Finally, President Donald Trump has found a way to punish Republicans and Democrats equally. For a wealthy business person, a Kansas farmer or a retiree, a trade war weakens both the American economy and your pocketbook.
The Republican tariff of 1922 was the key to unraveling the American economy, and it led to the Great Depression that began in 1929. If you look at history, you find trade wars lead to depression or to real war in too many cases.
Unfortunately, Twitter blustering will not work in this case. And presidential indifference to economic history has real consequences, not only for the United States, but for all nations trading in a global economy.
Anything Republicans or Democrats can do to restrain Trump’s ego in these trade negotiations will benefit all Americans.
Harold J. Schultz
Kansas City
