Container,Tariffs,Word,On,Flag,Of,The,United,States,Of

No—Tariffs Are Not Good for American Workers and Here’s Why

EDITOR'S NOTES

Llewellyn H. Rockwell Jr., founder of the Mises Institute and a warrior for economic sanity, lays down the case against tariffs like a prizefighter landing body blows. And he’s right to do it. While Trump and his loyalists dress up tariffs in the red-white-and-blue of “America First,” what they’re really doing is handing more control to bureaucrats and lobbyists, driving up costs for the rest of us, and calling it “patriotism.”

Let’s not sugarcoat this: tariffs are nothing more than government coercion wrapped in a flag. They distort markets, enrich the politically connected, and hammer the working class—all while pretending to protect them. What Rockwell politely calls “protectionism,” I’ll go ahead and call by its real name: economic authoritarianism.

Now let’s rip the cover off this scam.

Derek Wolfe Sep 18, 25

Tariffs Aren’t Protection—they’re Control

Ask yourself: who really benefits from tariffs? Is it the single mom paying more for a washing machine because of “Buy American” mandates? Is it the small-town mechanic watching his imported tool prices jump by 30% overnight? Or is it the steel lobbyist sipping whiskey with a Commerce Department crony, laughing all the way to the bank?

We know the answer.

Tariffs are not free market solutions—they’re government interference in its most brazen form. Just like the Fed prints money out of thin air to bail out bankers, tariffs are how the state micromanages trade to reward its political allies. It’s state-planned economics, folks. And whether it's called socialism or “economic nationalism,” the outcome is the same: higher prices, fewer choices, and more government fingerprints on everything you buy.

Trump’s “America First” Is Just Central Planning in a Red Hat

Trump's America First rhetoric was always a bait-and-switch. Sure, it sounds great on a podium in Michigan. But behind the curtain, it’s just central planning in a MAGA hat. You can’t out-regulate China—you fight tyranny with freedom, not with more regulation.

Let’s talk numbers. The National Bureau of Economic Research found that each “Buy American” job cost over $130,000to create. That’s not job creation; that’s economic malpractice. Those aren't jobs—they’re welfare programs with better marketing. Imagine what kind of real, decentralized growth we could fund with that money if it stayed in the hands of the people instead of getting funneled through bureaucratic filters.

Tariffs Breed Conflict, Not Security

Now here’s where it gets darker. Tariffs don’t just make your wallet lighter—they make war more likely. As Mises rightly warned, protectionism breeds hostility. It kills international cooperation, shatters supply chains, and lays the groundwork for economic cold wars. And what’s the usual government solution to cold wars? You guessed it—hot ones.

It’s no coincidence that as tariffs rose under Trump, so did tensions with China. The state needs enemies to justify its control, and tariffs are just another battlefield. The state doesn’t want prosperity—it wants dependency. It wants you relying on government jobs, government bailouts, government contracts, and ultimately, a government-controlled digital currency like FedNow.

The Real Agenda: Economic Dependence Through Regulation

And speaking of FedNow, this all ties into the bigger game plan. The same government that tells you tariffs are for your own good is building the infrastructure to track, control, and eventually program your spending through digital currencies. First they control what you can buy internationally with tariffs, then they control how and when you can buy anything at all through programmable CBDCs.

So no, tariffs aren’t about “protecting American workers.” They’re about creating a controlled, corporatist economy where you have no choice but to play by the rules of the cartel. And the cartel has no loyalty to you, your community, or your country—only to power.

Call to Action

If you’re serious about protecting yourself and your family from this creeping economic control, I urge you—download “Seven Steps to Protect Yourself from Bank Failure” by Bill Brocius. This isn’t just about banks. It’s about sovereignty.

👉 Download the guide now 👈

Don’t let them sell you shackles disguised as shields. Wake up, think for yourself, and fight back.