America Tariffs Penguins
Trump's bizarre tariff antics now include sanctioning penguins and islands with no people—seriously!
Trump put tariffs on Israel after they removed tariffs on the U.S. So just to be clear, the guy who claims to be Israel’s best friend is now punishing them for being nice to him. That’s like giving someone a birthday present and they respond by setting your car on fire.
And if that wasn’t weird enough, Trump is putting tariffs on the Heard and McDonald Islands, which have no human population—just a bunch of penguins. So naturally, Rudy Giuliani has already volunteered to go there and investigate voter fraud.
So just to recap: Trump is punishing Israel for helping America and trying to get money from penguins. This man ran casinos into the ground, and now he’s shaking down flightless birds for loose change. “Listen, guys, you’re not paying your fair share. Very unfair. Some say the most unfair tariffs, folks!”
And now, he’s placing tariffs on Jan Mayen Island—which, again, have no people! What’s his plan, to bankrupt the ocean? Is he going to start taxing waves? What’s next, tariffs on Atlantis? A trade war with the Loch Ness Monster?"
At this rate, by the end of the year, Trump’s going to be announcing sanctions on Santa’s Workshop. “I love Santa, some say I’m his best friend, but quite frankly, he’s making too many toys. Very unfair. America first, folks!”
But Let’s Get Serious…
Four Senate Republicans had the courage—if you want to call it courage—to join the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in pushing back against the administration placing tariffs on Canada by a simple majority 51-48 vote: Sens. Susan Collins of Maine; Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky; and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.
These tariffs will have serious ramifications for the Republican Party. After the Smoot-Hawley tariffs were enacted, Democrats regained the majority and didn’t lose it for another 60 years. This could very well be the only silver lining of American democracy being attacked from the very top.
The conservative Club for Growth warned about the “volatile economic impact,” saying “it is so important now for Republicans on Capitol Hill to extend and expand Trump’s 2017 tax cuts and cut federal spending to tame core inflation.” Extending and expanding those tax cuts and cutting federal spending is going to ultimately hurt Americans. We’re already seeing what the slash-and-burn approach is doing to entire offices!
Despite the impact on the American economy, the administration is defending the tariffs as a “national emergency.” Yeah, an emergency of their own making!
Back to Israel for a Moment
In the latest Koplow Column, Israel Policy Forum Chief Police Officer Michael Koplow writes about the administration’s efforts to combat antisemitism:
merican Jews and American Jewish organizations welcoming these moves are acting like Israelis, rather than like American Jews. They are missing the fact that antisemitism here is not the same as antisemitism there, not because of the form it takes but because of the structural differences between our position and that of Israeli Jews. The strategies we use should not be the same, and that must factor into what we support and what we denounce as beyond the pale.
Jonathan Greenblatt Discusses Deportations
Along with penning an op-ed, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt opened up in an interview with Jewish Insider about the deportations coming with the lack of due process.
“Jewish students need to be protected. They should be valued as much as anyone else,” Greenblatt told Jewish Insider in an interview on Wednesday. “But on the other hand, protecting them shouldn’t require us to shred the norms that we use to protect other people. I don’t think it’s either or. I think it can be both and.”
1923
I’ve been a bit behind in watching TV but I’m just about fully caught up in the Taylor Sheridan-created series starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren. I had a serious case of “just another episode” problem before going to bed…to the point in which it was 2 AM by the time I finished a binge of episodes 2-5. The supersized season (series?) finale is this Sunday on Paramount+.
Meanwhile, new episodes of Jurassic World: Chaos Theory are streaming on Netflix with the third season launching today.