Trump Doubles Down on a Trade War He Cant Win

[DemocratSinceBirth]

President Donald Trump appears determined to win his trade fight with China by his own definition of winning, even if it means the rest of us lose.

On Thursday, Trump instructed trade officials to explore imposing another $100 billion in tariffs on China on top of the $50 billion he authorized earlier this week, threatening to further escalate his dispute with Beijing.

Trump was reacting to what he called “unfair retaliation” by the Chinese against his latest round of tariffs — a reference to their plan, announced Wednesday, to tax 106 American exports also worth about $50 billion, including soybeans, automobiles, airplane parts, and chemicals.

None of these tariffs have gone into effect, and if the underlying disputes are resolved in time, it’s possible they never will. But the rapidly escalating exchange of threats between the U.S. and China has sent markets into panic mode, fearful of a full-on trade war between the world’s two largest economies. It’s also making Republicans apprehensive about explaining to midwestern farmers and auto workers why they’ve suddenly lost so much business.

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http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/04/trump-doubles-down-on-a-trade-war-he-cant-win.html

[no_hypocrisy]

1. With a straight face, Larry Kudlow declared it wasn't a "trade war".

Well, if it isn't today, then it will be tomorrow.

Remember WWI started on a European game of Chicken.

[Vinca]

2. You know . . . maybe this has got nothing at all to do with trade.

Maybe this is generic stock manipulation. Who is managing the Orange Fuhrer's portfolio and are they selling when it's high and buying when it's low? The whole up and down stock market thing has gotten rather predictable. "Some people" must be making millions of dollars.