From Vox:
America, meet your newest superhero: He likes protectionist trade policies! Even though it’s not clear if he understands how they work.
It’s Tariff Man!
Okay, it’s not a real superhero. But it is Trump’s latest nickname — for himself.
The United States president introduced us to his alter ego in the middle of a series of tweets about a recent trade compromise reached with China at the G20 summit in Buenos Aires and future negotiations between the two countries.
“….I am a Tariff Man,” Trump wrote. “When people or countries come in to raid the great wealth of our Nation, I want them to pay for doing so.” He added that it would “always be the best way to max out our economic power” and that the US is “now taking in $billions in Tariffs.”
…snip…
But Tariff Man seems to be a bit unclear on what his superpowers actually do.
As Vox’s Emily Stewart has written, “That’s not really how tariffs work. The US may be generating some revenue from tariffs, but billions of dollars aren’t pouring in. Moreover, a lot of the money that is made off of tariffs comes from US consumers — not Chinese companies.”
…snip…
The stock market took a nosedive Tuesday afternoon as investors started to reconsider the trade-war ceasefire that the White House claimed to have reached with China. Trump — er, “Tariff Man” — made it clear that he’s willing to keep using tariffs as a negotiating tactic if he doesn’t reach a concrete deal with Beijing.
…snip…
“We don’t yet have a specific agreement on that, but I will just tell you, as an involved participant, we expect those tariffs to go to zero,” Larry Kudlow, the National Economic Council director, said on a call with reporters Monday.
This lack of clarity has raised questions about whether this handshake agreement will do much to ease tensions with China. And Trump’s aggressive 90-day timeline doesn’t give Chinese and US officials much time to reach a consensus on complicated issues that have previously left the two sides at an impasse.
So Tariff Man, rather than saving America from a trade war, may have left more confusion in his wake.
Oh, and the stock market plunged 799 points today.
Click on the Vox link above, and see some of the tweets that followed Tariff Man’s idiotic declaration. One that wasn’t included is the one I think is the best. I don’t know how to embed tweets here, so I will just copy and paste. It’s from @MichaelMcGough3:
I shot the tariff, but I did not shoot the subsidy.
Perfection!
HYSTERICAL RAISINS 
Oh…..my…..[lack of] God…..the flab! Clearly his only real superpower is the ability to make whole piles of cheeseburgers vanish instantly. And that tight waist looks agonizing! Well, OK, so he can make jobs vanish instantly as well.
I suppose a Prixar film is better than a Greasy Oily one, but I suspect this was a co-production.
“Twice the zero he used to be” — good one! And it took me a second to realize that was a golf club and not a microphone.
Can The Deplorable and his trusty allies, the Senile Mutant Senate Turtle, Prince Bone Saw, and Tin-of-Pu, prevail against his arch-enemies Mueller Man and The Big Pelosi? I can hardly wait for the next episode.
Infidel, just be happy you can’t see the tiny mushroom cap outline. I did consider Greasy, Oily Film (subsidiary of The Raisin), but the spacing would have been off. I am just hoping that a math whiz doesn’t show up to point out that 2 times zero is still zero. I do like your plot for what must be a DC comic. Very excellent characters.
You did it again with the cartoon. Love, love it. Well so much for tariffs and all that jazz. I am not much about business but I only know what I can figure out with what I call common sense. Is this not going to raise prices on consumer goods? And if I might add here, what about all those jobs that Twittler was saving in the US? GMC just announced closing American plants which will affect 14K people or so. And to boot he gave all the upper 1% the huge tax breaks. That is what the good folks get for voting Twittler into office. But wait- there will likely be more closings coming down the pike from other companies. I can just see a mass collapse of our economy. Dear God, I hope I am wrong.
Tariffs raise prices for consumers, so the same shitheads who voted for Twitler, because they were pissed off that they lost their jobs or just didn’t make enough to live on will find that there are even fewer jobs, and the shit they buy will cost even more. #MAGA
the stock market is plummeting. the don and his mafia are getting indictments thrown at them left and right. let’s hope to god this is the beginning of the end!
Twitler will find someone else to blame for the stock market tanking, even though he takes credit when it goes up. It’s been reported that he doesn’t need a lot of sleep. Good for him, because there are going to be a lot of sleepless night ahead for him and his crime family thanks to Michael Flynn. They all have to be wondering what’s under that black ink. I wonder how many will be so scared that their illegal deeds are now known that they figure it’ll be better to run to Mueller now and make a deal like Flynn did rather than take their chances that the Feds will be at their door with handcuffs at any moment. I’m going to enjoy this!
The markets are falling because T-Man’s “deal” with Xi was no deal at all. Beijing made zero changes to its policies and buying certain American goods was already part of its stated plans. The curtain around the Wizard of Odd has pulled back and reality is setting in.
Hiya Jim! Nice to see you again. The market hates uncertainty more than anything else, and as long as these stooges have the economy in their hands, there will be nothing but uncertainty. Twitler’s cult will still stand by him, but I have to wonder about all those idiots who voted for him and just got the statements for their retirement accounts. I don’t think they are going to like what they see. Wonder if that will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back..
Right,Raisins. (My camel collapsed a long time ago.)
My camel died in November 2016.
P.S. Call me Nonnie! 🙂
😻