I don’t believe that a man who doesn’t stay consistent for a full day is running a plan that would take years to complete.
Kasquede on
Reading through this, as someone who does not know ball about economics, I can’t help but feel this is proof that humanity is burdened by the pattern-seeking brain—that is to say, this man is finding grand reason where only madness lies.
79792348978 on
4D chess arguments, especially for the tariff stuff, are clown shit at this point
mullahchode on
i’d be more willing to believe this through-line of coherence if it came from trump’s mouth, or anyone in this administration’s mouth, rather than people picking up the pieces and turning them into a thing.
like i thought the trade war was a tool for immigration enforcement, but also it’s about fentanyl. but yeah, we want to manufacture things in america, but also other countries are ripping us off. trump sometimes will talk about currency intentional foreign currency devaluation in truth social posts, but he also believes exercise makes you die younger.
but no, it’s actually only about a slow weakening of the dollar, which will bring manufacturing back to the united states. well, okay, at least that is mentioned above. but why did we bring up immigration and drug overdoses?
i have a hard time believing that after 10 years of this idiot, that the “””mar-a-lago accords””” is actually a well thought-out and conceived master plan.
MuldartheGreat on
Ok, so let me address this at some level of good faith on a serious basis
>But tariffs are only the first phase of his masterplan. With high tariffs as the new default, and with foreign money accumulating in the Treasury, Trump can bide his time as friends and foes in Europe and Asia clamour to talk. That’s when the second phase of Trump’s plan kicks in: the grand negotiation.
If Trump is truly on some masterplan involving tariffs which are somehow good then just put the tariffs in place. He could have had high tariffs for months now if he wanted to do so. But he doesn’t. It’s tariff, then no tariff, then different tariff, then no tariff, then higher tariff.
If tariffs are actually good and Trump actually wants them to accomplish a goal then why hasn’t he done them? The obvious answer being there’s no masterplan and this is all just cope.
SheIsABadMamaJama on
Is the masterplan with us right now?
AccomplishedAngle2 on
The words in the title are incompatible.
Jeyrus on
I agree with all your comments. My initial reaction was:
1) If this is part of some grand plan, then why does he flip flop on tariff implementation so much?
2) Trump just isn’t smart enough for this. We’re trying to rationalize an irrational actor.
I shared because it was written by a relatively respected economist. But it does just come off as delusional cope.
nuggins on
Trump’s masterplan has so far included:
> Announcing intent to tariff
> Announcing tariffs
> Delaying tariffs
> Delaying tariffs again
> Un-delaying tariffs a few days before the date of imposition
> Walking back tariffs on NAFTA2 goods
> Announcing increased retaliatory tariffs
> Walking back those increased tariffs
My simple mind cannot comprehend the brilliance of this plan.
I405CA on
Trump is a mob boss bully who uses maximalist (aka Soviet-style) negotiation tactics. Combined, that means blustering and dictating demands without offering to compromise.
Maximalist tactics are actually easy to deal with. Maximalists will hold on, then collapse at the last minute.
JFK figured this out with the Cuban Missile Crisis: Stand up to it until it stops.
Treat Trump as JFK treated Kruschev, who famously pounded a shoe on the table and moved aggressively, until he didn’t.
(The shoe was not even his own shoe. Kruschev’s tantrum was planned and scripted.)
Maximalists have no Plan B, and their Plan A is gut instinct rather than an actual plan with contingencies and off-ramps. To refer to it as chess player grossly overstates what it is. It’s really the preferred tactic of narcissists and jerks, a reflection of their personalities.
coolestsummer on
This “masterplan” is completely contradicted by the fact that Trump has repeatedly complained about BRICS undermining the Dollar, and as recently as two weeks ago threatened them with tariffs if they attempt dedollarization.
There’s no masterplan, there’s just a mad king.
ldn6 on
> Unherd
😆🤣😂
Dawnlazy on
Varoufakis has some pretty psychedelic takes as usual. He actually agrees with Trump that Americans are being “robbed” by trade and is anti-NATO.
14 Comments
I’d like to know y’all’s thoughts on this.
I don’t believe that a man who doesn’t stay consistent for a full day is running a plan that would take years to complete.
Reading through this, as someone who does not know ball about economics, I can’t help but feel this is proof that humanity is burdened by the pattern-seeking brain—that is to say, this man is finding grand reason where only madness lies.
4D chess arguments, especially for the tariff stuff, are clown shit at this point
i’d be more willing to believe this through-line of coherence if it came from trump’s mouth, or anyone in this administration’s mouth, rather than people picking up the pieces and turning them into a thing.
like i thought the trade war was a tool for immigration enforcement, but also it’s about fentanyl. but yeah, we want to manufacture things in america, but also other countries are ripping us off. trump sometimes will talk about currency intentional foreign currency devaluation in truth social posts, but he also believes exercise makes you die younger.
but no, it’s actually only about a slow weakening of the dollar, which will bring manufacturing back to the united states. well, okay, at least that is mentioned above. but why did we bring up immigration and drug overdoses?
i have a hard time believing that after 10 years of this idiot, that the “””mar-a-lago accords””” is actually a well thought-out and conceived master plan.
Ok, so let me address this at some level of good faith on a serious basis
>But tariffs are only the first phase of his masterplan. With high tariffs as the new default, and with foreign money accumulating in the Treasury, Trump can bide his time as friends and foes in Europe and Asia clamour to talk. That’s when the second phase of Trump’s plan kicks in: the grand negotiation.
If Trump is truly on some masterplan involving tariffs which are somehow good then just put the tariffs in place. He could have had high tariffs for months now if he wanted to do so. But he doesn’t. It’s tariff, then no tariff, then different tariff, then no tariff, then higher tariff.
If tariffs are actually good and Trump actually wants them to accomplish a goal then why hasn’t he done them? The obvious answer being there’s no masterplan and this is all just cope.
Is the masterplan with us right now?
The words in the title are incompatible.
I agree with all your comments. My initial reaction was:
1) If this is part of some grand plan, then why does he flip flop on tariff implementation so much?
2) Trump just isn’t smart enough for this. We’re trying to rationalize an irrational actor.
I shared because it was written by a relatively respected economist. But it does just come off as delusional cope.
Trump’s masterplan has so far included:
> Announcing intent to tariff
> Announcing tariffs
> Delaying tariffs
> Delaying tariffs again
> Un-delaying tariffs a few days before the date of imposition
> Walking back tariffs on NAFTA2 goods
> Announcing increased retaliatory tariffs
> Walking back those increased tariffs
My simple mind cannot comprehend the brilliance of this plan.
Trump is a mob boss bully who uses maximalist (aka Soviet-style) negotiation tactics. Combined, that means blustering and dictating demands without offering to compromise.
Maximalist tactics are actually easy to deal with. Maximalists will hold on, then collapse at the last minute.
JFK figured this out with the Cuban Missile Crisis: Stand up to it until it stops.
Treat Trump as JFK treated Kruschev, who famously pounded a shoe on the table and moved aggressively, until he didn’t.
(The shoe was not even his own shoe. Kruschev’s tantrum was planned and scripted.)
Maximalists have no Plan B, and their Plan A is gut instinct rather than an actual plan with contingencies and off-ramps. To refer to it as chess player grossly overstates what it is. It’s really the preferred tactic of narcissists and jerks, a reflection of their personalities.
This “masterplan” is completely contradicted by the fact that Trump has repeatedly complained about BRICS undermining the Dollar, and as recently as two weeks ago threatened them with tariffs if they attempt dedollarization.
There’s no masterplan, there’s just a mad king.
> Unherd
😆🤣😂
Varoufakis has some pretty psychedelic takes as usual. He actually agrees with Trump that Americans are being “robbed” by trade and is anti-NATO.