Washington’s newly imposed 15% tariffs on strategic solar panels and microchip materials have sent shockwaves through high-tech manufacturing corridors worldwide. Meanwhile, in Pescadero, the news was politely ignored by retirees whose most advanced piece of technology is a cracked iPhone 8 used exclusively for checking offshore wind forecasts. As central bankers grapple with inflation and the Bank of England holds interest rates steady amid mounting doom, local expat compound dwellers continue to ignore the collapse of global supply chains in favor of a three-hour lunch discussion on fish taco consistency.