The Golden Trident

Photos and Story By Astrid Fabinski

On May 1, 2003, President George W. Bush addressed the U.S., making the public aware of the unofficial end to the unofficial war in Iraq. Bush said to the citizens of Iraq, who had been kidnapped, detained, tortured, bombed, shot, stripped, and robbed by U.S personnel, “We thank [you] who welcomed our troops and joined in the liberation of their own country.” Besides the blatant disregard of those citizens who had not welcomed U.S. brutality, Bush used a word key to the U.S. imperialist strategy; “Liberation.” Now, 22 years later, President Donald Trump is using the same language, but this time, to hurt Americans.

On April 2, 2025, Trump wrecked the economy with his tariff plan that he bizarrely named “Liberation Day.” This plan featured a sweeping ten percent base tariff on all countries, and selectively increased taxes on nations Trump sees as a threat, like China and, for some reason, strong allies like South Korea, Vietnam, and the European Union. The day after implementation, when the stock market opened, these tariffs tanked the stock market. The S&P 500, a portfolio of stocks from 500 top companies has continued to fall, down 11 percent from where the portfolio was on January 1. Jeep manufacturer, Stellantis, shut down factories in Mexico and has continued to lay off American workers. Further, the conservative-leaning Tax Foundation estimates that the average American household will pay $1,300 more in taxes this year due to Trump’s plan. Undeniably, Trump is sabotaging Americans’ financial stability, all while claiming that it is, somehow, “liberation.”

Language of “freedom” and “liberation,” such that politicians like Bush and Trump use, is core to the American conservative strategy. Being incorrect in their language doesn’t really matter, as the goal is instead to warp citizens’ perspective of what it means to be free. In their incorrect language, they are writing and speaking poorly in order to make people think poorly. 

The poor language that politicians use, combined with the want for this writing to sound and look appealing, ends up confusing the reader and eliminating any thoughtfulness or care that the writing could have had. Bush’s use of “liberation” was precisely this: Bush failed to understand (or purposely misunderstood) the language he was using, convincing millions of people that an entirely unjust war had ended (it hadn’t) and that this war was successful in liberating the people of Iraq (it wasn’t). Trump’s “Liberation Day” is the same tale. Nothing was freeing about these tariffs; they destroyed American jobs, crashed the stock market and the value of the dollar, and made it so that every American now has to pay more to buy what they need. Yet, conservatives in the House and the Senate are allowing this plan to continue.

Of course, there is also the possibility that Trump truly believes in his plan. Maybe he believes that tariffs will miraculously boost our economy, that a major shock to consumer spending will make America financially dependent. But, if Trump truly believed in these tariffs and their benefits, in what he believes to be the liberation of Americans, he would stick by them. He would stand up to pressure from other countries, from Democrats in congress, from corporations and citizens, and leave them in place. 

The fact that Trump has continued to remove and reimplement these tariffs, even only eight days after announcement, means that he is either lying about his belief in them, or that he has no spine. Either way, it is disappointing behavior. We cannot let Trump, or anyone in a position of such power, dumb down and bend language to their will. Words have meanings, and it is much more important to put critical thought into interpreting how those in power use them, rather than wasting energy on feelings of freedom and pride that are being planted in your head.

The direction of American politics with manipulators like Bush and Trump in power is dark. If Americans don’t wake up to the language being used to persuade them to give up others’ freedoms and their own well being, then there is no hope to have a president who acts rationally and honestly. Americans need to be able to spot when a politician uses their words not as tools, but as weapons.