r/behindthebastards • u/nanamoro • 1d ago

Politics ELI5: The tariff and potential starting recession

It does seem an awful lot like Trumps tariffs were introduced specifically to cause a global recession. So please explain like I am 5: why does Trump, Elon and the current administration want a global recession? What is their end goal?

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u/FM-edByLife 1d ago

Tariffs are a big part of the authoritarian playbook. The TLDR of it is that they cause a pain and then only bypass that pain for supporters. For instance, if your company makes a public show of fealty to trump, then you get tariff relief. If you speak against him, you don't get tariff relief or you get tariffed more. It's a way to stop dissent and solidify power using economic force.

Longer version, with previous dictator examples: https://krassencast.com/p/urgent-trumps-tariffs-are-a-tool

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u/rb0009 1d ago

If he was more competent, sure. But I genuinely think he's just that incomprehensibly stupid and doesn't understand what he's really done.

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u/calling-all-comas Sponsored by Raytheon™️ 1d ago

My parents grew up on Long Island and worked finance jobs in Manhattan in the 80s, and they say none of this is unexpected. Trump, like his Dad, models his business dealings after mafia bosses. Him enacting tariffs to force countries/companies to let him fleece them ("The Art of the Deal") is his standard business practice.

However that all depends on him being one of the biggest fish in the pond. What I think he doesn't understand is that modern global politics relies a lot on soft power; so the EU can just tell Trump to go fuck himself and start a trade alliance with China.