This is the position of the geniuses in the White House.

Basic economics, theory, common sense, facts, data, evidence etc have no place here.

Somehow the world will need to figure out to deal with this.

At its core, this emerging framework presumes that all nations have an obligation to contribute economically to the maintenance of American primacy. Those who fail to do so are increasingly framed as unfair, ungrateful, or even adversarial actors within the global system.

It is noteworthy that the term *tithe* historically denotes a fixed contribution of 10 percent, potentially providing symbolic context for the commonly applied 10 percent tariff rate.

Such a policy orientation risks accelerating the fragmentation of the global economic order into two distinct camps:
1. States willing to align with and subsidize U.S. strategic and economic priorities
2. States that resist such alignment and seek alternative paths to sovereignty and development

The ultimate objective seems to be the achievement of bilateral trade surpluses with all major economic partners. In essence, the United States appears to be asserting a claim to a form of global economic tithe.

In this model, global actors are compelled to provide financial concessions to the United States, analogous to the tribute paid to a hegemon in earlier imperial systems.

Contrary to the prevailing rhetoric surrounding “unfair” trade practices, this approach appears less focused on rectifying asymmetries in trade rules and more aligned with a coercive economic model.

This policy framework reflects a broader geoeconomic strategy, wherein the international community is implicitly expected to bear the burdens associated with the United States’ hegemonic position—often referred to as the "exorbitant privilege" of issuing the world’s primary reserve currency.

1. Absorbing the imposed tariffs
2. Increasing imports of American goods
3. Expanding procurement of U.S. military equipment
4. Relocating manufacturing operations to the United States
5. Transferring capital directly to the U.S. government

What do you think of this statement?

www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-st...