Dimensionally Barrett

Before we get along any further, let’s clarify what a tariff is.  From the Council on Foreign Relations; “Tariffs are a form of tax applied on imports from other countries. Economists say the costs are largely passed on to consumers Countries have used them to protect domestic industries, such as agriculture and renewable energy, as well as to retaliate against other states’ unfair trade practices.”(1) There is a third paragraph that I want to come back to but before I do, a little history lesson is in order.  Tariffs go back to, at least, Athenian Greece. The port of Piraeus imposed tariffs on grained other goods via a levy of two percent, to raise taxes for Athens. There were also restrictions on money landing and grain transport was only allowed through the port of Piraeus. This is, I think, the earliest example, and it’s less about national protectionism as tariffs would commonly be used for than as a way to increase revenues regionally. Athens was a city state, as opposed...

Image source: stablediffusion.com The Future isn’t Written in Stone - some things to bear in mind in the coming months/years This is not going to be a pie in the sky feel good piece, but it is offered to anyone who wants to consider that while democracy has taken a critical body blow, there may be reason for some slivers of hope here and there. No silver linings; but maybe some larger scale obstacles to Trump and Project 2025 getting their wish list filled. Once again, Trump’s appointments gear toward the unqualified and ludicrous. Once again, he’s stacking his advisory board with billionaires and his BFF Elon is at the head of the line. However, many of those billionaires come from the petroleum industry and yes, that’s terrifying and bad in ways I shouldn’t have to describe; but Elon is all about pushing through alternative energy. He’s touted the idea of a fossil fuel free future (as well as relocating to Mars because we’ve trashed Mother Earth), and were this any other crackpot in ...

Photo credit: tedosius.com I’m kicking off this “what to keep in mind” as a reminder to myself and others of that what Trump 2.0 has stated it wants to accomplish. I want this to serve several purposes. One is to just keep this administration’s policies and goals firmly in front to remind everyone of what they voted for and what others voted to stop. I also want to post these to let folks know that we’re not powerless and that there are individuals and organizations that will be fighting on many fronts. Some, admittedly, will be more successful, some may not. But we can all find a community to share ideas, voices, and actions. Today,, I’m looking at Trump’s deportation plan. Setting aside the immorality of it, the cost alone will be $88 billion in tax dollars.  It will likely worsen housing costs and add greater stressors to the economy. Additionally, “  a deportation operation targeting millions would require many more officers, detention beds and immigration court judges. Am...