I believe we are entering an economic inflection point.
Not with tanks or drones — but with policies, debt, and trade flows that will shape your future more than any classroom ever will.
You don’t get to sit this one out.
If you live in a country, use its roads, drink its water, and dream about your future in it — you carry a responsibility:
To understand the rules of the game shaping your future.
And right now, one of the biggest and most controversial battlegrounds is tariffs.
Here's how it will impact you:
But FIRST
If you are new, welcome to OCE’s weekly newsletter curated for the ambitious youth…here are some articles you missed from previous weeks:
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Why No One Successful Wants to Mentor You
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Best tools for building your passion project
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The Future Belongs to Borderless Thinkers
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A century ago, economist John Maynard Keynes changed everything.
He believed:
- When economies crash, governments should spend money
- That spending fuels jobs and rescues growth
- It creates a multiplier effect—$1 spent can ripple into $3+ in economic activity
It worked—in closed or semi-closed economies.
But here’s the problem today:
We live in a hyper-globalized world.
When governments spend in an open economy, dollars don’t all stay home.
They leak out.
Think stimulus checks sent out during Covid for citizens…that got spent on goods made somewhere else (think: Vietnam, Indonesia, emerging ASEAN markets etc).
It stimulated someone’s factories and someone’s workers—just not ours.
Imagine:
- You borrow money every month for consumption
- You don’t build skills or produce anything
- You keep buying things from someone stronger than you
Eventually, you accumulate huge debt but can't actually afford anything.
Countries work the same way.
When a nation runs massive debt or trade deficits…
- Factories leave
- Jobs follow
- Talent moves
And that's what's happening right now, massive debt leading to high inflation and housing crisis.
Prosperity leaks.
So what tool do nations reach for now, to rebuild strength?
Tariffs = temporary self-defense
They’re not about isolation.
They’re about short term stablization and keeping the multiplier effect inside the country.
Ideally they'd buy time for:
- Local manufacturing to recover
- Jobs that follow
- Young builders like you to create
And it can be used to negotiate better trade terms.
Just like people, countries play to win.
Those who produce and drives value lead.
those who only consume will be left behind. .
But eventually, the U.S. must compete — globally.
Why this matters to you
You are the generation stepping into the new global economy.
At OCE, we believe your power comes from seeing the world, not just your city or campus.
Tariffs and industrial strategy matter because they shape the opportunities you get access to.
OCE exists because we believe the future isn’t one-country dominated.
It’s multilateral, multicultural, cross-continental.
Knowing multiple markets = competitive advantage.
When you understand:
- Western economics + Asian industrial strategy
- Silicon Valley innovation + ASEAN entrepreneurship
- English-speaking markets + emerging market momentum
You don’t play catch-up.
You stay ahead of the curve.
Like what you read? Share with friends!
PS. This summer, we are going to tackle pressing global issues and drive innovation in regions (such as your own community) where it is needed the most. Want in?
We run a summer cohort for ambitious youth (high school and undergrads) to work directly with world-class founders while learning from Silicon Valley leaders.
You can also explore purposeful opportunities through our Impact Internship Opportunities Database.
Get Curious.
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Lena
https://www.openclassroomexperience.com/
