Layoffs at John Deere reveal how Trump’s trade war is bleeding jobs

Many Americans are familiar with the “Waffle House Index” — the notion that the severity of a hurricane can be quickly assessed by whether the local Waffle House restaurant is closed. John Deere, the dominant manufacturer of agricultural heavy equipment, serves as a similar barometer of the economic health of America’s agricultural sector and the severity of economic storms created by shortsighted public policies.

When farmers feel secure, they buy from John Deere, and the company hums. When farmers feel anxious or unsure, they are hesitant to make large investments in equipment, and Deere feels the pinch first.

But unlike hurricanes, which are outside of human control and occur randomly at the convergence of various atmospheric conditions, economic storms can be created and manipulated