The populist xenophobe death spiral

populist noun: a person who offers simple, appealing, non-solutions to complex, unappealing problems. Example: Inflation is high: it's the immigrants.

xenophobe noun: a person who fears or hates foreigners or foreign things. Example: Inflation is high: it's the immigrants.

1. Impose high tariffs on nasty foreign goods.
2. The result is high inflation: everyone gets poorer as prices climb to cover the tariffs. Well, everyone except plutocrats who own large corporations who are doing very nicely as profits increase along with prices.
3. People are not happy.
4. But there's a simple, appealing, non-solution: it's the immigrants!
5. Start deporting immigrants ...
6. ... you know, those people who do all the menial work.
7. Menial work doesn't get done, people get more unhappy.
8. But there's a simple, appealing, non-solution: it's the foreigners!
9. Increase tariffs.
10. ...
11. Profit!