I'm sorry for that, and I suspect I'm not the only one using that wretched line. Regardless, Trump is actually going through with this mercantilist rectal haberdashery. As I have written before, you get a pass for being a mercantilist before Adam Smith. If you are still a mercantilist today, you are a moron. Donald Trump is a mercantilist. Trace out the logic.
So, we have tariffs on steel and aluminum, unilaterally imposed by the President. How does that work? Tariffs are taxes, and Congress levies taxes. What's the deal? "National security." Bullshit, but the law is written that way. On what basis does Trump say national security? By saying, "national security!" And, who's gonna stop him?
Well, who could stop him? The answer, as always, is Congress. There are two ways. First, they could challenge his actions in court. There was a time when congressional Republicans hated "executive overreach!!!!" Yeah, that was when the President was a black dude with a "D" after his name. The other way is to amend the law.
In the case of challenges to Obama's executive actions on, say, immigration, Republicans were at least acting on the basis of their sincere policy positions. Here? Most Republicans hate tariffs. Tariffs are...
TAXES!!!!!!
Isn't it, like, their fuckin' religion, or something, to hate all taxes? Maybe a hokey religion, and its followers prefer modern to ancient weapons, but it's a religion.
And a lot of congressional Republicans are pretty twitchy right now because they are capitalists, not mercantilists. You may not be a capitalist, or at least you may not be as far on the capitalism-socialism spectrum as most Republicans are.
But they're not mercantilists.
So, what are they going to do? Nothing. Why not? Because Donald Trump has broken them. None of them have any independent will anymore, and none of them have the courage to stand up to him on anything. Not even...
TAXES!!!!!!
If congressional Republicans, who are not mercantilists, wanted to stop this idiotic, mercantilist trade war, all they would have to do is work with congressional Democrats to pass a bill restricting executive authority to impose tariffs unilaterally, and repealing the current tariffs. They'd find plenty of support, just among those who want to stick it to Trump, even among Democrats who don't really "get" trade.
Why won't the capitalist wing of the GOP do this?
Fear. Fear of Trump. And that tells you everything you need to know about the party right now.