There's been a strong free trade narrative around at least since Reagan and Thatcher, with the 'free' standing broadly for 'tariff' free - the neoliberal theory being that government interference in global markets would be bad for economic growht.
But Trump's Tariffs have put an end to that and lo the doom-mongering about economic downturns hasn't come to pass, in fact things look surprisingly stable a year or so into his time in office.
So maybe that economic of theory of neoliberalism was just a tiny bit flawed!?!
What's actually happened as a result of Trump's tariffs is maybe a marginal restructuring of global economic power in the US's favour, with many other countries being worse off, and a massive political gain for Trump, at least in the short term, as he looks like he's negotiating hard for those American workers left behind by 40 years of neoliberalism.
Trump's policies aren't just economics in action; he's about power, negotiation, and using leverage. Policy doesn’t exist in an empty room—politics shapes every decision.
It's actually quite refreshing to see a politician having a crack at policy, rather than leaving it up to the technical so-called experts - neoliberalism hasn't worked for everyone, after all, so time for a change, time for something different!
And that's what Trump is about - poking holes in previous economic 'certainties'
You may not like what he's doing, but it's probably better than just the same old, maybe?!?
