When national leaders fling tariffs at each other, isn't it the citizenry -- not the leaders, nor their corporate masters -- who end up suffering the most?

I am conflicted in regards to China.
I have enjoyed the opportunity to shop pennies on the dollar from China on eBay.
I’ve bought clothing, housewares, jewelry, and indulged in some goodies to keep my spirits lifted.

However, this has been a huge economic issue affecting the economic growth or stability of other nations in economic competition with them. It is an issue which has the capacity to cause ruin for entire countries.

There are other factors which are involved though.
Many products are sold which no American companies care to produce. American companies get over greedy in the pricing of things which can be produced at fractions of a cent.
Finally, it is lessening the demand against our own natural resources, and instead puts the demand on theirs.
There will come a time when their resources are less to a point they will charge more, and produce less. I feel no guilt in taking advantage of this time when they are producing much for little.

By the way, for anyone who has a hearing aid, or other continuing use for button batteries, they are super cheap from China.
Here is why. The ingredient which is needed to make them is a buy product found in silver mining. The US was throwing it away. We don’t have much of it currently.
A pack of ten, in most sizes, can be purchased for under a dollar. My daughter was excited when I discovered this year’s ago, because suddenly I could make all her books which squeak and honk work again.
I bought several pieces of costume jewelry for a dollar or less to use for last minute gifts. When I started this, my daughter gifted all her friends at Christmas, and her teacher, principal, and favorite lunch lady. It totalled about thirty dollars for me.
So, shopping China works for me, but, I also understand how the tariffs can be an overall benefit of my country.

By the way, doing business with China is different than in the states, even online.

@SaganRitual in general you are correct, it is the citizens that suffer.

But neither in China or the US does that make one particle of difference. The countries have devolved from an argument about economic differences to an pissing match between superpowers. They are making threats and counter threats on the level of national priorities, and they couldn’t give a crap whether and if citizens are suffering. The only time that the governments will begin to pay lip service is when there is some sort of popular revolution in the country.

And in China that won’t happen because of their army and the way they control dissent.

In the US it won’t happen because congress and the administration are more concerned about party purity and far less concerned about what the citizens think and feel.

Summary: this is the big boys playing liar’s poker and the rest of us don’t count.