Trump's Fantasy World.

OK, so let's see whether I've got this right:

 

Mr Super Ego, Donald Trump, sets his sights on his birthright. He wants to be Grand Emperor of the whole western world. The western world, with the sole exception of the USA, isn't too keen on the idea and resists, so Trump gets a bit miffed as usual, bellows a lot, and starts his tariff war. So let's look at tariffs.

Import tariffs punish the exporters because they make imported products more expensive. But they also make those which do come in more expensive for the exporter's customers. That means Americans have to be asked to do one of two things: either pay the higher price where comparable goods are not home produced which increases inflation, or buy less -- which is an odd thing to ask of consumers in the world's most consumption-obsessed country. Either way, American inflation increases. 

 

But then we get the big one: gasoline prices.

Trump starts what is essentially a fake 'war' with Iran. The reason he gives is dubious in several respects and so we can't be entirely sure what his real reason is, but that's what he does. Iran responds by strangling the oil supply from the Middle East and gas prices begin to rise. Trump then does what bullies always do which is to attack, and take a ruling stake in, relatively weak little Venezuela which has lots of lovely oil on the doorstep.

But it isn't enough, so next he comes whinging to Europe and tells us to release oil reserves to help him out of a mess. And, as usual again, he gets petulant when Europe doesn't just bow the knee immediately. This is unthinkable to the Emperor and he's still in a pickle, so where does he turn next?

He turns to World Public Enemy number 1, Vladimir Putin. He makes a deal to buy Russian oil, thus distilling the very measures which are aimed at keeping the brakes on Putin's unjustified aggression against somebody else's sovereign country,

And let's just put the biggest laugh of all into this epic of absurdity: He bad mouths the Norwegians for failing in their duty to award him the Nobel Peace Prize. He's used military force against Venezuela, attacked Iran killing lots of civilians, reduced the pressure on warmongering Russia, and connived in the deaths of thousands of innocents in Gaza. And he wants the Nobel Peace Prize.

This is not just absurd but positively surreal, so much so that I can't believe I'm not missing something somewhere. If anybody can tell me what it is I'd be pleased to hear it.