The Democrats are split between Free Trade is good and realizing that the former message of "those jobs are not coming back but we will retrain you to be home health aides" was a loser.
"The fundamental truth of Donald Trump is that he apparently cannot conceive of any relationship between individuals, peoples or states as anything other than a status game, a competition for dominance. His long history of scams, hostile litigation — not to mention his frequent refusal to pay contractors, lawyers, brokers and other people who were working for him — is evidence enough of the reality that a deal with Trump is less an agreement between equals than an opportunity for Trump to abuse and exploit the other party for his own benefit. For Trump, there is no such thing as a mutually beneficial relationship or a positive-sum outcome. In every interaction, no matter how trivial or insignificant, someone has to win and someone has to lose. And Trump, as we all know, is a winner.
This simple fact of the president’s psychology does more to explain his antipathy to international trade and enthusiasm for tariffs and other trade barriers than any theorizing about his intentions or overall vision. It certainly is not as if he has a considered view of the global economy. It is not even clear that Trump knows what a tariff is."
There is sometimes a rational basis to be unreasonable and there is nothing wrong with going into some kind of negotiation demanding things you know you will not get or asking for more than is reasonable. But there are limits.
2. Fewer products available. A company called Framework is not ending lower priced laptops to the U.S. anymore because of tariffs. Nintendo has stopped taking pre-orders on the Switch 2 to figure out the tariff regime.
This is true but it should also be noted that the Parliamentarian system provides a release valve for poor leaders. I don't think it is fool proof if a plurality of voters want authoritarianism but release valves and being able to kick out the PM from within are important.
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Trump blinks except for China
The Democrats are split between Free Trade is good and realizing that the former message of "those jobs are not coming back but we will retrain you to be home health aides" was a loser.
Some like Whitmer have parochial interests
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/09/opinion/trump-tariffs-rationale-power.html
"The fundamental truth of Donald Trump is that he apparently cannot conceive of any relationship between individuals, peoples or states as anything other than a status game, a competition for dominance. His long history of scams, hostile litigation — not to mention his frequent refusal to pay contractors, lawyers, brokers and other people who were working for him — is evidence enough of the reality that a deal with Trump is less an agreement between equals than an opportunity for Trump to abuse and exploit the other party for his own benefit. For Trump, there is no such thing as a mutually beneficial relationship or a positive-sum outcome. In every interaction, no matter how trivial or insignificant, someone has to win and someone has to lose. And Trump, as we all know, is a winner.
This simple fact of the president’s psychology does more to explain his antipathy to international trade and enthusiasm for tariffs and other trade barriers than any theorizing about his intentions or overall vision. It certainly is not as if he has a considered view of the global economy. It is not even clear that Trump knows what a tariff is."
https://bsky.app/profile/juddlegum.bsky.social/post/3lmf67bbovc2w
If only Senator Kennedy were in a position to do something about his very informed views on why tariffs are bad.
Oh wait, he is. He just lacks a spine.
There is sometimes a rational basis to be unreasonable and there is nothing wrong with going into some kind of negotiation demanding things you know you will not get or asking for more than is reasonable. But there are limits.
Trump doesn't understand those limits
https://bsky.app/profile/mattmfm.bsky.social/post/3lmcjz76xws2n
Apparently lots of small businesses are leaving product in China because they can't afford the tariffs.
The real havoc to the stock market happens at midnight tonight
The tariffs are extremely unpopular and only committed Trumpists and anti-Democrats think otherwise.
https://bsky.app/profile/econberger.bsky.social/post/3lmd2yuzrok2p
Trump is stuck in a vision of the past that no one wants
1. Higher prices on everything;
2. Fewer products available. A company called Framework is not ending lower priced laptops to the U.S. anymore because of tariffs. Nintendo has stopped taking pre-orders on the Switch 2 to figure out the tariff regime.
3. Recession, Depression, Increased Unemployment, Bankrupted industries
This is true but it should also be noted that the Parliamentarian system provides a release valve for poor leaders. I don't think it is fool proof if a plurality of voters want authoritarianism but release valves and being able to kick out the PM from within are important.