• VeganPizza69 Ⓥ
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    13 days ago

    One thing that fascinates me is that Trump’s definition of tariffs seems more like the definition of kickbacks.

    As he was (is?) a landlord, he may also think of it as seeking rent, like how malls get rent from the stores inside.

    • LustyArgonian
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      913 days ago

      As a foreign asset, I think Trump is just actively performing a proxy war to drain the US of money, power, and resources for Russia. If you think he’s going to be doing anything else - lol.

      • VeganPizza69 Ⓥ
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        213 days ago

        It can be both. Lying is more convincing when it’s felt as truth by the liar.

      • VeganPizza69 Ⓥ
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        13 days ago

        Extracting rent can be seen as private taxation. He’s not a “career politician”, so I’m trying to understand how he’d see it from the private realm.

        An entry fee, a toll, a tax, a rent - whatever. In the end, the cost will be added to the products going in. It’s not a usual tariff, but the outcome is the same. Maybe he thinks that this trickery helps avoid problems with “free trade” conventions.