Is California the Worst Economic Nightmare in the USA?


QUESTION: Marty,

Whenever you refer to California Dreaming, my blog post from a few years back, I cannot help but smile. Thank you for your chart on the California economy. Does this represent most states? Does this represent the state of the U.S. economy? What states are actually growing?

Yes, I agree with you that the government has become very corrupt, but no really cares about the Clintons anymore because they have no real impact on the average person’s life. The real issue, I believe is the war that is going on regarding freedom of access to making informed decisions on more important matters such as parenting and vaccines. Your blog at least has not been wiped off of Google and Facebook like Natural News, Mercola, and a host of other sites that call into question the efficacy and safety of vaccines. Google, Amazon, Facebook, etc have made it very difficult to find dissenting views on vaccines due to a letter from a Congressman. You should research this issue.

I think this is the real undercurrent going on right now, at least from my perspective. Plus the civil asset forfeiture, and the jailing of the journalists.

Thank you! I still think you are awesome!! I miss chatting with you!

S

ANSWER: California is actually the worst. Illinois is in trouble, but that is because their constitution forbids renegotiating state employee pensions. In the case of California, it is really just a Socialist’s dream of directing pensions to invest green. Losing money is just the tip of the iceberg.

 

What Makes Currencies Rise & Fall in Value?


House-Testimony

QUESTION: What makes currencies rise & fall in value?

CC

ANSWER: Many people want to reduce this to a logical explanation. It reminds me of when I testified before Congress at the House Ways & Means Committee. They had to put me on a panel with academics. I told them to make me last. The Committee was asking about changes in taxes and the impact upon currency. The academics said there should be no impact. When they came to me, I dealt with the truth.

 

Currencies will rise and fall BECAUSE, first and foremost, this is the way international capital gets to vote on the CONFIDENCE in that political government. You see this in the spreads within the Eurozone such as buying Germany selling Italy or Greece for an example. The dollar has been rising of late BECAUSE the confidence in Europe has been collapsing. This becomes self-evident just plotting the Dow Jones Industrials in dollars v euro. If capital perceives a problem, it will flee from that region to another. The dollar rose during World War I and II, but it declined with the Korean War because the former was a reservoir of capital and the latter was not

Canadian Ethics Commission Concludes Justin Trudeau Violated Oath of Office, Broke Law, Used Position To Influence Attorney General…


The Canadian Office of Ethics completed their investigation of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and whether he inappropriately used his office to influence and pressure the Canadian Attorney General to drop criminal charges against a political ally and donor, SNC-Lavalin.  [Backstory Here]

Section 9 of the Canadian Ethics Act prohibits “public office holders from using their position to seek to influence a decision of another person so as to further their own private interests or those of their relatives or friends, or to improperly further another person’s private interests.”

The investigation found:

“Prime Minister Trudeau used his position of authority over Ms. Wilson‑Raybould [AG] to seek to influence, both directly and indirectly, her decision on whether she should overrule the Director of Public Prosecutions’ decision not to invite SNC-Lavalin to enter into negotiations towards a remediation agreement.

Therefore, I find that Mr. Trudeau contravened section 9 of the Act.”

In response to the official finding of the Canadian Ethics Office, Justin Trudeau said he “accepted the findings”, but “disagreed with the decision.”

Additionally, Justin from Canada refused to apologize for interfering in the criminal case, breaking the law and violating the duty of his office, because his goal was to protect Canadian workers who might have been negatively impacted if the company was impacted or was barred from doing business.

In essence, a ridiculous virtue-signalling defense. WATCH:

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Immediately the leftist Canadian media circled-the-wagons to protect the office of the Prime Minister.  The liberal media in Canada agree that all oaths of office are contingent upon only following laws, rules or governmental policies that advance liberalism.  Any liberal or left-leaning target that runs afoul of the laws of Canada can be excused if their intent is to assist the larger progressive cause.

All Canadian media agree, openly and publicly, that if a conservative prime minister was to engage in similar conduct, to the benefit of a company donating to conservative political candidates, that Prime Minister should be immediately removed from office.  It is the political ideology and intent of the office that determines the application of law.

Within the Canadian media response to the transparently illicit conduct of Prime Minister Trudeau, you discover why Canada has a closed media system, called a “cultural industry”.   By law, policy and regulation, including within trade agreements, the media business in Canada is protected by the government from competition.

The “cultural industry” laws are how the liberal Canadian government keeps control of narratives to ensure no political challenges to their ideology ever reach the electorate.  The closest comparison in media systems would be dictatorial state-run media in China, Iran, Turkey or similar ideologically controlled nations.

As a consequence, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was just found by the U.S. equivalent of the Inspector General, to have violated the most fundamental principal of his office and the Canadian legal system; yet he will remain in office to advance the progressive agenda.

That’s Canada.

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Wilbur Ross Discusses U.S. Economy, China Trade, Tariffs and Hong Kong….


Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross appears (in studio) on CNBC to discuss the current state of the U.S. economy, the ongoing issues with communist China, the ‘next step’ trade tariffs and the situation in Hong Kong.

Stunning Day of Economic Gaslighting – Despite All Positive Data, Corporate Media Cheering For Recession…


A “negative yield curve“;  a pending “economic recession“.  These are the obtuse and ridiculous proclamations of the Mainstream Corporate Media today.  So let’s take a moment to discuss how stunningly -intentionally- disconnected they are.

Always remember, there are trillions of dollars at stake; and these media entities have a vested interest in maintaining the Wall Street position, adverse to Main Street USA.

First the “negative yield curve” aspect; where long-term bond rates (returns on investment) are lower than short-term rates (returns).  As Reuters proclaims:

“A key bond market metric turned negative for the first time since 2007 on Wednesday, sending stocks tumbling”…

I must admit, I actually started laughing out loud when I first read that proclamation. Allow me to introduce a radical concept in economics: “supply and demand” !

The long-term borrowing rate for return on investment dropped momentarily lower than the short-term borrowing rate of return on investment because massive numbers of foreign investors were rushing to buy long-term U.S. bonds.   Wait… what?  Yes, a ‘negative yield curve’ is what happens when everyone wants to buy bonds in your long-term economy.

There weren’t enough long-term bonds to fill the demand of those who wanted to purchase them.  Ergo, the return rate of interest dropped because there was no need to have an incentive to sell them…. everyone wants them.

So the yield drops, because the U.S. doesn’t need to incentivize the sale… because everyone is lined up to buy them.  See how that works?

Do lines of people wrapping all around the world trying to get to the U.S.A Bank and buy U.S. treasury bonds sound like the USA economy (underlying the bond) is weak or in trouble?

It’s OK to laugh out loud.

No, really, it’s ok.

Yes, Alice, it’s true.  The financial media would have you believe that customers lined-up around the building to purchase your products means your business is about to close because of a lack of customers.   THAT my friends is the stupidity of it.

The U.S.A economy is so strong, so healthy, and forecast to remain so with such intensity, that everyone wants to purchase dollars because it is the world’s highest predicted rate of return for investment….. And somehow the media can spin that into a bad thing.

No, really.  That’s the narrative of today.

Now let’s look at the second stupid “A looming recession“:

First, a “recession” is two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth.  That’s how you define a recession.  So to start a recession you need need one quarter of negative GDP growth right?  Well, duh, it hasn’t happened, and there is not a single economist who is predicting a negative Third Quarter growth rate (July, Aug, Sept., ’19).

First Quarter GDP growth was 3.1%. [Beating all expectations] Second Quarter GDP growth was 2.1%. [Again, beating all expectations]… and somehow the Third Quarter is suddenly going to be negative growth?   It’s OK to laugh again.

So how does CNN et al  “warn of a looming recession” when there’s not a single economist forecasting a negative GDP for the third quarter?   Well, they make shit up that’s how.

Think about it…. if the economy was contracting, people would not be getting hired right?  Employers would be laying people off right?  Businesses would be selling off assets right?  Wages would be dropping right?

Do you see any of these things happening?

No?  Why not?

Because it ain’t happening, that’s what !!!

The U.S. economy is not shrinking.  Main Street is strong, and getting stronger.

Go back to point #1, would the world be rushing to buy dollars if the U.S. economy was on the precipice of collapse?  Think about it.

Now, that said, there are some economies that are shrinking; and they all have something in common.  The manufacturing export dependent nations are in trouble because President Trump is starting to limit their access to their most desired customers, the USA. And President Trump is telling companies that operate in those export nations that it would be in their best interests to come to the United States to make their goods.

Germany, the economic engine for the EU, is a manufacturing export dependent nation, and it is contracting.  China is a manufacturing export dependent nation and their manufacturing is contracting.  But the U.S. is strong, because we are not dependent on exports.  In fact the U.S. consumes more than 80 percent of what we produce; we are a self-sustaining economy.

Our U.S. economic strength is why Asian and European investors are rushing to buy dollars (US Bonds); and why the U.S. treasury doesn’t need to provide high yield rates as incentives to buy them (hence the negative yield curve).

Stop me when any of the U.S. economic data has even the slightest implication of a slowdown, or “looming recession”.

Our last jobs report showed 164,000 new jobs created in July (yeah, like two weeks ago).  In addition 363,000 people moved from part-time to full-time employment… does that sound like a weak economic outcome?  Current blue-collar wage growth is in excess of 3.4%, and current overall U.S. worker income is growing at a rate exceeding 5.4%.

Does any of that sound like what you see just before a “looming recession”?

(BEA Data Source – Link)

Every actual data result exceeds expectations.

Every measurable KPI in the U.S. economy beats every forecast.

Show me data that supports this “looming recession” claim.  Guess what; you can’t because it is a manufactured bucket of nonsense.  Abject stupidity created in the basement of media narrative engineers and pushed into the U.S. mainstream talking points in an effort to create something that doesn’t exist.   You know the word for that? “Gaslighting” !

Why?

Why are the financial pundits doing this?

Because the engine for the U.S. economy is the U.S. consumer.  The Wall St./Media pundit goal is to erode consumer confidence, instill fear, and hopefully get people to sit on those high wages…. thereby creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.

This my friends is the battle behind Wall Street -vs- Main Street.

There are trillions of dollars at stake.

[You Can Read More Here]

Comey Memo FOIA Update: CNN Files Motion Demanding Immediate Production – DOJ Says 60 Days…


Just a quick update in the ongoing court battle for the Comey Memos and Archey Declarations.  [Background Here]  CNN has filed a motion for immediate production (full pdf below)

Two days ago Judge James Boasberg ruled the DOJ and FBI must turn over the mostly unredacted Comey Memos and fully unredacted Archey Declarations to CNN and the media groups represented within the FOIA lawsuit.

However, in a response to CNN dated yesterday, August 13th, the DOJ stated they intend to utilize the full 60-day appellate window before producing the memos and declarations:

(Source – Exhibit inside motion)

It looks to me like the DOJ/FBI is implying they will produce the material in 60 days, and not sooner.  In response to that email today CNN has filed a motion requesting intervention by Judge Boasberg, and demanding immediate production:

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There is a possibility the DOJ is delaying production because they want to wait until after the Inspector General report is made public.  Strategically, that might make sense.

[Backstory for those unfamilar] In the background of what was The Mueller Investigation, there was a FOIA case where the FBI was fighting to stop the release of the Comey memos.  Within that courtroom fight Mueller’s lead FBI agent David Archey wrote a series of declarations to the court describing the content of the memos and arguing why they should be kept classified.

The FOIA fight shifted; and the plaintiff, CNN, argued for public release of the content of the FBI agent’s descriptions, now known as the “Archey Declarations”.

After a lengthy back-and-forth legal contest, on June 7th Judge James E Boasberg agreed to allow the FBI to keep the Comey memo content hidden, but instructed the DOJ/FBI to release the content of the Archey Declarations.  On August 2nd the DOJ/FBI changed their position and claimed national security, “sources and methods” would be compromised by the release of the Archey Declarations.

On August 12th Judge Boasberg completely rejected the DOJ and FBI argument.

The issue at hand is tangentially related to the current Inspector General carve-out report, through the aspect of the Comey Memos.  We are currently anticipating a report from the OIG related to former FBI Director James Comey, his writing of the memos, and the leaking of some of those memos to the media via his friend Daniel Richman.  {LINK}

No-one knows the number of memos that James Comey has written.  [We may get that answer in the IG report.]  There are nine memos written by James Comey surrounding contact and conversations with President-elect and then President Trump (2016/2017).

However, based on the court declarations by Mueller’s former lead FBI investigator David Archey, it sounds like there are many more memos than anyone currently understands; including memos about the investigation of candidate Trump, that were written during the “Crossfire Hurricane” investigation 2016 and 2017, that describe investigative details, sources, operations and code-names of intelligence assets used in the investigation.

The Comey memos are not just about his contact with Donald Trump as a candidate, president-elect or president.   The media keeps downplaying the memos as a few notes taken by the former FBI director, but all of the background information suggest the assembled writing is something more akin to a personal diary.

My strongly researched suspicion is that James Comey kept detailed private notes of what was happening during the operation(s) against Donald Trump and his campaign team, both during the campaign and after the election when President Trump took office.  Just take a look at how David Archey described the content and you can see those notes, now called memos, were in addition to FD 302 reports being filed by FBI officials.

Why James Comey would keep detailed notes beyond what was being officially recorded in the FBI 302 reports is likely a question to be answered within the pending inspector general report.   There’s a lot of sketchy non-transparent stuff going on amid all of this….

This is an example of redacted information in the Archey Declarations that Judge Boasberg had ruled must be released with the redactions removed.  This is what the DOJ and FBI are working to stop, stall and delay from being released to the public:

(Source Link)

 

Six Police Officers Shot in Philadelphia – Standoff With Suspects Ongoing..


Troubling. Pray for the police.  ♦Over 100 gunshots were reported heard by witnesses as Philadelphia police responded to an initial drug related incident.  ♦According to authorities six police officers were shot; non life-threatening. ♦One suspect is in custody; ♦however, apparently another suspect is firing on officers who are pinned down inside a building as the shooter fires through walls and ceiling.

(Via Fox News) At least six Philadelphia police officers were wounded, at least one reportedly grazed in the head, in an ongoing shootout in the city’s Nicetown neighborhood on Wednesday afternoon that has been unfolding for almost two hours.

Three officers were rushed to Temple University Hospital, officials told Fox 29.

Three other officers were taken to Einstein Hospital, at least one of them was shot in the arm. All six officers are in stable condition and are being treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Two other officers, including a police sergeant, were injured in an accident related to the emergency response and are being treated for non-life threatening injuries.

High-ranking police officials said that two officers with the Narcotics Strike Force were serving a warrant at a multifamily home when a shooter opened fire at the home. The two officers are barricaded in separate rooms with as many as four suspects in what may be a drug-related offense. At least one suspect is actively shooting, firing up a stairwell from a lower level in the building or potentially moving up and down the stairwell while doing so. One officer is barricaded in a bedroom with two suspects while another is in a bathroom with another suspect. (read more)

Eric Gripp

@PPDEricGripp

UPDATE: Suspect is still firing. SIX (6) PPD Officers shot – at area hospitals with non life threatening injuries. Additional officers also receiving treatment for non-gunshot injuries. Continue to avoid area. Situation is active and ongoing.

2,480 people are talking about this

Jennifer Jacobs

Eric Gripp

@PPDEricGripp

Update – Multiple injuries to Officers. 5 PPD Officers Shot – at area hospitals with non life-threatening injuries. Shooting still active. Avoid area. MEDIA – STOP BROADCASTING TACTICAL POSITIONS OF OFFICERS

Breaking911@Breaking911

PHILLY ACTIVE SHOOTING:
– At Least 6 Officers Shot; More Wounded In Car Crash
– One Suspect In Custody
– Gunman Still Firing
– Officers Trapped In Building With Shooter
– Witness Reports Hearing ‘Over 100’ Gunshotshttps://breaking911.com/happening-now-active-shooter-in-philadelphia-massive-police-response/ 

Embedded video

1,048 people are talking about this

Google Whistleblower Provides Documents Showing Systems and Processes Used to Create Biased Outcomes…


Anyone who has spent time on the internet already knows Google manipulates the internet based on their self-defined ideology.  However, a Google employee and whistleblower has come forward with the documentary evidence explaining how they do it.

Zachary Vorhies has now gone public with the information in order to help people better understand the scope and scale of Google’s manipulative intent.  [Link to Documents]

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Among those documents is a file called “news black list site for google now.” The document is a “black list,” which restricts certain websites from appearing on an Android Google product.  Not surprisingly CTH is listed on the black list.

Trade and Manufacturing Advisor Peter Navarro Discusses “Next Step” Chinese Trade Tariffs…


White House trade and manufacturing policy advisor Peter Navarro appears on Fox News to discuss the status of the U.S-China trade negotiations and the reason for a USTR delay on some product tariffs.

Peter Navarro confirms what we noted from the office of USTR Robert Lighthizer yesterday.  On December 15th “the tariffs will go on.”   While the statement flies over the head of Stuart Varney, Navarro confirms the “next step” process that Lighthizer implied.

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More below

The U.S. stock market continues reacting to an unusual dynamic. 50% of all companies manufacturing in China are U.S. owned multinational corporations. Those companies don’t want tariffs to succeed in disrupting their supply chain. As a consequence those Wall St. Corps also don’t want lower U.S. Fed interest rates designed to combat China’s currency devaluation.

Normally Wall St. would like lower rates (cheap money), but in this dynamic the U.S. multinationals are against it. Wall Street is schizophrenic. Domestic U.S. companies benefit from the lower rates; however, now, lower rates are adverse to the interests of the multinational companies.

It was Albert Einstein who aptly stated:

“The significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them.”

The same basic principle applies to those who are trying to understand and evaluate current economic activity yet failing to disengage themselves from their historic economic frames of reference.

Minds who are framed around thirty years of financial/monetary political policy; intended to influence the U.S. economy and created by vested interests who were building out the legislative priorities based on Wall Streets’ best interests; will struggle to understand the new landscape which is entirely formulated to benefit Main Street.

There are two economic engines: Wall Street and Main Street.

The two economic engines are divergent and detached. Time (30+ years), along with monetary focus only on Wall Street interests (multinationals), pushed those two economic engines further apart. The same monetary policies which worked in the immediate past will not work in the immediate future.

We are now in the economic space between both engines. The traditional cause and effect (Fed) is now uncoupled.  The administrators of the economy are perplexed; this is unfamiliar terrain.

The exact same areas of the country which have gone through three decades of economic contraction are now seeing economic expansion and revitalization. The Fed policy which influences Wall Street was not, and is not, domestic centric. The fed policy was corporate driven monetary policy and globalist in influence.

Until the two economies gain parity in value – any fed activity, taken as a consequence to their familiar traditional measurements (interest rates etc.), will have minimal to negligible impact on Main Street.

Senator John Cornyn

@JohnCornyn

Overlooked on economy? Rising paychecks for blue-collar workers are shrinking the wage gap

We need more emphasis on blue-collar trades. There’s more than one path to a solid paycheck, especially given demographic and workplace trends.

usatoday.com

238 people are talking about this

U.S. Delays and Modifies “Next Step” Tariffs on Chinese Products…


Early on Tuesday United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer announced the modification of “next step” tariffs on Chinese products.  [See Here] “Products in this group include, for example, cell phones, laptop computers, video game consoles, certain toys, computer monitors, and certain items of footwear and clothing.”

President Trump responded to the delay/modification when questioned in New Jersey.  President Trump noted a “very productive” phone call between Lighthizer and Vice-Premier Liu He of China:

[Transcript Segment] – […] Q Why did you make the decision on the tariffs, to delay the implementation of the tariffs?

THE PRESIDENT: Only to help, I think, a lot of different groups of people. And we had a very good talk yesterday with China — a very, very productive call. I think they want to do something. I think they’d like to do something dramatic. I was not sure whether or not they wanted to wait until a Democrat has a chance to get in. Hopefully that’s not going to happen because the economy would go to hell in a handbasket very fast.

But they really would like to make a deal. The call itself was very productive. I’m not sure if it was the tariffs or the call, but the call was very productive. Again, they’ve said this many times; they’ve said they’re going to buy farm products. So far, they’ve disappointed me with the truth. They haven’t been truthful, or, let’s say, they’ve certainly delayed the decision. But it’s their intention to buy a lot of farm product.

And we did — we had a very good call with China. I mean, they would really like to do — as you know, they have a problem in Hong Kong, but they would like very much to do something.

Q Would you consider moving the tariffs, even? Delaying them even further, past December 15?

THE PRESIDENT: No, we’re doing this for Christmas season, just in case some of the tariffs would have an impact on U.S. customers, which, so far, they’ve had virtually none. The only impact has been that we’ve collected almost $60 billion from China — compliments of China. But just in case they might have an impact on people, what we’ve done is we’ve delayed it so that they won’t be relevant for the Christmas shopping season.

Q Mr. President, are you more optimistic now that there’s a chance of getting a deal between China on trade?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I’ve always been optimistic. My only question is whether or not they were willing to wait and take the chance on winning the election and deal with somebody who’s weak and ineffective and doesn’t know what he’s doing or she’s doing, like they’ve had in the past.

This should have been done 25 years ago. It should have been done 10 years ago or 5 years ago. This should have been done a long time ago. This should have been done by Biden and Obama. China is taking out $500 billion a year, and much more than that, if you include the theft of intellectual property. What I’m doing now should have been done many years ago.  (link)

At the 30,000 ft level, the decision to postpone and modify looks political from the perspective of timing.  Additionally the use of the term “next step tariffs” by USTR Lighthizer implies a sense of inevitability to a pre-determined process of increasing tariffs.

It would appear that President Trump has made a move based on a statement by Liu He about China making good on a prior promise to purchase significant agricultural products.  Whether or not Vice-Premier Liu He is being misled (or used) by Beijing’s strong-arm and duplicitous Commerce Minister Zhong Shan is yet to be determined.

Minister Zhong, who previously worked under Xi when the president was at the helm of Zhejiang province, is viewed as a hardliner who has strictly toed the party line.  Zhong was moved into primary trade negotiation position when China reengaged with the U.S. team.

My hunch is President Trump has delayed the Sept. 1st tariffs to see if Liu He will deliver on the agriculture promise, or if Zhon Shan is manipulating a lie to gain breathing room. While the latter seems more likely; it would make sense for President Trump to see of a multi-billion Ag purchase will take place.  The benefit to the U.S. would mean a pending  farm subsidy wouldn’t be needed; and based on the timing of the phone contact and message from China, this scenario appears to be the most likely background.

In essence President Trump appears to be looking to save U.S. money by avoiding a subsidy; and simultaneously benefit from the optic of the upcoming trade discussions with China in Washington DC in early September.

Pushing the full tariff decision to December 15th, puts a window of activity between now and the “next step” toward China.

Within that window President Trump will be traveling to Biarritz, France, (August 24th through 26th) for the G7 [U.S., U.K, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and Canada +EU weasels)] where it is now anticipated an interim U.S-U.K trade deal will be announced.  [Maybe some unspoken five-eyes ‘spygate’ leverage for wheel grease]

Also within that window, the IG report on FISA abuse and ‘spygate’ (Sept?).

Also within that window, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison will be coming to the White House for an official state visit, and state dinner, in September.  A key strategic trade ally, geopolitical foil against China, and ASEAN member. [Maybe more five-eyes ‘spygate’ wheel-greasing leverage]

Also within that window the Canadian election will take place on October 21st; which, depending on outcome, could radically change the time-frame for the USMCA ratification.

It still seems more likely than not that President Trump (Team USA) and Shinzo Abe (Team Japan) have hammered out the U.S-Japan trade agreement.

Most forget, but team USA and team Japan met for weeks of negotiations before Trump’s state visit to Japan, and the G20 in Osaka soon thereafter.

Everyone suspected a trade announcement, but curiously there was no mention.  Instead, everyone immediately became distracted by President Trump’s visit to the DPRK and meeting with Kim Jong-un at the DMZ.

I suspect there was a purposeful intent (dual purpose) in the DPRK distraction; and I suspect the U.S-Japan trade announcement is being purposefully delayed based on the ongoing issues with China and the tentacles that extend globally and financially.

If my suspicions are accurate, President Trump is positioning the U.K. trade deal to be the ultimate leverage to force the EU into negotiations…. socialism is hit hard.  Then, if/when the Canadian election concludes, the USMCA ratification will be a primary focus…. Then comes an announcement of the U.S. and Japan deal…. then comes the hammer on China (and/or possibly now including Hong Kong)…. and communism is hit hard.

With the foundation of the USMCA, UK and Japan providing the overwhelming financial momentum, both parasitic wealth-sucking book-ends: China and the EU, are hit in a sequence of trade actions (tariffs) that could radically alter the global supply chain.

Just a hunch.

It all seems rather Trumpian.

No-one else could ever possibly pull this off.

No-one else would even try.