The Foreign Desk
How to win a trade war
Feb 8, 2025
Tina Fordham, a geopolitical strategist and founder of Fordham Global Foresight, dives into the complex implications of tariffs. Historian Alex von Tunzelmann shares intriguing tales from trade conflicts like the Chicken War, illustrating their diplomatic fallout. Elisabeth Braw, from the Atlantic Council, discusses how current trade wars reflect a retreat from globalization, highlighting the emotional struggles of citizens. Together, they unpack whether today's economic tussles are unique or just part of a larger pattern against global interconnectedness.
30:40
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Quick takeaways
- Trump's belief in trade wars reflects a misunderstanding of economic implications, exacerbated by his aggressive tariff threats and chaotic negotiation tactics.
- The discussion reveals a broader backlash against globalization, highlighting how current trade policies create adversarial relationships between nations rather than fostering cooperation.
Deep dives
The Persistence of Trade Wars
Donald Trump's approach to trade reflects a continued belief in the value of trade wars, as evidenced by his aggressive tariff threats against countries like China, Canada, and Mexico. Although temporary ceasefires have been established, the underlying tension remains, suggesting that Trump has not shifted his stance on using tariffs as a negotiating tool. His claims of trade deficits being an 'atrocity' further highlight a fundamental misunderstanding of the economic implications of these impositions. These actions indicate a chaos-then-calm tactic where confusion is used to extract concessions, allowing Trump to assert victories without tangible changes in policy.
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