Full Story Back to Back Barries: is Trump the new Xi Jinping?
Aug 8, 2025
George Megalogenis, a prolific Australian author and political commentator, steps in to explore Donald Trump’s controversial firing of his chief statistician, drawing parallels to Xi Jinping’s authoritarian style. They delve into the economic ramifications of U.S. tariffs and Australia's precarious trade relationship with China. Additionally, insights reveal vulnerabilities in American political dynamics and potential impacts on Australia’s economic landscape as it navigates recovery from COVID-19. The episode also addresses recent protests in Sydney that reflect discord between public sentiment and government response.
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Undermining Statistics Erodes Global Trust
- Sacking statisticians risks global confidence in US economic data.
- That uncertainty undermines other countries' policy and Reserve Bank decisions.
Australian Decisions Depend On US Data
- Australia relies on trustworthy US data to time budgets and RBA moves.
- If US data becomes unreliable, Australian policy faces bigger tail risks.
Tariffs Behave Like A Hidden GST
- Trump's 10–15% tariff baseline functions like a GST on imports.
- That raises prices and acts inflationary across supply chains.