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less vintage glam .. it's giving more... chaos...? an economic one at that! yikes

think: economic breakdown meets existential dread but like... it's kinda scary isn't it...

tariffs--aka the economic equivalent of blocking someone instead of actively opening communication. allegedly "protecting" domestic businesses. it kinda does make sense but doesn't it seem a bit messy lol isn't globalization part of like the whole... reason why we're well-versed in cultures and have (RELATIVELY) good diplomatic relation ... idk tho ! i'm just merely a girl with some pent up confusion opinion & paranoia with regards to the us economy, dare I say, failing?!

cautionary tale (in sepia & retrospect)

back in the 1930s, there was this whole shindig called *drum roll* great depression~! the US passed the smoot-hawley tariff act, thinking it would boost american industries during tough economic times (post ww1) but instead sparked an int'l trade war that was soooo embarrassing rlly cos what do u actually. mean... when u said u wanted to protect the american dream but end up putting ur country's economy into shits and ruins... so like, it wasn't faired well with the international community (painfully obv *yawn*) so they retaliated and then just like that, everyone turned against the US and global trade crumbled... businesses failed, unemployment was at its all-time-high, POVERTY skyrocketed and boom: the great depression.

i mean was it bad enough that the US had the obv ego and self serving Pro American policy like all that audacity to impose such high tariffs with countries from europe POST WAR... was hoover expecting that they take it in like the good boy they were lmfao

alright so: protectionism vs interconnectedness

delulu much? there's this perception of the US gov't that isolating themselves economically will keep them safe frm the shit storm that ww1 had caused in int'l markets ? but the world runs on interdependence... one nation's tariffs can create a ripple effect that shatters supply chains, raises costs, and triggers mass layoffs. it's like trying to build a wall in a thunderstorm--you still get soaked, babe.

trump's tariff time!

fast-forward to today, the Trump administration who's BIG on "America First" movement and it led to massive tariffs on chinese imports, steel, and aluminum--you name it. the idea? punish china and revive american manufacturing. The result? well... consequences on consequences...

china slapping back with their own tariffs pulling an uno reverse

american farmers getting wrecked

inflation on everyday goods

increased uncertainty for global businesses and markets

stirred the pot so hard, the whole kitchen caught fire

how does this affect me, on a deep personal level?

if global trade slows, companies cut costs. that could mean layoffs or hiring freezes

higher tariffs = higher prices. on EVERYTHING

economic slowdowns hit small businesses hardest

if it spirals far down enough? welcome to recession 2.0 electric boogaloo~

don't get it twisted too; tariffs sound like harmless paperwork... and they actually do make a whole lot of sense (esp if ur part of the american first bandwagon and think that immigrants are stealing ur job)

but in reality, they're macroeconomic weapons that can backfire with cataclysmic consequences. the great depression isn't only going to be a part of history that's almost dystopian fiction! it's generational trauma rooted in bad policy. we're going to be cosplaying our ancestors' economic downfall.

history, when ignored, has a tendency to reemerge--not as a lesson, but as an aftermath. the use of tariffs as a form of economic protectionism may initially appear as a strategic assertion of national sovereignty. however, when wielded w/o regard for the intricacies and interdependence of global markets, such policies can become triggers for economic fragmentation, instability, and decline.

the great depression isn't just a poster or infographic of what could be... like, it quite literally offers an enduring testament to the dangers of isolationist trade measures during periods of economic vulnerability (*COUGH COUGH* sounding all too familiar almost a century later while wars are dawning upon us post-pandemic too..).

what was intended as a safeguard for domestic prosperity ultimately accelerated global economic collapse. today... as we navigate an increasingly complex and interconnected economic landscape, reviving similar tactics under the guise of economic nationalism risks replicating the VERY conditions that once led to widespread despair.

in an era defined by rapid globalization and fragile supply chains, sustainable growth cannot be achieved through antagonistic trade policies, but through strategic collaboration, innovation, and adaptability. T_T (i s2g if the world was ran by women...)