THROW-AND-STICK PLAN

Along with businesses and consumers across this country, we’re breathing A SIGH of RELIEF that THE UNITED States AND CHINA HAVE DECLARED A 90-DAY CEASE-IRE In An ongoing TRADE war. It’s no secret we Haven’t BEEN Happy with President Donald Trump’s tariff-happy trade policies since he took OFICE. WHETHER It’s ADDING levies to Imported Goods, threats to Bolt NAFTA or insulting our allies, we still can’t say whether Trump is engaging in some grand strategy or just throwing stuff at the wall, hoping something sticks. We are increasingly inclined to think it’s the throw-and-stick plan. But we are still praying it could be the former — or at the very least that we will get lucky and it will look like the former when all is said and done. In any event, It’s not As IF Trump Is THE irst president to BANG HIS HEAD AGAINST THE GREAT wall of Chinese trade policy and come away with nothing but a headache to show for it. Indeed, give the president some share of credit for making THE Gross BEHAVIOUR of our CHINESE TRADE “partner” serious Consideration For Americans. The problems are more than serious. China has long imported our goods, then watched as American intellectual property was, shall we say, “Appropriated” through A process that requires FOREIGN irms to HAND over intellectual property in order to do business in the country. Additionally, China Is still CONSIDERED A “Developing nation” By THE World TRADE Organization — a status it received nearly two decades ago when it joined the WTO, and China was nothing like the economic power it has become.