As the American economy teeters under the weight of plummeting 401(k)s, a faltering stock market, and rising economic insecurity, a new term takes shape to define the era: DodoEconomics.
Much like the extinct Dodo bird—flightless, unsuspecting, and ill-equipped for a changing environment—the MAGA movement, along with its enablers in Congress, seems oblivious to the dangers of blindly following outdated ideologies. DodoEconomics is a political, economic, and philosophical condition marked by willful ignorance, policy stagnation, and suicidal economic loyalty to myth over reality. It is, quite simply, the act of marching off a cliff in formation—while cheering all the way down.
DodoEconomics (n.): A doctrine of economic regression, characterized by political obedience to failed populist policies, resistance to innovation, and the refusal to adapt to 21st-century realities. Symptoms include self-destructive trade wars, tax favoritism for the elite, denial of economic shifts (like automation and globalization), and political silence in the face of collapse.
This isn't just a metaphor—it's an active diagnosis of a political economy in decay.
The Wrecking Ball of Tariffs: DodoEconomics in Action
The Trump-era tariffs were sold as a revival strategy—punish China, bring back American jobs, rebuild U.S. manufacturing. In practice, they acted like a wrecking ball, smashing through markets and leaving chaos in their wake. The trade war disrupted supply chains, raised prices for consumers, and sparked retaliation that hit U.S. agriculture and industry hard.
Now, the effects are compounding. The stock market—already volatile—has begun to reflect the consequences of this short-term, shortsighted strategy. 401(k)s are nosediving. Consumer confidence is eroding. Inflationary pressures have been worsened by disrupted imports and retaliatory barriers. And yet, MAGA loyalists, in full DodoEconomics mode, cling to the illusion that these tariffs were a sign of strength.
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