Theater Of The Absurd

Modi, Xi, and Putin's performative chumminess in Shanghai exposes the real purpose of Trump’s tariffs.

The 50% tariffs Trump imposed on India (while sparing China) on August 27 represent a fundamental strategic error that directly advances Chinese and Russian interests while undermining both American security and Ukraine's survival. The policy's stated rationale—punishing India for purchasing Russian oil—achieves the exact opposite of its intended effect.

Start with the basic math. India was emerging as the primary alternative to Chinese manufacturing. Apple had shifted iPhone production there. Pharmaceutical companies were building facilities to reduce dependence on Chinese active ingredients. The "China Plus One" strategy represented $50 billion in redirected investment aimed at creating supply chain resilience. Trump's tariffs destroyed this overnight.

By imposing 50% tariffs on India while maintaining only 10% on China, Trump has created an economic incentive structure that defies strategic logic. Companies won't return production to America at these tariff levels—they'll simply move back to China, where infrastructure already exists and tariffs are lower. Xi Jinping couldn't have designed a better policy himself.