Who Really Pays? Tariffs, Titles, and the Illusion of Authority
Every now and then, a simple question exposes a much bigger problem. Not a math problem, not a policy problem, but a reality problem. Someone recently asked me:
QUESTION:
Do you know Americans paid 90% of the tariffs, not retailers?
That question is not really about tariffs. It is about how we think. Do we define people and institutions by their titles, or by what they actually do? Do we trust labels, or do we watch behavior?
An expert is one who uses words and phrases that lend credibility by creating the illusion of competence. Experts’ language sets them apart from the great unwashed from whom they derive their incomes. Do they know more than you?