More Penguins Than People: Trump Imposes Tariffs on Remote Islands
The New York Times
Among the countries and territories listed on sheets of paper that were distributed to reporters in the White House Rose Garden on Wednesday were Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Australian territories near Antarctica where many penguins but no people
Christy Grace Provines
Of all the dangerous, ridiculous and just plain dumb policies Trump has put in place in the last 2+ months, enacting tariffs on remote islands full of penguins, to say nothing of doing it to our best allies and partners, is just the most stupid. It truly is the stupidest trade war that has ever been launched. Among the repercussions that are guaranteed to come, this trade war will surely de-stabilize the global economy, fray the threads of interconnectedness that have ensured world peace since World War II, and exacerbate inequities globally. My lens is always international security policy, but the role that strong global trade plays in maintaining peace and security cannot be underscored enough. This is basic strategy and undergraduate Microeconomics cost-benefit-analysis - Why would we risk global peace and security and vast de-stabilization so that the United States can add a few factories? It’s just stupid….
