Confronting Capitalism with Vivek Chibber Can Trump Bring Back Manufacturing?
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Mar 12, 2025 The discussion delves into Trump's trade strategies and their impact on American manufacturing. It contrasts various presidential approaches, examining the roles of tariffs versus subsidies in reshoring industry. Insights from post-war Japan and France highlight successful state-led industrial policies, while the challenges of the CHIPS Act reveal systemic hurdles in achieving manufacturing goals. The podcast also critiques de-industrialization in the U.S. and advocates for public investment and stronger labor movements to revitalize the industry against global competition.
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Tariffs and Industrial Policy
- Tariffs alone primarily benefit capitalists by increasing their profits.
- Effective industrial policy ensures that these profits are reinvested productively.
Defining Industrial Policy
- Industrial policy involves direct state intervention in specific sectors or firms.
- It goes beyond managing macroeconomic variables like interest rates.
Examples of Industrial Policy
- Post-war Japan and France successfully used industrial policy.
- Their success was partly due to weaker capitalist classes and centralized states.