If the proposed tariffs will be used to pay for the budget cuts that were approved by the US House today, instead of investing them in the American economy, then the poor people of America will become poorer
Ya Libnan Editorial
The stock market’s sharp rise yesterday, following Trump’s U-turn on tariffs for all countries except China, wasn’t a coincidence. It was a clear signal from investors: tariffs are one of the greatest threats to the U.S. economy today.
But on the very next day, the U.S. House approved Trump’s budget cuts—cuts the administration claims will be paid for through tariffs.
Let’s be clear: tariffs are taxes on imported goods, and they are not paid by foreign governments. They are paid by American consumers, especially low- and middle-income families who spend a greater portion of their income on everyday necessities. As prices rise at the checkout line—on food, clothing, electronics, and more—it’s those with the least who are hit the hardest.
We were told these tariffs would help rebuild American manufacturing and address our trade imbalance. We expected them to be reinvested in factories, jobs, and infrastructure. But now, instead of revitalizing industry, tariffs are being used to backfill budget cuts that benefit the wealthy.
This means working-class and poor Americans are now subsidizing the rich.
That’s not just unfair. It’s unethical, immoral, and deeply un-American.
While the poor pay more for basic goods, vital programs like healthcare, housing assistance, food support, and education are on the chopping block. These are not luxuries—they are lifelines. And cutting them while preserving tax breaks and privileges for the wealthiest Americans sends a loud, dangerous message: this government serves the rich first.
Let’s call it what it is—reverse wealth redistribution. Not from the rich to help the poor, but from the poor to protect the rich. This is a page straight out of the oligarch’s playbook—one we’ve seen in countries like Russia, where a handful grow richer while the masses struggle to get by.
So, where is America heading? Are we becoming a nation where opportunity is hoarded by the few, and the many are expected to carry the weight?
This is a moral crossroads.
If we believe in fairness, in shared prosperity, and in the basic promise of the American Dream, we cannot allow this to continue. Tariffs must be reexamined. Budget cuts that punish the poor must be reversed. And we need real investment, not in tax shelters and stock buybacks, but in American workers, industries, and communities.
Because when the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, America itself grows weaker.
Last year, says Oxfam, “the wealth of the world’s billionaires increased by $2.5 billion a day.”
It’s time to stop pretending tariffs are helping the country when they’re simply shifting the burden onto those who can least afford it. The American people deserve better—and they must demand it.