Interesting times…
What we are seeing in 2018 is a battle for supremacy between the US government and US corporations. Expect the same to occur soon in other industrialised nations.
- Trump has started a trade war with China, and Wall Street drops by 3%.
- Best Buy have stopped stocking Huawei phones.
- Citibank is enforcing gun policy on their business customers:
The new policy, announced Thursday, prohibits the sale of firearms to customers who have not passed a background check or who are younger than 21. It also bars the sale of bump stocks and high-capacity magazines. It would apply to clients who offer credit cards backed by Citigroup or borrow money, use banking services or raise capital through the company.
The rules, which the company described as “common-sense measures,” echo similar restrictions established by some major retailers, like Walmart.
A combination of business reactions and public sentiment will determine who wins. The process will take decades and will be subtle. But some commentators will start mentioning it as early as this year. Expect the NRA to tell their throng to stop banking with Citibank. Expect more businesses, and even a telco, to stop offering Huawei. Expect Trump to back-pedal on most tariffs.