Beware THIS “Second Coming”

No Good Comes from Wastefulness

Penn Ave Pageantry

Rabid Consumerism

Disavowal of Conservation

Dependency thus Weakness 

F

orty years of hollowing out U.S. domestic manufacturing [without any consideration, policy or concern focused on conservation, reduction of consumerism and waste, change in Americans' behavior] and an ever-increasing DEPENDENCY on imported products and goods has resulted in a self-inflicted vulnerability of the United States and its people.

“Importing products from overseas is a major industry in the United States.” “Hundreds of companies bring in goods from other countries to sell to American consumers and businesses.” This importing activity has seeded long-lasting consequences for the economy and the lives of the people of the United States of America.

In this man's machine, money plays; pandering names the game. Paymasters call the tune and politicians and public servant bow and obey. This is consummate betrayal, cuddled dependency in service to a master. How high? No high is too high to jump. No outrage too great to keep the puppeteers' funds flowing into the coffers of pliable panderers. Money plays. Pandering (Corrupt 'R' US) in the name of the game. 

Off shoring, Outsourcing
SELLING out at High price

Crossing United States borders are imports (not including the drugs) that touch every aspect of American life:

“Cars on dealership lots, computers in offices, clothing in home closets, edibles and non-edibles in home pantries and cupboards.” Ten leading US companies (i.e., companies headquartered in the United States) across retail autos, technology, apparel and home improvement are “responsible for importing more than $600 billion annually from abroad.”

Top 10 U.S. Import Companies by Total Value of Goods Imported

Rank
Company
Total Value of Imports

No. 1 Walmart $200 billion	No. 2 General Motors $114 billion	No. 3 Ford Motors $70 billion	No. 4 Target Stores $50 billion	No. 5 Samsung Electronics $45 billion
No. 6 Home Depot $43 billion	No. 7 Nike $27 billion	No. 8 Dell Technologies $25 billion	No. 9 GAP $23 billion	No. 10 Lowe’s            $20 billion

Konnect International Charlotte Smith January 18, 2024 “Top 10 Import Companies in USA” https://www.konnectinternational.com/top-10-import-companies-in-usa/

The top US-headquartered importer, Walmart, is a multinational “with stores under different names” operating in countries throughout the world: countries such as “Canada, Mexico, India, Chile, South Africa, and China.” China is home to “more than 400 Walmart stores (including Sam’s Club, where Chinese workers make up 99 percent of the workforce).” Mangoful December 16, 2022, Lisa Jones “Chinese Walmart Products? Here’s What You Should Know” https://mangoful.com/chinese-walmart-products-to-know/

Owned by the world’s richest family, the Walton family [net worth “approximately $432.4 billion” (Bloomberg)] via Walton Enterprises, Walmart Inc. (formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) GLOBAL (its divisions Walmart U.S., Walmart International, Sam’s Club, Global eCommerce) is headquartered 99 miles from Tulsa, Oklahoma, and 288 miles from Dallas, Texas, in a place called Bentonville, Arkansas (USA). 2025 all rising estimates show revenue at $680.99 billion, operating income at $29.348 billion. (Source: general reference)

Charlotte Smith writes that United States commercial and consumer sectors insatiably demand imported merchandise (e.g., “energy production” struggles “to keep pace with consumption”, demand constantly increases for greater varieties of year-round off seasonal domestic crops). Imports crossing US borders reportedly 

• “Contribute trillions in economic activity,” 
• “Support millions of jobs …” and 
• are projected to “accelerate” and “expand” far into the future.

A 2021 article at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis website notes that

“During the past two decades, the production process has become more fragmented, with different stages occurring in different parts of the world (often referred to as global value chains).” And the United States’ “heavy reliance on a few foreign suppliers in some industries could make the U.S. economy more susceptible to foreign economic shocks.” Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Ana Maria Santacreu and Jesse LaBelle May 13, 2021, “Investigating the U.S. Reliance on Foreign Suppliers” https://www.stlouisfed.org/on-the-economy/2021/may/investigating-us-reliance-foreign-suppliers

To avoid over-dependency of imports or create at least a “40-percent increase in production” dramatically reducing dependencies, one analyst suggests that the United States “Produce at least 50 percent of most products it consumes (“100 percent…, in many cases by working 24/7…, if foreign supply is cut off”)” and

• Strengthen its skilled workforce
• Increase its competitiveness
• Cut the US trade deficit to zero.

Advanced Manufacturing December 9, 2021, updated May 26, 2024, “The U.S. is Overly Dependent on Imports” Harry Moser, Founder/President, Reshoring Initiative   https://www.advancedmanufacturing.org/industries/the-u-s-is-overly-dependent-on-imports/article_77bdf500-1ba0-11ef-bf04-6351f2f9cee3.html

Exposing 

Fantasy

Infantilism

Exploitation of Weakness

International journalist Martin Jay in an April 8, 2025, article reflects on the current pageantry playing out in Washington, DC, going viral on internet platforms, and hitting a little ball on who-knows-where golf courses.

The “tariffs tantrum” or “tariff stunt,” terms Jay uses alternately, 

“appears to be born of frustration from his first term in office, both not pulling off many of his election promises and wanting to garner more respect around the world.”

However, “Trump isn’t as bright or as capable as some give him credit for.”

The president’s “tariff stunt” is imbued with the hope (or fantasy) that “that it will boost blue collar jobs as many foreign firms might be forced to move to the U.S. and set up factories to bypass the tariffs.” It will not happen. Trump 2.0 may hang out on the links “waiting for news of new companies setting up shop in the U.S. and consumer spending to increase.” But neither will happen. And bashing the major supplier to the US commerce and consumers is not a winning strategy.

Jay points out that all those poor Americans sporting MAGA Merchandise—and momentarily parroting Trump & Co’s China bashing—are major consumers (on credit or otherwise) of all that cheap stuff retailed by Walmart and Target and Home Depot, imported from the United States’ indispensable supplier: the People’s Republic of China.

“All experts have agreed,” Jay writes, 

“…that it will not be the companies in China who will absorb the new costs (Trump tariffs), but these costs will be passed on to the consumer” — (thus) “shooting in the feet those poor folks …, typically Trump supporters who wear the MAGA baseball caps….”

Buyer Beware Message and Messenger

“Trump isn’t as bright or as capable as some give him credit for,” Martin Jay writes. 

This second coming, arrogantly unlearned in the workings of government and US public service and “international business and global trade,” is radicalized, deliberately lacking able counsel, and surrounded by yes-men (madams, mademoiselles). 

Trump 2.0 “is not interested in listening to experts and developing policies.”

“He prefers dumbed-down oversimplified strategies which he can be the architect of and claim the credit for, once implemented.”

Sooner than later, Jay writes, “he will come to understand that something as huge and as complicated as the U.S. economy can’t be fixed by juvenile and ill conceived ‘no-brainer’ fixes.”

“At a certain point (earlier more than later), he will be forced to listen to the economists who, at the moment, lack the courage to tell him that collapsing markets in Asia – AS WELL AS America’s own two bourses — cannot be a good sign. Jay, Martin April 8, 2025, “Trump tariffs will impact his own grassroots supporters” “The case for the tariffs – that they will boost the U.S. economy – is hardly a clear-cut case,” https://strategic-culture.su/news/2025/04/08/trump-tariffs-will-impact-his-own-grassroots-supporters/

NOTE Bourses / Stock exchanges: marketplaces in which U.S. financial 

securities, commodities, derivatives, and other financial instruments are traded

United States Stock Exchanges: the New York Stock Exchange and the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System (Nasdaq)

Beware Second Comings and other Fantasies. 

Beware leaders (and would-be leaders) who put forward policies and practices of rabid consumerism, destruction, and wastefulness.

Beware power that fails to govern, fails to govern for the public good (for the common defense and general welfare). Beware the recklessness and arrogance of power, power that disdains and disavows conservation.

A high price will be paid for deliberate ignorance and the recklessness of power. And the burden will be borne not by members of the billionaires’ club, but by disciples of a charlatan.

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Prolific Southern-Born American Writer Dr. Carolyn LaDelle Bennett focuses on People, Press, Politics USA; Domestic and Foreign Affairs (no copyright claimed in direct quotes and individual image)

https://www.facebook.com/carolynladelle.bennett

https://insightbeyondtodaysnews.blogspot.com/

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