{"id":68776,"date":"2025-04-04T05:40:23","date_gmt":"2025-04-04T10:40:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu\/nll\/?p=68776"},"modified":"2025-04-08T07:27:40","modified_gmt":"2025-04-08T12:27:40","slug":"viral-plums","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu\/nll\/?p=68776","title":{"rendered":"Viral plums"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ottilie Mitchell and Tiffanie Turnbull, \"'Nowhere's safe': How an island of penguins ended up on Trump tariff list<\/a>\", BBC 4\/4\/2025:<\/p>\n

Two tiny, remote Antarctic outposts populated by penguins and seals are among the obscure places targeted by the Trump administration's new tariffs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Heard and McDonald Islands – a territory which sits 4,000km (2,485 miles) south-west of Australia – are only accessible via a seven-day boat trip from Perth, and haven't been visited by humans in almost a decade.<\/span><\/p>\n

Australian trade minister Don Farrell told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that the tariffs were \"clearly a mistake\".<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Poor old penguins, I don't know what they did to Trump, but, look, I think it's an indication, to be honest with you, that this was a rushed process.\"<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

There have been various<\/a> other<\/a> reactions<\/a> to those tariffs' math and geography<\/a> — but my favorite commentary was a poem:<\/p>\n

\n

I have tariffed
\nthe penguins
\nthat are on
\nHeard Island<\/p>\n

and which
\nyou were probably
\nassuming
\ndid not export goods<\/p>\n

forgive me
\nthey were taking advantage of us
\nso cunning
\nand so cold<\/p>\n

\u2014 Janel Comeau (@verybadllama.bsky.social<\/a>) April 3, 2025 at 3:45 PM<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n