this post was submitted on 05 Mar 2025
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Donald Trump just imposed a 25 percent tariff on virtually all goods produced by America’s two largest trading partners — Canada and Mexico. He simultaneously established a 20 percent across-the-board tariff on Chinese goods.

As a result, America’s average tariff level is now higher than at any time since the 1940s.

Meanwhile, China and Canada immediately retaliated against Trump’s duties, with the former imposing a 15 percent tariff on American agricultural products and the latter putting a 25 percent tariff on $30 billion of US goods. Mexico has vowed to mount retaliatory tariffs of its own.

This trade war could have far-reaching consequences. Trump’s tariffs have already triggered a stock market sell-off and cooling of manufacturing activity. And economists have estimated that the trade policy will cost the typical US household more than $1,200 a year, as the prices of myriad goods rise.

All this raises the question: Why has the US president chosen to upend trade relations on the North American continent? The stakes of this question are high, since it could determine how long Trump’s massive tariffs remain in effect. Unfortunately, the president himself does not seem to know the answer.

In recent weeks, Trump has provided five different — and contradictory — justifications for his tariffs on Mexico and Canada...

...more in the article.

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 week ago

Uhm something something illegal rapist immigrants high on fentanyl. I've got tee-time in 10.

[–] [email protected] 27 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Of course he doesn't. He should be in elder care not in the White House.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 week ago

The chaos is the point: make nothing normal, make nothing certain, and he can be free to do anything.

[–] [email protected] 28 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (8 children)

I never liked that many seem to be of the idea that Trump is an absolute buffoon who doesn't know what he is doing. He and his goons are not headless chickens. They are not stupid, and know incredibly well what they are doing and why.

You don't get to win an election twice if you're as much of an idiot as most make him out to be. If we keep underestimating our 'opposition', we will continue to be defeated.

See this article for more: https://unherd.com/2025/02/why-trumps-tariffs-are-a-masterplan/

TLDR:

In this article, Yanis Varoufakis analyzes Donald Trump's economic strategy, arguing that it is more sophisticated than his critics assume. Trump's focus on tariffs is part of a broader plan to reshape the global economic order, which Varoufakis describes as an "anti-Nixon Shock." Trump believes the U.S. has been exploited due to the dollar's role as the global reserve currency, which he sees as a burden rather than a privilege. He aims to weaken the dollar to boost U.S. manufacturing and reduce trade deficits, while maintaining its reserve status to fund U.S. deficits and military power.

Trump's plan involves using tariffs to pressure foreign central banks to lower interest rates, thereby depreciating their currencies relative to the dollar. This would offset the price increases caused by tariffs on U.S. consumers. The second phase of his strategy involves bilateral negotiations with key countries, leveraging tariffs and security threats to force them to appreciate their currencies and make concessions, such as buying more U.S. goods or relocating manufacturing to the U.S.

Varoufakis acknowledges the risks, including potential domestic backlash from Wall Street and the possibility of foreign countries, particularly China, creating an alternative financial system. However, he argues that Trump's plan is coherent and should not be underestimated, even if it diverges sharply from traditional economic thinking.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 1 week ago

That's definitely someone's opinion of what they are doing. I think he's fallen victim to looking really hard for a plausible reason for emotional behavior. Trump and his admin seem more hell bent on gaining leverage in order to increase greatness and power over others and eventually profit. They aren't looking to save or kill the dollar or reset the economy. In my opinion as an uneducated person they want to deregulate then tank the markets to create an environment where the wealthiest will buy up the discounted assets and profit when the economy swings back. Nothing more than a shortsighted opportunity to consolidate power and wealth, the same way he is trying to consolidate power into the executive branch.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Dude that makes no sense at all. He wants to depreciate the dollar by putting on tariffs, an action you yourself admit depreciates all OTHER currencies, thereby increasing the value of the dollar?

Then after that he'll "negotiate" to have the other countries to appreciate their currencies? By buying US goods and companies?? Both of those things appreciate the US dollar. China has been selling their goods to the US (something which should appreciate their currency) without appreciating their currency by buying property and companies in the US so they never have to use the US dollar to buy their own currency. This increases the value of the dollar while decreasing demands for the Chinese currency. This has been widely seen as unfair currency manipulation by China.

Things that increase demand for US dollars such as buying US goods and investing in the US APPRECIATE the value of of the US dollar. I haven't read the article yet, but I hope your summary is incorrect, because Varoufakis is generally a very intelligent left wing thinker and I would be surprised to see this kind of gaffe in basic economics.

Edit: here is a link to the article since the one above didn't work for me.

https://www.yanisvaroufakis.eu/2025/02/21/donald-trumps-economic-masterplan-unherd/

While tariffs would work against Trump's plan (by deppreciating foreign currencies) they give Trump revenue he can spend with congressional approval. Then for the countries that make a deal he'll either force them to appreciate their currencies by swapping US dollars for their own currency (to depreciate the dollar), OR make them buy very long term US bonds (stabilizing the US debt markets) and buying US weapons (diluting the cost of US military R&D). Trump hopes this lets him depreciate the dollar while keeping it as a reserve currency (having his cake and eating it too).

[–] [email protected] 23 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The thing is, I don't doubt there is an actual reason why these plans have some more intelligent purpose behind them; I doubt that Trump is the one thinking of this. I'm of the belief that Trump has a bunch of yes men around him that are smart and able to coerce him to do these things through careful manipulation strategies and feeding into his ego.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 week ago

The project 2025 people already had every executive order and move lined up ready for him. No understanding required .

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I'm shocked that more people don't consider a change in perspective on global economics. It's been clear for a long time that the existing system is unsustainable.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 week ago

Techbro led gvmt - move fast, break stuff. Chaos leads to opportunity to profit, by which I mean him and his class to profit.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago

I don't think Trump knows very much about anything he's doing, whether this or anything else.

(Incidentally, this also means I don't think he's doing most of the bad things he's doing out of malice or dictatorial ambitions. He just has no idea about anything he's doing.)

[–] [email protected] 31 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I know why he did it. Because that's what his best best friend from Kremlin said and his two last working brain cells are in vacation playing golf.

He probably doesn't understand that if US stops all trading, will become just a bigger North Korea with nukes.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Am I the only one surprised at how low the cost per household could be? I keep thinking it should be quite a bit higher.

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[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 week ago

It’s part of their plan to eliminate the IRS and federal taxation, to be replaced by a universal sales tax. However, trump doesn’t have the authority to do that. But he can tariff. And a tariff is a little bit like a sales tax.

Therefore, we get tariffs.

Now, the other problem is that the tariff revenue is going to be like 1/10 that of the IRS tax revenue, which will require a 90% reduction in federal spending. Including defense, research, healthcare, and social security. Can’t collect social security tax if the IRS doesn’t exist either, so social security is getting axed.

It will of course make 56 million seniors homeless, but thats a small price to pay for a 15% pay bump for me!

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The big corps can weather the storm, smalls will have to sell, consolidate and monopolize is the plan as I see it

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Judging by what happened back in 2008 no, big corps just go under. They will not survive this.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

Yeah, they have no savings because they plow all profits into stock buy backs. Hell, a lot of them have borrowed money to do buy backs.

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