this post was submitted on 10 Sep 2024
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United States | News & Politics

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Donald Trump is escalating his threats to increase tariffs on imports if he wins a second term in the White House, reviving fears of renewed trade wars that hit the global economy during his presidency.

On Saturday, Trump went further, promising tariffs of 100 per cent on imports from countries that were moving away from using the dollar — a threat that could engulf many developing economies too.

“I’ll say, ‘you leave the dollar, you’re not doing business with the United States. Because we’re going to put a 100 per cent tariff on your goods,’” he said at a rally in Wisconsin.

“If we lost the dollar as the world currency, I think that would be the equivalent of losing a war,” he told the Economic Club of New York on Thursday.

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[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 week ago

So his plan is to get the rest of the world off of the dollar asap.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 week ago (1 children)

His only tool seems to be tariffs. It is his "hammer" and everything looks like a nail to him. He doesn't care how trade wars hit the poor and middle class the hardest and jack up the cost of living. It is bad enough that they are jacking up the cost of chinese ev cars while at the same time saying we need to go to ev cars by 2035.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Tariffs are great for his base because they see it as a tax on their perceived "enemies", when in reality they're the ones footing the higher prices.

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

Oh joy. I always wondered what it would be like to live in a pariah state.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 week ago

Bruh if he actually does this shit (he likely won't; this is just rhetoric for votes) he would genuinely be the harm reduction candidate.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Unironically this would be a great thing. Most manufacturing happens in BRICS nations anyway; countries would speed up dedollarisation if the US is this desperate.

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

ONE MEELION TARIFFS ON YOU!

I swear to dog, we live in the dumbest fucking timeline

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I place a thousand tariffs upon your head as a curse.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Do they at least come with a free froghurt?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 week ago

If we lost the dollar as the world currency, I think that would be the equivalent of losing a war

I hate it when bad people make good points, because the US dollar is absolutely a bludgeoning tool in economic warfare. The might of the US dollar as an economic weapon was in full display when the foreign appropriations act of 1991 severely exacerbated the collapse of Yugoslavia.

The US dollar should not be the de facto world currency, and trying to stop progress through these means will isolate the US from the entire world.

[–] [email protected] 41 points 1 week ago

Trump voters on paying taxes: “Booooo”

Trump voters on paying double taxes: “Yaaaay!!”

[–] [email protected] 38 points 1 week ago

Yay a 100% tax for us! I can't wait to pay double for whatever those countries produce! That will show those other countries!

[–] [email protected] 41 points 1 week ago

This absolutely screams weakness

[–] [email protected] 52 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

Critical support to trump trying to undermine american hegemony lmao

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

Is Trump actually a Hexbear doing deep undercover? Someone needs to check his e-mails.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Gee, I wonder who put him up to that.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

his own dumb ass thinking it's 1890 (or that he can make it 1890 again). I know it's easy to forget in the 24-hour media circus and liberal hand-wringing over his sleazy and reactionary attitudes and him being an 'existential threat to "democracy"' or whatever, but he is in actuality a remarkably stupid man. A shining dunce. He probably just watched a documentary on the early history of the US steel industry while half-asleep and connected it with his impulsive half-knowledge of trade and currency politics in his very big very good brain (the best brain, maybe, a lot of people are saying it).

Based on other things he's said he probably actually thinks this kind of 'protectionist' policy and talk is not only totally grounded in any kind of contemporary reality, but is a 'win-win'. "either these countries get so scared of losing our valuable markets and 'deals' that they bend the knee, or I tariff everything which will definitely bring manufacturing back to the states and everyone gets jobs and america is great again! ART OF THE DEAL!"

[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I literally can't imagine a better method of destroying the US empire than these sanctions

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Trump is literally the harm reduction candidate now.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago

Dont fall for his campaign promises!

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The libs are gonna hate this because when they say harm reduction they mean reduce only the harm they expirence. When it comes to the sovereignty and security of people who aren't them, they'd sooner vote for harm increases than tax increases.

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

"In every American community there are varying shades of political opinion. One of the shadiest of these is the liberals. An outspoken group on many subjects, ten degrees to the left of center in good times, ten degrees to the right of center if it affects them personally. Here, then, is a lesson in safe logic."