The Issue: Canada and the European Union levying retaliatory tariffs against the United States.
A stock slump or recession can quickly turn into a full-scale depression, as seen with the Smoot-Hawley tariffs of 1930 during the Great Depression, which resulted in a 65% decline in global trade (“Canadian pol blinks first,” March 12).
Thankfully, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick seems to be working overtime — perhaps even hourly — to explain economic reality to President Trump.
I admired Trump for championing forgotten blue-collar workers, small investors and stay-at-home parents.
But right now, he’s in rampage mode, like Animal Mother in “Full Metal Jacket” — a soldier who scorns any authority except his own.
Spoiler alert: Reckless tariffs don’t end well.
They can cripple multiple economies and hit the most vulnerable Americans — the ones barely making ends meet.
R.H. Bredin
Toronto, Canada
It’s shocking that our friends in Canada are outraged over tariffs on their goods while ignoring the imbalance in their own favor.
Canadians are fine with imposing tariffs on US products but furious when Washington does the same.
If they were such good friends, why wouldn’t they support eliminating tariffs on both sides?
Michael J. Felicetta
Lavallette, NJ
Trump acts like he has no understanding of the insalutary effect of tariffs, and underestimates those who will kick him back in the teeth.
Sadly, all Americans will get kicked.
Lou Maione
Manhattan
When Trump’s tariff wars worsen — and they will — remember that Canada didn’t start this.
When Americans face higher prices there will be one man to blame: Donald Trump.
Chris Robertson
Stony Plain, Canada
It doesn’t seem like Trump checked the dictionary for the word “tariff,” so maybe he doesn’t realize that it is the consumer who pays the tariffs on imported products (“Trump’s Irish up on E.U. tariffs,” March 13).
It is not the nation that manufactures and exports its goods to us that pays: It’s us, the buyers! Meanwhile, he’s alienating our traditional friends and allies, leaving us isolated.
Nicholas S. Molinari
Brick, NJ
The Issue: Elon Musk calling Sen. Mark Kelly a ‘traitor’ following the senator’s Ukraine visit.
Elon Musk called Sen. Mark Kelly a traitor for visiting Ukraine in support of its fight for survival (“Mark Kelly accuses Trump of ‘trying to weaken’ Ukraine, fires back at Elon Musk for branding him a ‘traitor,’ ” March 12).
The hypocrisy is thick enough to require one of Musk’s chainsaws to cut.
Kelly honorably served 25 years in the Navy, flew combat missions in the Gulf War and piloted NASA space shuttles—while Musk was busy seeing how many kids he could have with how many women.
(If you’re keeping score: 14 kids, four mothers.)
Yet MAGA loyalists fall for President Trump’s theatrics.
Supporting allies or being captured in war doesn’t make someone a traitor.
That title is more appropriate to Musk and his cohort, the true allies of Russia.
Vin Morabito
Scranton, Pa.
Shame on Mark Kelly.
After four years in the Senate, he’s suddenly flying to Ukraine, trying to scuttle President Trump’s peace deal with Putin.
He should be working to help his fellow astronauts stranded on the space station.
Instead, he’s busy picking fights with Elon Musk, who is providing Ukraine’s communication network via Starlink.
Kelly has acted out of turn.
Kenneth Reinhard
Sheffield Lake, Ohio
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