Rinse and Repeat: The First Week Wrecking Ball

(Krotchett.com) Well, folks, let’s hop in the time machine and dial it back to the early 1800s. Picture this: a world already teetering on chaos, led by a man who had a knack for overreaching—a leader who thought he could bend the world to his will with the stroke of a pen.

The year is 1806. The man? Napoleon Bonaparte. At this point, the guy’s on top of the world—literally. He’s got most of Europe dancing to his tune after a string of military victories. But controlling armies wasn’t enough. No, Napoleon wanted to control everything. And so, he dreamed up the Continental System, a brilliant—or so he thought—economic blockade.

The goal was simple: Cut off Britain’s trade with the rest of Europe, bring them to their knees, and call it a day. Napoleon figured, “If I can’t conquer the Brits with cannons, I’ll starve their economy instead.” He even got most of Europe on board, either willingly or with a bit of bayonet diplomacy.

Here’s the problem: like a lot of big, bold plans, it was based on a lot of bad assumptions.

First, Napoleon forgot that Europe—like any good economy—runs on trade. By shutting out British goods, he didn’t just hurt Britain. He hurt everyone. Industries collapsed. Ports stood empty. Black markets popped up faster than lies at a press conference. And his allies? Oh, they weren’t thrilled about this whole “suffer for the greater good” thing. Smuggling became a national pastime.

Then there was Russia. They’d been reluctantly playing along with the system but decided they’d had enough. In 1810, they pulled out entirely, thumbing their noses at Napoleon. And what did our boy do? He invaded Russia in 1812—because why wouldn’t you launch a massive military campaign into one of the coldest, most unforgiving places on earth? That little adventure gutted his army, shattered his alliances, and ultimately set the stage for his defeat.

So, what do we take away from this? That sometimes, trying to bully the world into submission is a fantastic way to ruin everything.

Now, let’s fast-forward to 2025. It’s week one of Donald Trump’s second term as president, and boy, he’s hitting the ground running. Executive orders flying left and right. He’s canceling agreements, defunding agencies, and slapping tariffs on Mexico and Canada like it’s a sport. The whole world is reeling, and the U.S. economy? Let’s just say the phrase “collateral damage” comes to mind.

And here’s where Napoleon’s ghost is probably watching from the cheap seats, chuckling to himself. Because much like the Continental System, these moves are bound to do more harm at home than to America’s so-called enemies. Allies are getting restless. Trade networks are wobbling. And somewhere, China and Russia are popping popcorn, waiting for the inevitable fallout.

Napoleon had his Continental System. Trump has his “America First” wrecking ball. And the rest of us? Well, we get to deal with the consequences. Funny how history keeps rhyming, isn’t it?