This will be the most tumultuous week in American stockmarkets. Here’s a flavor of what will happen this week.
On Friday, Nvidia was easing upwards. Then came news of the tariffs and down it went:
Now this weekend comes new of a real serious Tariff War.
We raise our tariffs. They raise their tariffs. We raise. They raise. Endless.
We have higher prices, lower sales, fewer jobs and lower stockmarket prices.
Before I tell you what I’m going to do Monday — (next blog in a few hours), I’d like you to buy this book from Amazon Kindle and read what you can this afternoon.
The book is available here for $15 here.
Here are a few choice quotes from what I’ve reading this weekend.
The Cult of Trump
Bob Woodward reported that Trump told him: “Real power is, I don’t even want to use the word: fear.” Trump, like cult leaders and dictators throughout history, seizes upon people’s needs and fears and amplifies them. Like these authoritarian leaders, he may manufacture problems that do not exist, and then say “trust me” or “believe me” and promise that only he can fix it.
Trump uses all kinds of cult tactics—lying, insulting opponents, projecting his weaknesses onto others, deflecting, distracting, presenting alternative facts and competing versions of reality—to confuse, disorient, and ultimately coerce his followers. Repetition programs the beliefs into the unconscious. But fearmongering tops the list. In my experience, phobia indoctrination—the creation of fearful thoughts to promote and reinforce a desired set of beliefs or behaviors in followers—is one of the most powerful and universal techniques in the cult leader’s arsenal. This is why Trump spends so much air and Twitter time painting a frightening picture of the danger posed by immigrants—Mexicans, Muslims, the migrant caravan. The more vivid the thought or image installed in people’s minds, the greater a hold it has, and the less susceptible it is to rational or critical thought. There are other enemies in Trump’s world—globalists, radical left-wing Democrats, socialists, Hollywood actors, the liberal media—all of whom want to destroy America. Inspiring fear of real or imagined threats overrides people’s sense of agency. It makes them susceptible to a confident authority figure who promises to keep them safe, and can make them more compliant and obedient.
The New York Times
What is curious about the tariffs, though, is that they were imposed before Mr. Trump met as president with the leaders of China, Canada and Mexico to discuss what more they could do. (immigration, fentanyl, etc)
Not surprisingly, many economists recoil when they hear Mr. Trump talking about tariffs as the solution to America’s trade and industrial challenges, or as a way to punish other nations for the flow of fentanyl into the United States. They contend that he has misread history and ignored the fact that tariff-protected American industries often got lazy, and were later eviscerated by up-and-coming competitors.
In his Inaugural Address, Mr. Trump had a prediction: “Massive amounts of money pouring into our Treasury, coming from foreign sources. The American dream will soon be back and thriving like never before.”
The Economist
With executive orders signed on February 1st, he initiated tariffs of 25% on imports from both Canada and Mexico, and added levies of 10% to imports from China. Although Mr Trump had vowed to do just this, his actions will still represent a shock to the global economy. They will drive up prices, weigh on growth and sow uncertainty for businesses. Moreover, they are likely to be just the first salvo for Mr Trump, who is itching to implement tariffs that are both more aggressive and more global.
Nvidia CEO and founder, Jensen Huang, visited the White House on Friday. Here’s Trump’s version
That’s it. I’ll be back in a few hours with what I intend to do tomorrow.
If you want a taste, please send me an email as to what you’re planning to do and we’ll email ideas — Harry at HarryNewton.com
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