Introduction
Welcome to The Cameron Journal Newsletter! This week, it’s all about Trump Tariffs and the reverberations around the world from what can only be described as an economic reset.
The World is Hard, This is Not
Each week I send out the latest headlines, the latest videos from The Cameron Journal and commentary about the week’s events. If you’re new here, my name is Cameron Lee Cowan M.A. MFA, and I’m the Creative Director here at The Cameron Journal. You can learn more about me on the about page. I do research and commentary on politics, culture, and the world around us. Remember, The World is Hard, This is Not.
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Updates
It has been a week, hasn’t it? The tariffs and trade war is heating up and there seems to be news everyday on what is happening next. I’ll update you on the latest in the news below. We have a new batch of podcast episodes that I’m working on this weekend and much more is coming along too! I have some new articles about writing that are out now too (see below).
Meanwhile, I’ve been feeling much more energetic of late, which is nice, spring seems to start and stop here but it has been nice to feel and see the sun. Today, it is rather cold and rainy but it clears up by next week (at least for now). Otherwise, it was a quiet week and I like quiet (at least in my personal life) and I’ve been taking more time for myself which includes rest and some free time to spend with friends and I think that is what has really recharged me.
As my birthday approaches in 14 days, I’m really starting to dig into facing down mid-life. I didn’t always have a clear vision of what I wanted to do in my late 30s. A new vision is beginning to come into focus that includes moving at a sustainable pace of life and taking better care of myself.
On Friday, I interviewed a relationship therapist and much of what we he said was most enlightening! That episode will be out in a little while but I learned a great deal about what I want out of a relationship at this stage of my life. It was most enlightening.
Ready to write a book this summer?
You can write a book in 2025 and I can help! My new writing courses are out now, and you can sign up for Fiction, Non-Fiction or both! To learn more, please visit The Cameron Journal Academy and check out my course: The Power of Story.
P.S. if you aren’t ready to do a full course and want to work with one-on-one, please check out my latest article about my writing coaching!
Study Plato with Daniel Sanderson
We’ve partnered with Daniel Sanderson, through The Cameron Journal Academy, to offer his new Plato course, Re-imagining Plato. If you’re interested in getting in-depth with this Stoic philosopher, this is the course for you, and it’s only $100 for lifetime access!
The Latest
Let’s dive into the stories I’m following this week!
SAVE Act
This week, the House of Representatives passed the SAVE act which would require people to prove their citizenship in order to register to vote. However, there are some difficulties. For women, this act effectively restricts their ability to register and vote. According to Representative Mark Pocan the bill requires:
You’ll need:
- A passport, which more than half of Americans don’t have and costs at least $130
OR
- A birth certificate with your current legal name, which nearly 70 million married women lack
OR
- Military services papers (not a military ID alone) with sensitive info
For those that want to secure our voting systems, this might seem like a good thing, however, millions of women will face a great deal of difficulty with registering to vote or maintaining their registration.
According to Grok (the X, AI) the bill also requires, “For voters without immediate access to citizenship documents, the SAVE Act mandates that states create an alternative process where applicants can submit other evidence of citizenship along with a sworn statement, though this still adds a layer of complexity to registration. Practically, it would eliminate or severely restrict common registration methods like mail-in and online registration, as well as voter registration drives, since the proof of citizenship would need to be presented in person in most cases. This shift could impact how millions of Americans register or update their voter information, such as after moving or changing their name.”
I am of two minds about this. I’m a big fan of standardizing our voting registration system and making sure only vote is certainly a good thing but I also feel like these are unnecessary barriers, especially given the present ID requirements. I think this law is good in spirit but definitely throws up unnecessary barriers for married women. With online registration, voter drives and other such things thrown out too, it appears that the goal of law is not to ensure the citizen of the electorate but who votes instead. There is no reason not to be able to use documents online (especially passports) to register. And what of states with automatic voter registration? The act doesn’t address these questions and that is worth thinking about.
Tariffs and Trade Wars
With China’s 125% tariffs on American exports, who is going to save the farmers who no longer have their markets? Are we looking at another bailout? Brian Klippenstein says that the farmers should not get bailed out!But all that aside, the current trade war has basically put up massive trade barriers between the world’s two largest economies, so much so, President Trump removed tariffs on electronics and other components on Friday night. My theory is that “Tim Apple” (Tim Cook) made a phone call last night about that.
The stock market has been wildly going up and down each day which has caused political discourse to completely shatter with Republicans defending the tariffs and Democrats seeming to repudiate them…most of the time. Meanwhile, bond yields have skyrocketed with US 10Y treasuries reaching 4.5% interest. The dollar has been falling and for the first time isn’t just decoupled from bonds, it is moving to the opposite of bonds. The going rumor is that China (and other sovereign buyers) are dumping US treasuries into the market. Now, that being said one of the stated goals of the Trump administration is to devalue the dollar so that American exports become more competitive. It appears that in that way, Secretary Scott Bessent is getting his wish.
That all being said, the economic turmoil from this move is already causing havoc across the American economy. Businesses who import goods from China are facing mounting tax bills (that’s what a tariff is, a tax). Some businesses can’t afford essential parts to make their finished goods. People are crasly telling people to “find American suppliers” but as I pointed out in my Linkedin newsletter for businesses this week, that is not always an easy thing. When it comes to things like textiles and plastic injection molds, US suppliers are scarce. The US hasn’t had a textile industry in decades and plastic injection mold factories are limited. The reality is that for this to work, massive new industries will have to be built up in the US and many businesses simply won’t make it long enough for that to become a reality. If this had been planned better and over more time, a better transition could occur. Instead, we get shock therapy and Trump bragging about getting 70 countries to the table and then pushing tariffs down to 10% for everyone except China.
Articles of Interest:
Contributor William O’Connell talks about the difficulties Ubisoft has had with its signature gaming franchise Assassin’s Creed.
In this one, I talk about The Power of Story and how people think in story
Working on your manuscript? Here’s how to get your next revision right.
Keep up with The Cameron Journal Podcast
The Interview:
The Cameron Journal Newshour:
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