The Inner Monologue

In a stunning triumph for modern economics, the tariff strategy has achieved exactly what it set out to do: prices are up and imports are down. Critics may call this “inflationary” or “self-defeating,” but that’s just jealousy talking. Real success is measurable, and by every measurable standard—specifically, the ones that look good—this policy is working flawlessly.

First, the price increases. Skeptics wring their hands when imported washing machines, steel, lumber, electronics, and the occasional avocado cost more. But they’re missing the point. Higher prices are proof of toughness. Nothing says “strong nation” like paying extra for the same thing you bought last year. If tariffs didn’t work, prices would stay low—and then where would we be? Comfortable? Relaxed? Spoiled? Exactly.

Second, imports are down, which is the whole point. We were importing too much, according to the theory that any number greater than zero is “too much.” Now we import less. This is arithmetic victory. The scoreboard says so. Fewer ships docking, fewer containers rolling, fewer choices on the shelf—mission accomplished. If the goal was to discourage buying foreign goods, raising their price until people stop buying them is not a side effect; it’s the feature.

Critics complain that domestic producers haven’t magically ramped up production overnight. But patience is unpatriotic. The real achievement is signaling. Tariffs signal resolve. They signal seriousness. They signal that we are willing to pay more today so that someday, in theory, something good might happen. Possibly. In a different quarter.

And let’s not overlook the consumer education angle. Americans are learning valuable lessons:

• That “free markets” are overrated when prices are low.
• That choice is confusing and scarcity builds character.
• That if you can’t afford it, you didn’t want it anyway.

Some economists point out that tariffs function like a tax—one that consumers pay. That’s a narrow, literal reading. In reality, tariffs are confidence taxes. You pay extra at the register and receive something priceless in return: the knowledge that you’re winning. And if you don’t feel like you’re winning, just look at the chart where imports go down. Charts don’t lie.

Sure, other countries retaliate. Sure, exporters get squeezed. Sure, supply chains wobble like a shopping cart with one bad wheel. But none of that changes the headline metric: prices up, imports down. That’s success you can hang your hat on—assuming the hat isn’t imported, in which case it now costs 30% more.

In the end, tariffs have proven what supporters always believed: if you make something expensive enough, people will buy less of it. This is not just economics; it’s philosophy. It’s discipline. It’s the triumph of will over wallet.

So let’s give credit where it’s due. The tariffs worked. They raised prices. They reduced imports. And they taught a nation that victory isn’t about outcomes—it’s about redefining them.