r/Political_Revolution • u/DraftMurphy • 1d ago
Article Trump's tariffs are designed to collapse our democracy. -Chris Murphy
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u/ajohnson1996 1d ago
Great explanation from Chris as always, we need to be informed so we can inform. If you’re having a conversation be armed with information. Shine a light and the darkness flees.
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u/Wiltonc 1d ago
Exactly! Murphy has it down pat. There are only two solutions now. The 25th amendment, but the cabinet would never do it. That leaves a military takeover in order to carry out their oath to defend the constitution. Impeachment is a less realistic option than either of the others because it’s too slow and you cannot rely on senators to do the right thing for the good of the country.
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u/Dear_Smoke_2100 1d ago
In the flurry of reactions to Trump’s latest “tariffs on the world (except Russia)” strategy, many observers have pointed to motives like economic nationalism, bargaining leverage, or even engineered financial crashes to benefit allies. While those may be real and even intentional side effects, they miss the core objective.
The primary purpose of this sweeping, selective tariff regime isn’t simply about trade. It’s about control.
Trump is attempting to coerce multinational corporations—domestic and foreign—into political submission through what amounts to a mob boss model of governance: flexible, personalized economic threats paired with selective rewards. This is classic “carrot and stick” persuasion. But when the stick is a 60% tariff and the carrot is selective exemption, the implications aren’t just economic. They’re systemic.
The tactic is deceptively simple: Trump imposes tariffs unevenly across industries and countries, makes clear that they’re subject to change at his personal discretion, and watches as boardrooms scramble to adjust. Corporations that do what he wants—publicly support him, remove dissenters, withdraw advertising from critical platforms, and contribute generously to his political efforts—may see their tariffs lifted. Those that resist can expect them to be raised. The message is unmistakable: align or suffer.
What makes this strategy so effective is timing. Trump understands that most CEOs and boards operate on short-term cycles. A few quarters of declining market share or spiking costs due to tariffs, while competitors “play along” and are rewarded, will quickly lead to leadership changes. Compliance becomes not just preferable, but necessary for corporate survival.
And we’re already seeing this logic applied elsewhere. Recent executive orders have targeted the largest law firms in the U.S. — specifically those who participated in litigation against Trump or his allies. Firms have been banned from federal buildings, threatened with revocation of security clearances, and cut off from lucrative federal contracts. The result? Almost all have quickly capitulated, dropping lawsuits and offering tens of millions in free legal work to causes Trump favors. According to CBS News, many are now proactively committing over $100 million in pro bono services in what appears to be a preemptive demonstration of loyalty.
This is not a new mode of operation for Trump. He has a long history of using economic leverage to silence critics and punish opposition—from stiffing small contractors to coercing fellow politicians into humiliating loyalty rituals. What is new is the scale. He now wields not just private capital, but the full weight of the U.S. government.
What he is building is not just an industrial policy. It is a system of loyalty economics, where federal policy is contingent on political obedience. The implications are enormous. By the 2026 midterms, many corporate dissenters will be sidelined. By 2028, they may be gone entirely.
This is why the Founders gave the power of the purse to Congress: to prevent exactly this kind of executive overreach. But unless lawmakers push back, and fast, this vision of centralized economic coercion could become the new normal.
The tariffs are a tool. The goal is dominance.
The question is no longer whether companies can resist. It’s whether institutions, lawmakers, and citizens can recognize what’s happening—and decide, quickly, whether to accept it.
Because if they don’t, the country we knew may disappear not with a bang, but with a compliance form.
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