Commentary: There is no disputing that one defining characteristic of the current commander-in-chief is his cranial transparency as expressed through his Twitter diatribes. Everyone from world leaders to ordinary Americans knows what he’s thinking - if not by tweet, then expressed verbally. Some see these expressions as showing a lack of restraint. But if nothing else, they are unvarnished insights to a mercurial mind.
He was threatening tariffs on imports from our number one trading partner, Mexico, beginning at 5 percent initially and rising to 25 percent over five months, as a way of forcing Mexico to stem to flow of immigration. There is almost universal acceptance on both sides of the aisle and in numerous economic circles that tariffs, though frequently used, are disruptive and generally ineffective as a means of leveling the playing field in a global economy.
For now, following recent negotiations, the President has backed down on the threat of tariffs. The Mexican government is trying to seal their southern border with military troops.
When I was a student at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, one of the most significant lessons was on the instruments of power. There is a memorable acronym: DIME, or diplomatic, informational, military, and economic.
Despite the upheaval that tariffs will cause on the world economic stage, the President’s use of tariffs is a legitimate use of economic power. Whether Mexico has any real responsibility in preventing the flow of immigration through its southern border is disputable. Why not impose deeper tariffs on the countries that allow immigrants to freely use Mexico as a way station?
On the other hand, the threat of tariffs suggests a leader disconnected from real-world realities of common Americans. More connection with work-a-day citizens might render the consequences of tariffs unsustainable. One hopes that more executive reflection might spur consideration as to whether tariffs would benefit the greater good.
Certainly, imposing tariffs on our no. 1 trading partner would have a significant negative impact on our American way of life. Make no mistake: this is a way of life that we Americans have gotten used to at the expense of others. That is, we’ve gotten accustomed to cheap consumer prices and products, which are cheap because they are produced in places such as Mexico and China.
As a Unitarian Universalist minister, I am reminded that an important Buddhist tenet is that suffering originates from failure to accept reality. We can begin by accepting a simple truth – we got the president that we elected. Impeachment by itself is unlikely to undo that reality.
Recall the resilience of the American people. We are capable of deep capacity for bouncing back from difficulties. President Andrew Johnson comes to mind.
How can individual Americans make a difference? Here are a couple of suggestions. First, you can write your congressperson and express your views on the current political and economic environment. Second, but most important, VOTE! In a democracy, voting is the ultimate act of faith. We place our confidence in elected officials who promise to represent us in the halls of government. Each of us needs to maximize every opportunity to participate in our governance. We cannot afford to squander a single vote.
Yes, the President is entrusted with the DIME – our country’s instruments of power. But a greater upside is that every legal voting-age American has the ultimate instrument of power. It’s called your right to vote. Every American has an ethical obligation to exercise that right. Use it wisely. Be transparent and inspire others to do the same. Use your dime, too.