It was an amazing Masters tournament. Rory McIlroy ended his career grand slam by ultimately winning the Masters in a luxurious way. He sought it on every hole with his dramatic double bogeys and offensive eagle shots. All the ups and downs were far too many for the wealthy golf fans. The whole idea of ​​watching golf is to take your heart out of the stock market and tariffs.
Investing is a roller coaster. Stocks pay off historically, but it’s a wild ride. If you don’t like jumping over Snake River Canyon, don’t date Evel Knievel.
In Trump’s first term, Democrats agreed that tariffs on China were a good idea. When the political classes in DC are perfectly aligned, it always has to do with me. The last time they voted for the Iraq War.
This time, the Democrats have no ideas, so they’re all against Trump. Trump should have said he was against tariffs just to bring Democrats along with him.
The screen displays your trading number on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) during the afternoon trading in New York on April 9, 2025. Wall Street stocks spiked to get closer to solidity on Wednesday, making dramatic progress in all three major indices as they delayed sharp new tariffs hours after President Donald Trump came into effect. The Dow Jones industrial average surged from 7.9% to 40,608.45, with the broad S&P 500 index to 9.5% to 5,456.90, and the technology-centric NASDAQ composite index rose by more than 12.2% to 17,124.97. (Photo: Angela Weiss / AFP) (Angela Weiss / AFP by Getty Images)
Trump has long felt that China had raped and looted us. And he just stands up and doesn’t see the looting.
When I was attending Georgetown University on the relief program for Southerns, I was working in the office of President Reagan’s US Trade Representative. We never decided whether Georgetown is educating the Southerns of the United States or observing us. Tennessee Sen. Bill Brock (R-TN) was running the USTR show after losing his seat. At the time it was a sleepy office. It’s now the tip of a spear.
We were free traders under Reagan. When countries exchanged goods with each other, we knew that the world was a safer and more prosperous place. “When goods cross the border, the military doesn’t do that.” The rhetoric of missiles and war did not defeat the Berlin Wall eight years later, but rather defeated the Russian citizens’ desire for Levi’s jeans, Marlboro cigarettes and Jack Daniel’s whisky.
However, we had 30% to 40% tariffs and trade between the EU and China was not free. Free trade is defined as no tariffs, but the closest thing to do is when the tariffs are paid equally by each trading partner. That’s what Trump is trying to achieve. We have purchasing power here because we are the world’s largest consumer. That’s Trump’s bet. (Related: China raises the possibility of killing more Americans in response to tariffs)
I believe Trump understands tariffs. Otherwise, he would say that Trump trinket, like the Magazine Hat, will cost him $250.
Trump has played tariffs. He recently raised tariffs on things that Americans can’t live, like iPhones, laptops and flat screen TVs. The iPhone is essential and expensive. At my age, if I fall and hear a crack in something, I hope it is a bone.
It’s a dangerous game. The trade war was the cause of the war in 1812. Tariffs and French/British trade obstacles caused that war, and we were covering our tails. The British actually attacked Washington, DC and burned the White House down. What we lost so badly is a forgotten war.
China’s centralized communist command and control economy is bewildered. It risks the pitchfork of the proletariat, who can either lower prices, maintain market share, continue to hire the masses who demand employment, or start to protest against the bandits deployed by all socialist/communist countries. (Related: Heart: Markets are correct, so don’t lose sight of the end of the Ukrainian War)
President Lincoln has raised tariffs on cotton and other areas. This was one of the factors that led to the civil war. In fact, Lincoln looked very similar to fellow Republican Trump. Both wanted to host a heavily divided country, raise tariffs and kill the actors of the time.
Capitalism has an incredible way to bring the best products to the market at the best prices when the government leaves it alone. In this writing, one thing is not possible for the government to insert that the government is doing it better.
Trump almost raided the talent of Fox News for his appointees. I hope they know about economics and tariffs. What I know is that they are conditioned to take two breaks a day, due to words from the well-balanced good people of my pillow.
Ron Hart is a libertarian open humorist, award-winning author and frequent guest on television. He can be contacted at ron @ronaldhart.com or @ronaldhart.
