Lots of good memes and thoughts in this NYT article

[wiggs]

Not a big Friedman fan, but in this paper he writes about concerns that should be seen in front page news and lead story analysis.

Our elected leader doesn't know what he's doing economically, morally, globally, diplomatically, financially, national security. And never has.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/03/opinion/trump-tariffs-us-security-stability.html

...and, as usual, the article comments are excellent and worth reading

[Diamond_Dog]

1. I cannot access it due to a paywall.

[wiggs]

2. Sorry for the paywall. Here are a couple of excerpts.

Donald Trump is not known for doing his homework — he’s more of a go-with-my-gut kind of guy. What I find most terrifying about what Trump is doing today is that he seems to be largely relying on his gut to bet that he can radically overturn how America’s institutions have operated and the way the nation relates to both its allies and enemies — and get it all right. As in, America will become stronger and more prosperous, while the rest of the world will just adjust. ...

Yes, what are the odds that such a president, seemingly ready to act on foreign policy on the advice of a conspiracy theorist, got all this trade theory right? I’d say they’re long.

What is it that Trump, with his grievance-filled gut, doesn’t understand? The time we live in today, though far from perfect or equal, is nevertheless widely viewed by historians as one of the most relatively peaceful and prosperous in history. We are benefiting from this pacific era in large part because of a tightening web of globalization and trade, and also because of the world’s domination by a uniquely benign and generous hegemon called the United States of America that is at peace and economically interwoven with its biggest rival, China.