A lot of people don’t understand tariffs, and by that, they don’t understand Trump’s current policy. The old economic idea was simple: countries specialize in what they do best, trade with others, and global output grows. That worked under specific conditions — free trade, no monopolies, no military leverage.

But for the past 20 years, China has done the opposite. By subsidizing exports, blocking imports, and depreciating the yuan, they’ve maintained dominance in high-end industries. Meanwhile, the US has lost its production base.

America still has high-end technological knowledge, for example with AI. But without the means to sustain itself, that knowledge won’t matter. If the global trade system breaks down, the US could be left vulnerable.

Trump saw this. His moves weren’t just about jobs — they were a hedge against the real risk of a world where economic shutdowns become a weapon.

China, maybe. Canada and Mexico justifications? Europe will not be spared, either.