Thursday, March 30, 2017

The Next Move Trump Didn't Anticipate: Corn And Mexico



Trump does not understand the concept of next moves in political games, because he doesn't understand politics at all.  Now his chickens are coming home to roost, after learning all about the planned wall between Mexico and the US and Trump's hatred of NAFTA:

First domesticated here 10,000 years ago, corn is not only a staple of the Mexican diet, but also a symbol of Mexico itself.
Since the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994, it has also become a symbol of Mexico’s growing economic dependence on the United States.
Now, as President Trump threatens Mexico with drastic changes on trade, its leaders are wielding corn as a weapon. Mexico’s Senate is considering legislation calling for a boycott of U.S. corn, and the government has begun negotiating with Argentina and Brazil to import corn from those nations tax-free.
...

Analysts say that although the proposed boycott is unlikely to pass, it is a deft political move because its biggest effects would be felt in Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin and other states that voted for Trump in last year’s presidential election.

Kevin Drum notes that this move is already affecting Trump's promises to kill NAFTA dead. 

Drum also points out that Trump is chewing his own foot off by suddenly attacking the Freedom Caucus, the radical fringe of the Republican Party. (if there can be such a thing in a radical capitalist-Christianist party)   I'm pretty sure that the overlap between those who voted for Trump and those who like the Freedom Caucus is considerable.

This is yet another example of Trump's total inability to predict reactions to his weird statements.