Understanding U.S. Tariffs: Costs and Consequences

In 2025, U.S. tariffs are taxes levied by the federal government on imported goods at the border. While intended to protect domestic industries and reduce trade deficits, these duties directly impact American citizens through higher prices and broader economic shifts.

What are the 2025 U.S. Tariffs?

As of late 2025, the U.S. has implemented an aggressive trade regime characterized by widespread “reciprocal” and sectoral tariffs:

Baseline Tariff: A minimum 10% baseline tariff applies to imports from nearly all trading partners.
Sectoral Tariffs: High specific duties apply to key industries, including:
- Automobiles and Parts: 25% on most foreign-made cars and light trucks.
- Metals: 50% on steel and aluminum (up from 25% earlier in the year).
- Pharmaceuticals: 100% on branded or patented drugs, unless the company builds manufacturing plants in the U.S..
- Lumber and Furniture: 10% on timber and up to 50% on kitchen cabinets and some furniture.
- De Minimis Change: On August 29, 2025, the $800 exemption for low-value imports was removed, making small packages from retailers like Shein or Temu subject to duties.

How They Affect American Citizens

The primary impact on citizens is financial, as tariffs act as a “consumption tax” passed from businesses to individuals.

1. Increased Costs of Living

Direct Price Hikes: Importers often pass the cost of the tariff directly to consumers. In 2025, households face an average estimated loss of $1,100 to $2,700 annually.
Specific Good Impacts: By late 2025, shoppers have seen significant price jumps in staples:
- Groceries: Up 2.7%, with beef and coffee surging by 14% and 19%, respectively.
- Cars: New car prices have risen by an average of $4,000 to $6,500 due to auto and metal tariffs.
- Apparel: Clothing and leather goods prices have increased by up to 28%.

2. Regressive Tax Burden

Tariffs disproportionately affect lower-income families because they spend a larger share of their income on essential goods that are now more expensive. The poorest 20% of households face a tax increase equivalent to roughly 6% of their income, compared to only 1.7% for the top 1% of earners.

3. Labor Market and Job Security

Sector Gains vs. Losses: While tariffs aim to boost manufacturing jobs, research indicates that job losses in “downstream” industries (which use imported materials) often outweigh gains in protected industries.
Unemployment: Projections suggest the current tariff policy could lead to an increase in the unemployment rate by 0.6 percentage points by the end of 2026.

4. Retaliation Impacts

Trading partners like China and Canada have imposed their own “tit-for-tat” tariffs on U.S. exports. This hurts American farmers and manufacturers who sell products abroad, further straining local economies.

5. Reduced Consumer Choice

Higher costs and trade uncertainty often lead retailers to carry fewer imported brands, resulting in fewer options and lower product variety for American shoppers.

In essence, tariffs act as a regressive tax, raising the cost of living and operating for Americans while often failing to deliver promised economic benefits, shifting costs from foreign producers to domestic consumers and businesses.

Taxman (Remastered 2009)

Political Strategy or Mental Illness? Analyzing Trump’s Statements

President Trump is described as “delusional” by mental health professionals, political commentators, and world leaders due to his persistent assertion of claims that directly contradict documented facts. These descriptions often center on several key behaviors:

Clinical and Psychological Perspectives

Fixed False Beliefs: Psychiatrists define a delusion as a “fixed false belief” that is resistant to reason or confrontation with fact. Experts have cited his insistence on “stolen” elections and exaggerated crowd sizes as fulfilling this criteria.
Narcissistic Personality: Many specialists argue his perceived delusions are rooted in Malignant Narcissism or Narcissistic Personality Disorder, which can lead to a “delusional detachment from reality” to protect an inflated self-image or “personal myth of greatness”.
The Gospel of Positive Thinking: Some analysts link his behavior to his lifelong adherence to Norman Vincent Peale’s “Power of Positive Thinking,” where reality is shaped by one’s own mental attitude, leading to a refusal to acknowledge negative outcomes.

Recent Examples and Actions (2024-2025)

Economic Claims: Critics describe his 2025 assertions that tariffs “magically” bring in billions from foreign countries—rather than taxing domestic consumers—as economically “nuts” and detached from reality.
Polling Discrepancies: In late 2025, Trump was described as delusional for claiming he had the “highest poll numbers” of his career on Truth Social, despite concurrent data from the Associated Press and Fox News showing some of his worst approval ratings.
Foreign Policy Assertions: Observers pointed to “delusional fantasies” in his 2025 claims regarding foreign leaders, such as incorrectly stating he ended a war between Azerbaijan and Albania (two countries not at war) and suggesting he could “own” or “take over” the Gaza Strip for real estate development.
Annexation of Canada: His public discussion in 2025 about Canada potentially becoming the “51st state” was cited as an example of a belief system that ignores the reality of sovereign nations and public opinion.

Debates and Counterpoints

Political Strategy vs. Mental Illness: Some observers argue he is “crazy like a fox,” using conspiracy theories and falsehoods as calculated tools for political success rather than out of a true clinical delusion.
The Goldwater Rule: The American Psychiatric Association’s “Goldwater Rule” prohibits members from diagnosing public figures without a personal examination, causing some professionals to push back against colleagues who label the president “delusional” publicly.
“Trump Derangement Syndrome”: Supporters often use this term to argue that it is actually his critics who are delusional, reacting irrationally to his unconventional but effective political style.

Buffalo Springfield – For What It’s Worth (Official Audio)

Economic Black Holes: The Threat of Extreme Wealth Inequality

I think those with wealth and power seek to sustain or increase said wealth and power. The system’s not flawed from the players perspective it is simply one to be used and manipulated to bend to ones own rules and will.

We don’t need monarchs to supress and control us, as we now have a feudal system where the masses work or starve for millionaires and billionaires.

The desire for political and economic domination among wealthy individuals stems from a complex interplay of psychological factors, the nature of wealth accumulation, and systemic influences.

Key reasons include:

Power and Control Wealth provides power and influence, which some individuals enjoy exercising over others. The ability to control one’s own outcomes and exert influence over others becomes an appealing strategy for maintaining status.

Personality Traits Psychologists have noted a correlation between high socioeconomic status and certain personality traits referred to as the “dark triad”:

Machiavellianism: A willingness to manipulate and exploit others for personal gain.

Narcissism: An over-inflated sense of self-importance and entitlement, coupled with a lack of empathy.

Psychopathy: Characterized by a lack of empathy or remorse, antisocial behavior, and a desire to dominate others.

Systemic Reinforcement In highly unequal societies, dominance-based strategies can be more effective and carry less risk of backlash, as those with less power have fewer resources to resist. The existing system often rewards selfish actions, creating a feedback loop where those who engage in such behaviour become wealthier and more powerful.

Fear and Insecurity For some, the drive to accumulate and maintain power is rooted in fear—a fear of losing their status, security, or identity.

Addiction and Competition The pursuit of power and wealth can become an addiction, as achieving success can trigger dopamine responses in the brain. This is often reinforced by a competitive mindset, where status is a relative game, and there’s a constant drive to be “on top”.

Lack of Empathy The wealthy may live in social “bubbles,” isolating them from the realities of those with fewer resources and leading to a reduced capacity for empathy for those in lower socioeconomic classes.

Mega wealth can form economic black holes that suck up and damage alomst everything else in its path.

Extreme wealth concentration is widely reported by major economic institutions as an ongoing and accelerating issue that leads to significant economic and social damage, effectively acting as the “economic black holes” you describe. It exacerbates poverty, distorts democratic processes, and can impede overall economic growth, particularly in developing nations.

Current State of Wealth Concentration

Recent reports from 2025 highlight the severity of the situation:

Millionaires own nearly half of the world’s total personal wealth.
The top 10% of earners in the U.S. owned almost two-thirds of the total wealth in Q1 2025, while the bottom 50% owned just 2.5%.
Between 2000 and 2024, the world’s top 1% captured 41% of all new wealth, compared to just 1% for the bottom 50%.
A recent study found that the world’s richest people own three times more wealth than the bottom half of the global population combined.

Key Economic and Social Damages

The effects of this wealth concentration are far-reaching and consistently linked to negative outcomes:

Impeded Economic Growth: While some level of inequality might incentivize innovation in developed economies, research in 2025 indicates that excessive inequality generally acts as a brake on growth, especially in developing countries. This is partly due to reduced aggregate demand and underinvestment in human capital (education and healthcare) among lower-income groups.
Increased Poverty and Precarity: High wealth inequality drives poverty and economic insecurity for those at the bottom. The absence of a financial safety net means many households struggle to manage unexpected shocks, and a significant portion of the population can have net negative wealth (more debt than assets).
Distortion of Democracy and Power: Extreme wealth translates into disproportionate political power, allowing the rich to influence rules and policies in their favor, such as through lax inheritance tax laws. This creates a vicious cycle that entrenches inequality and erodes public trust in institutions.
Amplification of Other Inequalities: Wealth disparities amplify existing inequalities based on race, gender, and geography. For example, studies show significant wealth gaps between ethnic groups and a substantial difference in average wealth between men and women.
Environmental Harm: Consumption patterns of the wealthy elite drive higher carbon emissions, while the poorest populations, who contribute least to climate change, are often the most vulnerable to its impacts.

Regional Inequality

Wealth inequality is a global issue but is most severe in certain regions. Brazil, Russia, and South Africa have the highest Gini coefficients for wealth inequality in 2024, indicating a highly concentrated distribution of assets. In contrast, countries like Slovakia and Belgium exhibit more even wealth distribution, often attributed to strong social safety nets and policies promoting broader asset ownership.

Future Outlook and Recommendations

Experts warn that without significant policy interventions, such as progressive taxation and stronger social safety nets, the current high levels of inequality are likely to persist or worsen. The next decade is projected to see trillions of dollars in wealth passed down through inheritance, which, in the absence of effective inheritance taxes, is expected to further entrench wealth disparities and undermine social mobility.

Why does Donald Trump lie and why do people want to believe him?

Analysts suggest several reasons for the unprecedented frequency and nature of Trump’s lies:

Political Strategy: Lying serves as a deliberate tactic to “flood the zone” with claims, overwhelming media fact-checkers and public discourse. Falsehoods, such as claims about the 2020 election, can be more interesting and emotionally engaging than complicated truths. Some analysts characterize his statements as “bullshit” rather than lies, arguing he often disregards the truth entirely to guide group beliefs in a politically desirable direction.

Strengthening Group Identity: Psychologists note that some of his statements are “blue lies”—falsehoods told on behalf of a group that can strengthen bonds among members of that group.

Psychological Factors: Observers point to personality traits such as narcissism, where lying helps him look better, avoid blame or embarrassment, and maintain an image of strength. He rarely, if ever, accepts responsibility for mistakes and may get “duping delight” from successfully convincing others of falsehoods.

Repetition: Trump is known for repeating claims, aware that frequent repetition can eventually make people believe false information is true, a phenomenon known as the illusory truth effect.

Why People Want to Believe Him?

The reasons people believe Trump’s falsehoods are complex and rooted in human psychology and social dynamics:

Identity and Partisanship: For many, political affiliation has become a tribal identity. Believing Trump’s claims can be a way to express loyalty to this group and boost self-esteem by feeling like a “winner” rather than a “loser”. Challenging a falsehood might feel like an attack on their personal identity.

Confirmation Bias and Information Bubbles: People tend to seek information that confirms their existing beliefs (confirmation bias). Many of Trump’s supporters rely on right-leaning news outlets that echo his claims and rarely present contrary evidence, creating a feedback loop where his version of events is the only one they hear.

Emotional Appeals: Trump’s rhetoric often appeals to emotions and instincts rather than rational analysis, making vivid, emotionally charged images that stick in the mind more effectively than facts.

Distrust of Mainstream Sources: By repeatedly attacking the mainstream media as “fake news” and the “enemy of the people,” Trump undermines their credibility with his base. This encourages his supporters to trust only him as their source of truth.

First Aid Kit – America

What does the Republican party think of Hitler today?

Republican right in the US holds a range of views on Hitler, with the mainstream and many senior figures condemning him and Nazism, while an extreme fringe openly expresses praise, antisemitic rhetoric, and Holocaust denial. These extremist views have a significant point of internal conflict within the party.

Mainstream Condemnation

The official stance of the Republican Party, and the views expressed by most of its prominent figures, is one of strong condemnation of Adolf Hitler, Nazism, and antisemitism.

Official Denunciations: High-ranking officials, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senator Ted Cruz, have explicitly denounced incidents of praise for Hitler and antisemitic remarks among Young Republican groups, calling for those responsible to step down.

Rejection of Extremism: Mainstream commentators and politicians like Sean Hannity and Laura Loomer have called for the GOP to dismiss Nazi sympathizers and white nationalists within their ranks.

Public Opinion: A majority of Republicans (60%) view Hitler as a “completely bad person,” according to a 2024 YouGov poll.

Fringe and Extremist Views

Despite the official stance, recent years have seen the rise of an influential far-right fringe that has brought explicitly pro-Hitler and antisemitic sentiments into public discourse.

Open Admiration: Far-right figures such as white nationalist Nick Fuentes, who once dined with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, have publicly called Hitler “f***ing cool” and dismissed Holocaust education as “propaganda”.

Leaked Communications: Messages from private group chats of young Republican leaders across multiple states, which were leaked to the media in late 2025, revealed extensive racist and antisemitic rhetoric, including praise for Hitler and jokes about gas chambers.

Holocaust Denial/Exaggeration: A December 2025 Manhattan Institute survey reported that 37% of Republicans believe the Holocaust was exaggerated or did not occur.

Internal Conflict

These divergent views have created a clear division. Figures like Senator Ted Cruz have described the rise of this antisemitism as an “existential crisis” for the party, while others have been accused of being slow to condemn or even giving a platform to individuals with extremist views. This conflict highlights a tension between the traditional conservative movement and the influence of a growing, more extreme, nationalist faction.

David Rovics – How Far Is It From Here To Nuremberg

What to Do If Your Home Floods: A Tenant’s Guide

It is quite early in the flooding season here in the South West of England although if and when a flood hits a place, it is never expected or predicted to occur. Yes on the weather forecasts they talk about chance of floods and rain but until it happens to you, you just don’t expect it at all. As yet my home or even close to my home has never been flooded from rain or rivers rising although that is not to say it could not or would not happen.

We lived on a hill in Spreyton in our first home there and although we experienced good moorland rain through autumn and winter and at other times too and although the roads leading up to the hilltop village would flood Spreyton always seemed a million miles away from flooding itself being 180 metres above sea level. One of my parents properties did once get flooded, when they lived at the bottom of a hill once, possibly while I was away at university or living in Exeter and a little river formed unexpectedly from the back door taking water quickly out to the front door, luckily not to much damage was done at the time and preventative lessons were learnt.

I feel with living so close to a river about 1 km away with the road close to me known to occasionally flood I stand a good chance of getting flooded at some time in the future myself. I live in social housing and so my rent is fair and affordable but if the worst happened and I was flooded I wanted to check as to what I should do or the practical consequences of flooding after the event. This property has never flooded from the river and so I hope it never does.

Checking the genius that is AI concerning advice and help I discovered the following:-

Immediate Steps & What to Do Next

Prioritise Safety: Ensure everyone is safe. Turn off utilities (gas, electricity) if it’s safe to do so.

Contact Emergency Services if there is an immediate danger to life.

Report to Landlord: Immediately contact housing association through their emergency reporting method (usually a 24-hour phone line). Follow up in writing.

Stay Safe: Follow official advice; don’t clean or repair until the landlord inspects.

Document Everything: Take photos and videos of the damage to the property and your belongings. Keep receipts for any unexpected expenses, such as hotel stays.

If your housing association flat floods, your key rights are for your landlord to make the property fit to live in (health and safety), provide emergency accommodation if needed, and conduct repairs within set timescales (24 hours for emergencies), with potential compensation for damage and rent relief if they delay, but you’re responsible for insuring your own belongings.

Repairs: Must repair structural damage (walls, ceilings, plumbing) and ensure the property is safe and habitable.

Emergency Repairs: Must fix emergency hazards within 24 hours (e.g., major structural issues, unsafe electrics).

Temporary Housing: Must offer emergency accommodation if the flat is uninhabitable.

Compensation: You can claim for damage to your belongings and loss of use if they fail to act.

Your Rights

Rent Reduction/Refund: You can ask for a rent reduction or refund for the time you can’t use your home.

Compensation: For property damage (belongings) and inconvenience due to delays.

Legal Action: Escalate to the Housing Ombudsman or consider the Small Claims Court if they refuse repairs.

Your Responsibilities

Your Belongings: You must have your own contents insurance to cover your furniture, clothes, etc., as the landlord’s insurance only covers the building structure.

Report Promptly: Landlords are only responsible for damage once they know about it.

Seek Advice: If your landlord does not act within the required timeframes, you can seek advice from local district council, Shelter England or Citizens Advice.

Escalate: If the issue is not resolved, you can complain to the Housing Ombudsman Service, which is a free and impartial service for social housing tenants.

I can sadly imagine the heartache, sorrow and amount of issues there would be if a property gets flooded and hope it never actually happens but feel its best to be aware just in case it does.

Important measures people are also advised to do prior to an emergency are as follows :-

Prepare an Emergency Flood Kit

Assemble a “grab bag” of essentials in a waterproof container and store it in a high, accessible place. Items to include are:

Important documents: Insurance policies, passports, and medical records stored in waterproof bags.

Medications and first-aid: Any prescription medicines, a first aid kit, and essential baby or pet supplies.

Supplies: Bottled water (at least 2.5-3 litres per person per day recommended for survival), non-perishable food that doesn’t need cooking, and a manual can opener.

Electronics: A battery or wind-up torch, a portable radio for updates, spare batteries, and a power bank for charging your mobile phone.

Clothing: Warm, waterproof clothing and sturdy shoes for everyone in the household.

Cash: A small amount of cash, as ATMs and card machines may be out of use.

Though I am not organised to do all of the above and living in a city I hope I would get some help and support sooner than in a remote area. I do aim to have my wallet, keys and phone all within reachable distance of me at all times of day.

I try to keep my mobile charged and a rucksack with my laptop and charges in it to if needing to leave in a hurry. I do have a folder with important documents kept high up in flat and sign up to emergency alerts and early flood warnings too.

It’s beginning to look alot like Christmas

I spent some time at mums this weekend where we have been getting out some Christmas decorations and putting up Christmas trees. Dad will not be around this year and with us losing him at the beginning of this year and him becoming unwell last Christmas with his last pint being on Christmas eve in a pub out with me and his last full meal being on Chirstmas day it will be da different sort of feel to Christmas.

When I got home this afternoon I decorated my first tree in my own home. I wanted to do it this year as with things being different so I fancied a change myself and getting a tree putting it up and decorated it will bring a little Christmas cheer into my home though it won make up for the storm clouds we faced last year.

Branches – I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day

Andy “Ed” Edwards ghost hunter in Poldark mine Cornwall

My brother would have been 53 this year on Saturday November 29^th

Andy with his dog Sam and Andy’s son Ben with his dog Defor

Had by brother survived his moment of madness, when he took his own life I know there would have been so much more joy to have come through and for him in his life path no matter which road it could have led him down. I was doing a Google search about him tonight as I know there was information on him on the internet about being a paranormal investigator and wondered what I migth still find.

I found the video below which I just find too spooky to watch myself of my brother from beyond the grave talking to ghosts. Its just a bit too spooky and close to comfort for me to listen and watch. I know he is still around and sends me and mum signs of his presence, for me it might be buggering around with the electrics on my nights out singing karaoke, as if he is having his moment up on the stage up there with me too, when I get up and sing. I can often get electric lights flickering next to me for no apparent reason too and it often makes me think it’s simply him saying hello bro.

I know there are lots of people that don’t believe in the supernatural and they believe it to be either fraud or coincidence. But for me though not religious I am very much a spiritual person and believe and hope that right and light will triumph over wrong and darkness wherever and whenever it must or can.

Ghost box In Poldark Mine Cornwall UK with GHOST- Andy “Ed” Edwards, Soph Beharrell & Nettie Tasker.

Furthe rinformation on this page on youtube says the following – This was filmed in 2010 at Poldark Mine Cornwall UK. with GHOST UK. A team of Paranormal Investigators – Andy “Ed” Edwards, Sophi Beharrell, Jeanette “Nettie” Tasker & Simon Colgan. (Simon was unavailable for this investigation) This was the first time we had used the Ghost box aka Spirit box in the mine with amazing results. We have investigated many places, but found the mine to be a perfect place to use the Ghost box. We have experienced the draining of the batteries from our equipment many times, but you can see from this investigation this also happens with Soph’s Video Camera. Thanks for watching.

The gift of lighting up the dark

The “skill psychologically of lighting up the dark” can be described as resilience and learned optimism, which involves acknowledging difficult emotions (the “darkness”) while actively cultivating hope and developing practical skills to navigate challenges and promote well-being. This concept draws on various psychological principles, including Jungian psychology and positive psychology.

Key Psychological Concepts

Balance of Opposites (Jungian Psychology): Psychologist Carl Jung noted that light and darkness coexist; one cannot exist without the other. The “skill” involves achieving a healthy balance rather than trying to eliminate darkness entirely. It suggests that there is value (or “gold”) to be found in understanding and integrating one’s “shadow” side (repressed or unacknowledged parts of the personality).
Resilience: This is the mental and emotional ability to adapt to adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or stress. It is a key skill for navigating the “dark times” in life, enabling individuals to bounce back from challenges and learn from them.
Learned Optimism: A concept developed by Martin Seligman, this skill involves intentionally changing one’s perspective and challenging automatic negative thoughts. It is about how we interpret events, not changing reality itself.
Hope as an Active Mindset: Hope is not a passive emotion but an active mindset that involves setting goals, identifying pathways to achieve them, and maintaining a positive outlook even amidst obstacles.
Emotional Regulation and Processing: The ability to sit with pain and uncertainty, process difficult emotions, and avoid “toxic positivity” (dismissing genuine suffering) is crucial for healing and growth.

Skills and Strategies

Cultivating the skill of “lighting up the dark” involves several practical strategies:

Awareness and Acceptance: Acknowledging and accepting the reality of one’s inner and outer “dark spaces” (sadness, fear, uncertainty) is the first step toward finding a path forward.
Practicing Gratitude: Actively looking for things to be grateful for, even in difficult times, can build a more positive outlook.
Seeking Support: Reaching out to others and leveraging empathy from friends, family, or professionals can provide the “candle” needed to find one’s way through challenging times.
Self-Care and Self-Compassion: Prioritizing physical and mental well-being (sleep, nutrition, exercise) and treating oneself with kindness helps build the necessary energy and resilience to cope with challenges.
Mindfulness and Reflection: Engaging in self-reflection through methods like journaling helps identify negative patterns and work through emotions.
Purpose and Action: Focusing on solutions, contributing to the well-being of others (kindness), and engaging in goal-oriented behavior can provide meaning and purpose during difficult periods.

Ultimately, this skill is about acknowledging the dualism of light and dark within human experience and developing the psychological tools to navigate this balance effectively for overall well-being.

Huwspace a cyblog, written by man while being inspired by machine (ai)

A cyborg is a being with both organic and biomechatronic body parts, a term that is short for “cybernetic organism” part man and part machine. So with that in mind I am sometimes starting to write my page now as a cyblog part written by me and part inspired by machine or ai. I can ask questions and search for inspiration on Google ai and then expand on those ideas with my own thoughts, ideas and words. Part Huw manmade part machine inspired hence a cyblog. I also now often use WordPress ai to generate images for the site such as the welsh dragon at the typewriter image which is a visual imagining of me as I am from Wales and I was also born in the year of the Chinese fire dragon. So flaming two stones with one dragon breath.

I also wanted to have my blog assessed by google ai today and this is what it says about the blog:

“Huwspace” is the name of a personal blog and associated social media presence run by an individual named Huw. The creator uses the platform to share personal views, reflect on life experiences, and discuss a range of topics including politics, family, friends, and music.

Key aspects of Huwspace include:

Political Commentary: The blog often features opinion pieces from a left-leaning perspective, with the author identifying as a progressive activist and supporter of parties like Labour and the Greens. Topics often include critiques of capitalism, discussions of global politics, and social justice issues.
Personal Reflections: The author shares details about his life, including dealing with the loss of his father, his experiences with dyslexia, enjoying karaoke, and meeting new people.
Engagement: The author aims to use the platform to share his worldview and engage in discussions with a diverse audience, including friends, colleagues, and readers from across the world.

Sit Down By The Fire by the Veils

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