42. Stupidity, Ideology, and Tariffs (plus: why protests matter a great deal)

Is This Democracy

Are you feeling “liberated”? The long-dreaded “Liberation Day” saw America declare a trade war on the rest of the world. We discuss why Trump loves tariffs and what to make of the different rationales emerging from the regime. Most importantly, we unpack the politics of the tariff madness, what it can tell us about how this government operates, and how it all fits (or doesn’t) with the broader political project of Tumpism. There is no cunning masterplan, no coherent policy process – but that doesn’t mean these actions aren’t rooted in a worldview of hierarchies and tied to a broader political project seeking domination. Finally, it wasn’t all bad lately: “Liberation Day” was preceded by what has been termed “Resistance Day” and, crucially, followed by the “Hand Off” mass protests. The Trumpist regime’s main justification for its authoritarian assertion of power - that Trump has a “mandate,” that he’s enacting the “will of the people,” that his agenda represents a broad consensus - is a dangerous lie that we must not perpetuate.

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