John Tamny explains that Trump’s latest tariffs are indeed taxes on every single American.
And Jonah Goldberg explains that Trump’s tariffs are a step toward greater statism. A slice:
One of the most difficult distinctions for people in general and politicians in particular to grasp is the difference between being pro–free market and pro-business. There are many reasons for this confusion. For politicians, the key reason is that businesspeople are constituents and donors, while the free market is an abstraction. Also, because capitalists tend to lionize successful people, we assume they share our philosophical commitments. But it is a rare corporate titan who favors a free market if doing so is bad for his or her bottom line.
In Wisconsin, the price police have gone after Meijer, a superstore that sells everything from groceries to electronics to pharmaceuticals. In 2015, when it opened its first two stores in the Badger State, the greeting Meijer received was far from “Wisconsin nice.” Rivals filed complaints accusing it of pricing 37 items—including bananas, dog food, ice cream and Cheerios—below cost. Meijer, which runs 200 stores in five states, says this was the first time it had ever been accused of hurting consumers by charging too little. Nonetheless, Wisconsin’s Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection sent the superstore a letter explaining the requirements of the state’s Unfair Sales Act.
Terry Anderson rightly praises the Trump administration for its support of environmental federalism.
“Oxfam cares more about ideology than poverty.”
