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As a former libertarian I used to argue against leftist why tariffs are bad. Funny how things have turned around.

by enaaem 2y ago

defrost 2y ago
Tariffs are an instrument in a trade flow process that can be used in many ways that can be contextually good or bad. The deal with these tariffs is the flip flopping, the high rates, the probable corrupt behind doors and under the table deals on where they are applied and where they aren't, etc. This might be of interest: Why Trump’s tariffs are better than you think — and much worse subscribe! https://www.crikey.com.au/2025/03/06/donald-trump-tariffs-impact-global-economy/ https://www.crikey.com.au/2025/03/06/donald-trump-tariffs-im... or read now, maybe subscribe later: https://archive.md/H46RG https://archive.md/H46RG From an outside PoV a disturbing fact of the Trump tariffs is they were put in force by executive order (OK), they were appealed for review (OK), there's a law that requires that appeal for review to be heard within a specific short time frame (OK) ... and recently the US Republicans passed a rider that offically " Stops Time " wrt to the passage of days to review Trump's tariffs ... ~ https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43358343 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43358343 That's a bit weird, surely?
dralley 2y ago
MAGA is Maoism. They low-key despise most good things about Western civilisation: freedom of thought, rule of law, presumption of innocence, trial by peers - they want goon squads and struggle sessions against political enemies. They think the sayings of Dear Leader, and the knowledge that you're part of the Revolution are superior to affordability and availability of goods. They prioritize commodities, resource extraction and the nobility of working in agriculture over scientific research and advanced manufacturing.
- stanleykm 2y ago
  MAGA is not Maoism. Stop.
  - ggm 2y ago
    Steve Bannon disagrees. He's also wearing an oilcloth jacket symbolically as a Mao suit.
    - stanleykm 2y ago
      Who cares what Steve Bannon thinks?
      - dralley 2y ago
        He's the ideological founding father of MAGA?
        stanleykm 2y ago
        Does that mean he is right or that he knows what Maoism is?
Ylpertnodi 2y ago
Why are you a 'former libertarian', and - I presume - not one 'now'. And do you own a tesla?
- enaaem 2y ago
  I stopped being a Libertarian around 10 years ago. I could write whole essays about, but it started when I realised that the world was already anarchist and if Libertarian societies were superior then they would naturally outcompete other societies and we would all live in an Libertarian utopia right now.
  - overfeed 2y ago
    > [...]if Libertarian societies were superior then they would naturally outcompete other societies[...] Not for the lack of trying. There have been more than a handful of Libertarian city takeovers and sea-steading projects, and they all end in similar, predictable ways. The sea-steader/new country declarations fail to defend "their" territory against an actual military, and the libertarian towns run out of money and/or people willing to live in a free-for-all society without common services.
thomassmith65 2y ago
Yes, here's an old ad from Canada's Liberal party using NAFTA to attack the Conservative party: https://youtube.com/watch?v=eBcRYmk88jw That said, most people, in any era, on both the left and right, probably agree that 'sudden tariffs for no reason whose details change every few weeks' are a bad thing.

As a former libertarian I used to argue against leftist why tariffs are bad. Funny how things have turned around.

by enaaem 2y ago

As a former libertarian I used to argue against leftist why tariffs are bad. Funny how things have turned around.

Tariffs are an instrument in a trade flow process that can be used in many ways that can be contextually good or bad. The deal with these tariffs is the flip flopping, the high rates, the probable corrupt behind doors and under the table deals on where they are applied and where they aren't, etc. This might be of interest: Why Trump’s tariffs are better than you think — and much worse subscribe! https://www.crikey.com.au/2025/03/06/donald-trump-tariffs-impact-global-economy/ https://www.crikey.com.au/2025/03/06/donald-trump-tariffs-im... or read now, maybe subscribe later: https://archive.md/H46RG https://archive.md/H46RG From an outside PoV a disturbing fact of the Trump tariffs is they were put in force by executive order (OK), they were appealed for review (OK), there's a law that requires that appeal for review to be heard within a specific short time frame (OK) ... and recently the US Republicans passed a rider that offically " Stops Time " wrt to the passage of days to review Trump's tariffs ... ~ https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43358343 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43358343 That's a bit weird, surely?

dralley 2y ago

MAGA is Maoism. They low-key despise most good things about Western civilisation: freedom of thought, rule of law, presumption of innocence, trial by peers - they want goon squads and struggle sessions against political enemies. They think the sayings of Dear Leader, and the knowledge that you're part of the Revolution are superior to affordability and availability of goods. They prioritize commodities, resource extraction and the nobility of working in agriculture over scientific research and advanced manufacturing.

stanleykm 2y ago
MAGA is not Maoism. Stop.
- ggm 2y ago
  Steve Bannon disagrees. He's also wearing an oilcloth jacket symbolically as a Mao suit.
  - stanleykm 2y ago
    Who cares what Steve Bannon thinks?
    - dralley 2y ago
      He's the ideological founding father of MAGA?
      - stanleykm 2y ago
        Does that mean he is right or that he knows what Maoism is?

Ylpertnodi 2y ago

Why are you a 'former libertarian', and - I presume - not one 'now'. And do you own a tesla?

enaaem 2y ago
I stopped being a Libertarian around 10 years ago. I could write whole essays about, but it started when I realised that the world was already anarchist and if Libertarian societies were superior then they would naturally outcompete other societies and we would all live in an Libertarian utopia right now.
- overfeed 2y ago
  > [...]if Libertarian societies were superior then they would naturally outcompete other societies[...] Not for the lack of trying. There have been more than a handful of Libertarian city takeovers and sea-steading projects, and they all end in similar, predictable ways. The sea-steader/new country declarations fail to defend "their" territory against an actual military, and the libertarian towns run out of money and/or people willing to live in a free-for-all society without common services.

thomassmith65 2y ago

Yes, here's an old ad from Canada's Liberal party using NAFTA to attack the Conservative party: https://youtube.com/watch?v=eBcRYmk88jw That said, most people, in any era, on both the left and right, probably agree that 'sudden tariffs for no reason whose details change every few weeks' are a bad thing.