lame jokes about DC

How do you know someone must be in bed with the Russians? When they start telling jokes in terrible bad taste, ever so evil. They tell more and more of them about the US. What else can be said about events in DC, without losing one's sanity (or starting a war)?

How do we know Trump really has HOPE that the latest message from Korea might actually lead to peace? (Hope, not commitment yet.) Answer: he is desperately looking for other people to declare war on. how about Canada? How about California?

What about removal on grounds of insanity? Did we rule that out too soon?

Or are the new tariffs a very clever response to criticism from economists about his tax cuts:
"That kind of extra stimulus can be a disaster when it is not in a time of deep recession or depression." His response: "OK, let's make the Depressoio Great again, and then all will be will." Will Bannon start touting exactly that logic as proof of deep inscrutable brilliance?

But I have encountered folks a lot less sincere than Bannon in this neighborhood (and in some international discussions, albeit not with folks in any kind of power!).

When I posted about changing the 2008 election... none of the feedback I received did anything but reinforce the logic of such awful thoughts, which could even have a life of their own...

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Family member: Why did you give up so much CNN?
"I get tired of nonstop coverage of Trump's bathroom. Whether you like it or hate it, there is a bigger world out there, as in France24."
"Is it his bathroom or his bedroom they cover?"
"Reasonable question. But I keep thinking of the strain he shows on his face, talking about the big movement he has coming, and the new tariffs.."

And what of the guy who mentioned the spear of destiny being moved by the same folks to Texas?
He said: "Don't worry about Mussolini buffoon. We will have more competent guys coming soon." Just as they did in the 30's.
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A bit of serious stuff, which explains a bit of my own reactions to the situation.

Tariffs on aluminum catch MY attention more than steel, in part because I have been closer to it.
In both cases, there are issues of where the raw material is distributed on earth. It is one thing to say that American workers can produce lots of things in a more competitive way, by atoms of iron, aluminum, cobalt, etc?????  Not with today's earth technology!!!

Aluminum IS distributed all over the earth, but some ores are better than others, and the electricity cost is the main issue. The Atacama desert, which we have visited a few times, is ever so much better than any other place on earth in terms of the combination of (long term sustainable) electricity cosgt AND great ore in the region.

Any half way knowledgeable economisgt knows that (1) EVERYONE can benefit more in THESE kinds of clearcut cases (not a matter of the cost of labor) to take advantage of different factor endowments; and (2) the Smoot-Hawley tariff war was the direct cause of the Great Depression. Some folks do not pay any attention to such facts, and rely on their trust in Trump as a businessman -- but what of the head of Siemens as a businessman, the guy who just spoke on CNN International? Which of the two, Trump or Siemens guy, knows more about hard core productive economies?

But... of course there are many more variables yet.