Source: Orange County Register
by Steven Greenhut
“By handing one person tariff power, we give that person the means to boost or destroy the economy based on whim. As Trump said last week, ‘I’m telling you, these countries are calling us up, kissing my as**. They are dying to make a deal. ‘Please, please, Sir, make a deal. I’ll do anything. I’ll do anything, sir.’’ The beauty of the market is it’s decentralized. It reflects the individual decisions of billions of people. Authoritarian systems vest that power in one person or small cadre. … Trump isn’t shy about using his influence to peddle access, sell overpriced Chinese-made trinkets or get government favors for his company, so we shouldn’t be surprised by this crony-capitalist tilt.” (04/11/25)