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Donald Trump
OpinionLetters

Letters | With his tariffs, Trump may be doing his best to end capitalism

Readers discuss the threat of a devastating trade war and how Trump might gain the third term he wants

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President Donald Trump delivers remarks on reciprocal tariffs during an event in the Rose Garden at the White House on April 2. Photo: AFP / Getty Images / TNS
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US President Donald Trump has made good on his promise to impose a 10 per cent baseline tariff on all imports to the United States, which by all accounts is likely going to trigger a global trade war.

According to Trump, the tariffs are justified. “For decades, our country has been looted, pillaged, raped and plundered by nations near and far, both friend and foe alike,” Trump railed at the world, as if to suggest that the global economic structure was rigged against America, despite the fact that America has been the greatest beneficiary of the global economic structure for decades.

When I heard of Trump’s tariffs, the thought crossed my mind that in as much as Hitler is said to have contributed to ending the age of colonialism, Trump seemed to be doing his part to end the age of capitalism.

Hitler was not against colonialism, but if not for Hitler trying to out-colonise the colonial powers at the time, World War II would not have erupted and colonialism might have never ended.

In the same way, Trump is not against capitalism; in fact, I am quite certain Trump is a more fervent proponent of capitalism than most other people. Just as Hitler’s fervour for ultra-colonialism started a world war that ended the age of colonialism, I believe Trump’s penchant for ultra-capitalism may also trigger a trade war that might end the age of capitalism.

Trump has called the day he announced his tariffs “Liberation Day”. Future generations might well remember April 2 as Liberation Day, just not for the same reasons.
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