Rewriting the Rules of the Game

Screw Tariffs: Let’s Raise the Global Minimum Wage and Rewrite the Game

Donald Trump’s out here slapping tariffs on everyone like he’s the world’s angriest toll booth operator.

As of April 9, 2025, he’s got Canada, China, and half the planet paying extra just to trade with us—a move that’s jacking up prices, pissing off allies, and feeling like a race to the bottom.

But what if we ditch the tariff tantrum and try something radical? Let’s raise the global minimum wage. Change the rules entirely. Stop bullying countries and start lifting people—here’s why it might just work.

The Big Idea: A Global Floor for Workers

Imagine this: instead of taxing imports to prop up U.S. jobs, we rally the world to set a baseline wage—say, $10 an hour, adjusted for local costs. Every worker, from Detroit to Dhaka, gets a paycheck that doesn’t suck. No more sweatshops undercutting American factories, no more corporations racing to the cheapest labor pool. It’s not charity—it’s a new rulebook for global trade. Trump wants to “make America great again”?

Fine. But let’s make everyone’s workers great, too, and watch the dominoes fall.

Why It Beats Tariffs

Tariffs are a sledgehammer—crude, messy, and guaranteed to hit consumers square in the wallet. A global minimum wage is a scalpel. Here’s the upside:

Levels the Playing Field
Right now, companies bolt to places like Vietnam or Mexico where labor’s dirt cheap—$1 or $2 an hour in some spots. Raise that floor globally, and suddenly the U.S. doesn’t look so expensive. Manufacturers might actually stay put without us begging or taxing them into submission.
Boosts Global Demand
Billions of workers with fatter paychecks mean billions more spent on goods—American goods included. Cars, phones, beef—stuff we make—flies off shelves when people can afford it. Tariffs shrink trade; this grows it. Who wins? Us, and everyone else.
Kills the Race to the Bottom
Trump’s tariffs spark retaliation—Canada’s already hiking taxes on our exports, and China’s not far behind. It’s a tit-for-tat spiral where everyone loses. A global wage deal flips that: cooperation over competition. No more undercutting each other—just a rising tide lifting all boats.
Sticks It to Corporate Greed
Big firms love low-wage havens—tariffs just nudge them to dodge harder. A wage floor forces them to pay up everywhere, not just here. No more hiding profits in tax-free shadows while workers scrape by. It’s accountability, not protectionism.
Looks Damn Good
Trump loves a legacy. Tariffs make him a bully; leading a global wage push makes him a visionary. He could strut into history as the guy who didn’t just save American jobs but rewrote the rules for the little guy worldwide. Ego bait—and it might actually help.

The Catch (Because There’s Always One)

This ain’t easy. Getting 190+ countries to agree on a wage standard is like herding cats on jet skis. Rich nations might balk at losing their edge; poor ones might scream they can’t afford it. Enforcement? A nightmare—corrupt governments and shady companies would dodge like it’s tax season. And yeah, prices might creep up as labor costs rise globally—but isn’t that better than tariff-driven inflation hitting us alone?

How to Pull It Off

Start small: Trump calls a summit—G20, maybe—pitches the idea, and strong-arms a pilot group. The U.S., EU, and a few willing players (Mexico? India?) set the example. Tie it to trade perks: join the wage club, get lower tariffs or tax breaks. Use the IMF or World Bank to monitor and fund the transition for poorer nations. It’s messy, but it’s not impossible—Trump’s got the bluster to sell it.

Tariffs Are Old News—This Is the Future

Trump’s tariff spree is a throwback—20th-century thinking in a 21st-century world. Raising the global minimum wage is a moonshot: bold, disruptive, and a middle finger to the status quo. It’s not about hiding behind walls; it’s about rewriting the game so everyone plays fair. Will it happen? Probably not—too much guts and goodwill required. But if we’re dreaming of a fix that doesn’t screw us all, this beats the hell out of taxing our way to the bottom.

So, Mr. President, drop the tariff stick and pick up a bigger carrot. Change the rules entirely—your base might just thank you, and the world might too.

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Dr. Crystal Taggart ☉ (She | We)

Technologist | Inventor | Futurist | Bridge Builder | Transhumanist

We are creators who refuses to accept artificial limitations. Our mission is to build bridges to abundance through technology that empowers everyone, not just the few. Join us for the #evolution.