This “paying down the tariffs” thing sounds nuts to those of us who have worked with big numbers especially in the mathematical context. We understand that $50 billion in tariffs is a drop in the bucket compared to a $20 trillion debt growing at $1 trillion per yr 1/
But to the average person it seems perfectly reasonable. This is the thing about most of Trump’s proposals. They have a “true core” but but if you have enough background to follow the idea to its logical conclusion, it is nonsense. 2/
Most people don’t have the ability to do that independently or to understand an explanation. Especially true with big numbers. I still remember when someone who had $1 million was really wealthy. $50 million in increased government spending was a LOT 3/
Today $1 billion seems like peanuts and everyone on the Forbes list is a billionaire. $50 billion doesn’t seem like that much. But $1 billion is 1,000 times bigger than $1 million. And $1 trillion is 1,000 times bigger than that. 4/
These numbers are simply too large for most of us to imagine. Seriously, what would YOU do with $1,000,000? Ok, how about $1,000,000,000? Apple is now capitalized at $1,000,000,000,000. See how different it is with the zeros written out? 4/
I trained as a mathematician and did work on ideas about very large numbers. I mean like infinity-sized numbers, the kind where it makes no difference if you add two of them together - the result is still infinity. 5/
Today billion and trillion have become like that. We don’t make a distinction between $1 trillion and $20 trillion. So Trump‘s rhetorical tricks work. But they are SO dangerous! Hate to say it, but our collective mathematical illiteracy is making the crash certain. And soon. 6/6
