I saw a recent video from Peter Zeihan called “The Russian Reach,” and it has me a little bit spooked about Donald Trump’s moves and their impact on our economy and national security.
Is anyone else the slightest bit concerned about this? Am I the only one asking, “What is Trump thinking??”
Peter Z. explains it better than I can, but these are some of the biggest takeaways:
1. Suspending Aid to Ukraine: I get it, it’s expensive… but there are so many downsides to this, especially when stopping aid that was already budgeted and shipped. It doesn’t just weaken Ukraine, it strengthens Russia, a country known for hostile actions toward the U.S.
2. Tariffs on Canada and Mexico: Trump imposed a 25% tariff on all goods from Mexico and Canada. Since they are our top trading partners, this makes manufacturing in the U.S. economically unviable overnight, pushing investment away from North America and toward China. Not to mention, 1/3 - 2/3 of all auto parts are made in these countries. Even if a car is ‘made in the USA,’ this will put HUGE cost increases on domestically made cars.
3. Agricultural Tariffs: Trump plans an additional 40% tariff on agricultural imports, which could drive food prices much higher and increase poverty levels even higher.
4. Weakening Government Institutions: Trump’s firings across government departments have removed experienced and non-political professionals, including those responsible for maintaining crucial safety standards, national security, and infrastructure. The USDA food safety inspectors and personnel monitoring diseases like bird flu have been dismissed. Not to mention, the people who maintain our nuclear arsenal. Of all the people you could fire, why would you eliminate crucial roles like this?
5. Reduction in Cybersecurity and International Influence: The U.S. has canceled operations protecting us from Russian cyber threats… seriously? Not to mention, drastically reduced international aid, allowing rivals like Russia and Iran to step into those roles globally, potentially undermining U.S. influence and security.
These moves are too intentional and systematic to be chocked up to mere incompetence or random policy errors.
To be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if we found out Trump is a Russian asset at this point. Everything he’s done seems designed to undermine US security and build up Russia’s. It just doesn’t make any sense!
Will this affect our livelihoods as real estate investors? Certainly. But I’m honestly more concerned about the larger damage he’s doing to our national security and our reputation around the world.
Am I alone in this?