Disaster economicsis when economic or political elites use (or even manufacture) crises — natural disasters, wars, economic crashes, pandemics, or in this case, tariff-driven market drops — to push through policies or make moves that wouldn’t fly under normal conditions. And while everyone else is reeling, those positioned at the top profit massively.
In the tariff example:
• Crisis is created: Tariffs disrupt global supply chains, markets tumble, consumer prices rise.
• Consolidation of wealth: Big players buy up distressed assets, invest at the bottom.
• “Recovery” is uneven: Markets bounce back, benefiting those with capital. Meanwhile, working and middle class folks are stuck with higher prices, job uncertainty, and slower economic relief.
It’s not just a conspiracy theory — it’s a documented pattern