19 March 2026
Tariffs Are Just A Scam
Tariffs were the most common source of government revenues before the liberal enlightenment that motivated many democracies in the nineteenth century to use tax receipts to correct obvious inequities between the lives enjoyed by wealthy and poorer citizens. Now that social welfare programs have become popular and expensive, raising enough tax revenues in socially equitable ways would impose more of the burden on the class of high income-earners who support the current President and his collaborators.
Until the SCOTUS rejection of its tariff program, the Trump administration had counted on the program's revenues that were ultimately supplied primarily by ordinary consumers to pay for inescapably increased social welfare programs. Now it can no longer do so without exposing its attempt to relieve wealthy income-taxpayers of the burden of paying a graduated higher share of the funding needed for achieving the society’s welfare goals.
Recent weakening in Trump’s poll numbers cries out for higher spending on media propaganda to shore up Trump’s electoral strength. However, even maintaining control of the legislative branch for the rest of his second term may require his showing a more truthful commitment to the best interests of the voting majority.
