Leo Higgins
Looks like the tariffs have struck us in the backside yet again, in another exercise of President Trump’s penchant for creating unforeseen consequences in mindless “statecraft.” This time, due to the overall shortsighted tariff policy (aimed, as a practical matter, mostly at China), China has embargoed 7 rare-earth minerals which are essential for many “defense related” components to our high end weapons systems, and which are equally vital in many civilian uses, as well.
This shortsightedness is becoming more and more typical of the mercurial pronouncements of President Trump, I’m afraid. While it is doubtless true that the overall picture would have been even bleaker under Harris, it does no good for conservatives to bury our heads in the sand regarding Trump’s strategic gaffes and moral lapses. His thinking is almost pure impulsiveness and flailing “reaction,” there is no “wisdom” behind any of it, it seems. And his choices for advisors – especially in military and foreign affairs – are leading him to make the same mistake of surrounding himself with backstabbing neocons of the same “quality” that permeated his administration the last time around. From backing Israeli genocide in Gaza, to seriously undermining the freedom of speech of American citizens (also in support of Israel), to picking unnecessary fights with China via tariffs and general saber-rattling, we’re not off to a good start.
I tried to point out Trump’s rather weak grasp of details all through the campaign, but people just wanted to reply with: “Yeah, but we have to stop Harris!” Perhaps so, but the Republican/conservative electorate, by thinking this way, and reflexively pinning all their hopes on Trump, just managed to kick the can down the road *yet again* with regard to forcing *real* change. He’s LARPing as a clumsy Trojan Horse for political change, and, wittingly or otherwise, he’s setting the stage for the continuation of the Republican Party’s penchant for carrot-and-stick-based Hopium for the plebes out here in the national chorus. There’s always tomorrow! Besides, we’re ‘Murica, dadgummit! We can cajole the whole world and take orders from one particular “ally,” while riding the wave of worldwide chaos to unimagined prosperity! Well, sure. Except that the reckoning for our collective, long-term, hubristic insouciance is nigh. Judging from the trajectory of President Trump’s first three months, there will be precious little of constitutional principles or true liberty left to preserve by the next national election in 2028, and the can won’t even be able to get kicked along any further.
Now, just three months in, Trump’s policies in military and diplomatic relations – or those of his advisors, if one insists on the distinction – have us very close to WW3 if Israel attacks Iran (entirely and solely with our direct help); close to another international crisis that could lead to hot war with China; close to a real First Amendment crisis of free speech for US citizens via muzzling opinion over Israeli genocide in Gaza at Israel’s behest, with possible incarceration in foreign hell-hole prisons yet; and close to potential economic collapse, critical resource shortages or sundry other severe crises because of these crazy tariffs.
The foregoing are the end-result of conservative complacency over 40 years at the least, where RINOs and neocons have led us by the nose because they took over the Republican Party and offered themselves as the only “choice” opposed to even worse Democrat sociopaths and communists. We did basically nothing to demand better choices in candidates, and just concentrated on being mere “game managers,” and wound-up *still* losing in the end.
We’re toast. Perhaps that’s an alien and incomprehensible concept for MAGA to ruminate on, and I take no delight in saying it. Less attention should have been paid to NASCAR, the NFL, Dancing with the Stars, and other inconsequential inanities, in favor of focusing on stopping the looming national (global?) calamity dead ahead. Fox News, Newsmax, and the rest of the so-called “conservative” mainstream media aren’t going to give anyone a heads-up about any of that. They’re in bed with the crowd that is about to hang us with the rope we gave them by taking our own eyes off the ball for decades.
Anyway, check out this short video from Kernow Damo’s website on the rare-earths fiasco engendered by tariffs and mindless aggression…
