A crisis looms!! Affordable Chinese EVs . . .

Photo above - President Biden clowning for reporters as he welcomes Chinese leader Xi Jinping for an official state dinner 6 months ago. This month he announced 100% tariffs on imported Chinese goods.

Well, you can't accuse the White House of being hypocritical. Or out of touch. Wait, actually, we can. They just announced 100% tariffs on foreign built electric vehicles. And America's own high-tech industries are hitting a brick wall – not enough electricity. Due to an aging grid and a rush to decommission traditional power plants even though renewables aren't ready to fill the gap. See links below.

How much money will the 100% tariff cost American consumers? How much tax will flow to the US government? How many UAW jobs will it protect? If we're actually interested in legitimate economics, THOSE are the questions we should be asking.

On the face of it, Biden's scheme to choke off Chinese EVs, solar panels, chips, and everything else that might threaten his constituency makes perfect sense. This IS an election year. Trump IS leading in 5 out of 6 swing states. Democrats simply cannot afford take for granted the votes of UAW members, Silicon Valley girls and boys, and those renewable energy companies America has been subsidizing for a decade. There is no loyalty in politics. The only question is “what did you do for me lately?”

Is Trump a friend or foe of China? It doesn't even matter - I'm not voting for Trump either. He could announce suspension of all EV restrictions and I wouldn't vote for him. Or doubling Biden's tariffs. None of this makes sense if America is trying to navigate a path toward (a) enough electricity and (b) keeping China from stealing our tech, hacking our grid, and flooding America with Fentanyl.

Earth to candidates: affordable cars are not our enemy. Criminal regimes constantly attacking us, and having the lights go out are. A president should NOT be hosting Xi Jinping, chairman of the People's Republic of China, at a state dinner one month, and announcing 100% tariffs on Chinese stuff the next. It looks demented. I'm still waiting for an explanation of what America got in return for handing Xi a propaganda coup of 10,000 pictures smiling and shaking hands with Biden as if everything was A-OK.

I'm probably NOT in the market for a $12,000 EV from China. Even if influencers who've never driven one assure us “they're going to be great”. There are already a bunch of tiny, cheap cars for sale. They are all too harsh, noisy, and primitive to be allowed on America's interstates. Putting a small battery in the back doesn't change that equation. When it gets T-boned by an F150, you're still dead, batteries or no.

However, this writer IS concerned about having enough electricity. Depending on who you ask, America is either 3 years away from having enough public chargers, or public disillusionment with EV range and charging time makes the question moot. Because the market for EVs may already have been saturated. Congress has a plan for that though – more subsidies. Quick question – do you want $7,000 tax refund on a $100,000 Ford F150 Lightning truck (built by UAW union labor)? Or would you pay $24,000 (including the 100% tariff) for a Chinese EV with 180 miles of range? These are the choices we are being given.

Lissen up, Biden and Trump. Here are my priorities.

- Keep the lights on. Replace our $hitty century old high voltage transmission lines. Build new power plants.

- Stop the Chinese (and Russians) from hacking America's banks, electric grid, hospitals, and water supplies. These are acts of war.

- Stop the flow of Fentanyl, which has become the worst opioid crisis in American history. Far worse than heroin ever was.

If you don't want to talk about these things, I'm not even listening.

I'm just sayin' . . .

~Biden announces new tariffs on Chinese EVs, semiconductors, solar cells and more - CBS News~

~There’s Not Enough Power for America’s High-Tech Ambitions - WSJ~