $16M for a simple edit of a Kamala Harris interview.  It was as if the media corporation was playing the role of "fake news" to appease a bully.

Since when does the entity producing "60 Minutes" worry about bullies?

Now, I'm watching as the European Union agrees to be "tariffed" 15% by the bully President and it makes no sense.  Certainly, the 27 countries of the EU, from Austria to Sweden, recognize Trump is dumber than most rocks, so why cater to him?

Yet, America is no smarter because we don't say much, despite knowing tariffs don't really generate revenue, just raise prices, or maybe it's more accurate to say they generate revenue by raising prices as businesses simply pass the costs down the supply chain.

Likely, Daddy Trump will make our boo-boo not hurt so much by sending out rebate checks to hurting Americans funded by the tariffs, checks strategically timed before the 2026 elections.  MAGA will love their idol for the monies while the rest of us simply cash the checks.

Don't look now but the average effective U.S. tariff rate on imported goods now sits at 18.2%, the highest in nearly a century, according to Yale University researchers. Economists estimate that Trump’s tariffs have led to a 1.8% rise in prices, amounting to an average loss of $2,400 in annual income per American household. Even large companies that initially held back on raising prices are now warning of inflationary pressure, which began to pick up in June.

Meanwhile, the legality of these sweeping tariffs is under intense scrutiny. Federal courts have repeatedly ruled against the administration’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) as the basis for broad tariff authority. Judges have argued that the 1977 statute was never intended to give the president unrestricted power over trade. Pending appeals and a likely Supreme Court challenge are expected to take months, if not years, to resolve. Will Trump prevail before our corrupt Supeme Court before he leaves office?

The EU agreement includes steep tariffs on cars, pharmaceuticals, and semiconductors and maintains 50% tariffs on European steel, aluminum, and copper, though a quota system is expected to replace those eventually. Some sectors will benefit from zero tariffs, including aircraft parts, certain chemicals, semiconductor equipment, and select agricultural products. A separate zero-tariff deal for wine and spirits is still under discussion.

The EU has also committed to buying $750 billion in American oil, liquefied natural gas, and nuclear technology during Trump’s current term, and to invest $600 billion in the U.S. economy. However, experts doubt the feasibility of these pledges. Analysts argue that Europe is unlikely to meet the energy purchase targets, especially as it transitions to renewable energy and moves away from fossil fuels.

Critics say the deal, reached days before Trump’s tariff deadline, may lack legal enforceability and could delay Europe’s climate goals. European leaders and opposition politicians have condemned the agreement. There are also concerns that such heavy reliance on U.S. energy could create a new form of dependency, especially as liquefied gas imports carry higher carbon footprints than pipeline gas.

But, Europe is not alone as other countries like Japan have also announced massive investment pledges tied to American energy exports, though many of these deals remain similarly vague and unverified.

As legal challenges continue, tariffs rise, and international partners grapple with unclear trade commitments, the broader impact of Trump’s economic agenda remains deeply uncertain.  There's just so much we don't know, I don't know, but, based on recent history, Trump's policies will come closer to benefiting billionaire oligarchs than ordinary folk in Brownsville, Texas.