Unintended consequences are the only consequences that really matter besides the consequences you feel because of the actions of someone else doing stuff outside of your control.
When Putin invaded Ukraine it caused the EU to un-hook from Russian energy, which was, in retrospect, not nearly as difficult as they had been telling themselves because renewables + a global market for energy exist, and now they have no need to ever go back.
Trump’s vacillating tariff threats are forcing Canada and Mexico to un-hook from the US market, something that looks difficult but a global market for everything they consume and everything they produce — except the integrated supply chain entities that keep US businesses running — exists and there are other partners at the end of tariff-free ocean-shipping routes that cost more to access than tariff-free land shipping routes but don’t cost more than uncertainty + tariff-encumbered land shipping.
The unintended consequence in both cases is that by pissing off the world, Russia and the US are now more isolated, and in that isolation less able to influence what happens in the world around them. They seek more and get less. And because they can’t admit a mistake, or that connection is more powerful than fear, they just double-down and keep on playing, as if nothing went wrong.
Honestly, at this point, Canada, Mexico, and everyone else should just close their borders to US goods and services, lock US tech companies, media outlets, and social media platforms out of their Internets, stop enforcing US patent, trademark, and copyright laws, and stop taking calls from the US government.
Shun the narcissists, suffocate the capitalists, and move on.
It will suck for a while, but you’ll recover. It will suck more for us, but this is all our own damn fault since we asked to be ruled by the hubris of idiots.