Asymmetrical Trade Warfare

This article has an element of genius about it. Trump doesn’t care about what his economic policies actually do to the United States. He cares about looking strong, being admired for being tough and aggressive, and, pretty much, anything about him.

Which makes striking back at him all the more delightful.

Until this President, every previous modern occupant of the White House divested their assets upon assuming office. This eliminated the possibility personal business interests might benefit from political decisions. Conversely, it prevented others from threatening the President by attacking those assets. Trump, by refusing to give up his businesses, and by flagrantly violating the emoluments clause, has inadvertently handed us the perfect stick.

I propose that instead of taxing the import of American serviettes, we tax Trump. In the spirit of the Magnitsky Act, Canada and the western allies come together to collectively pressure the only pain point that matters to this President: his family and their assets. This could take the form of special taxation on their current operations, freezing of assets, or even sanctions against senior staff. Canada could add a tax to Trump properties equal to any tariff unilaterally imposed by Washington. The European Union could revoke any travel visas for senior staff in the Trump organization. And the United Kingdom could temporarily close his golf course.

There is certainly precedent for this. We (the US) sanction, financially and from a travel standpoint, people in foreign countries who are hostile to us or who have been accused of improprieties. Turning that idea against the Trump family and friends has a certain appeal to it.

My only concern is that it might work too well. Again, Trump is a narcissist. A threat to his interests should get him to reconsider — but a reconsideration that makes him look weak is just the sort of thing to make him turn around an escalate in new, zany ways that cost us even more jobs and lead to economic turmoil that hurts even more people, here and abroad.

Trade sanctions against America won’t work. Sanctioning Trump himself might. – Macleans.ca
Scott Gilmore: Instead of taxing American goods, Canada and the western allies should collectively pressure the only pain point that matters to this President: his family and their assets

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