Dan Gillmor

Trump is no longer even pretending that tariffs are about economics. His attack on Brazil's legitimate government is nothing more than says-it-out-loud extortion to protect the fascist former head of state -- part of his global pro-fascist campaign.

https://www.npr.org/2025/07/10/nx-s1-5463508/brazil-lula-trump-tariffs

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Jul 10, 2025 at 11:19pmFedica
Show threadDan GillmorJul 10, 2025
Brazil is responding the old-fashioned, counterproductive way by matching Trump's tariffs in the other direction. A FAR better response: Adopt Cory Doctorow suggestion to make Brazil a tech jailbreak haven, helping tech users and putting a big dent in the the tech monopolists' power.
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Show threadRafaelJul 10, 2025
@dangillmor actually, that’s not true. The biggest chance is to answer by breaking patents, what is a permanent act and make things (specially medicine) actually cheaper for us.
Show threadTech Support Jul 11, 2025
@rafasgj @dangillmor I've been saying that about Canada, they should invalidate drug patents, or at least green light day 1 generics, in response to tarifs.
Show thread⁂ Fish Id WardrobeJul 11, 2025
@dangillmor I suspect nobody wants to be the first to do this because they risk pissing everyone else off, too. unfortunately.
Show threadRafaJul 11, 2025

@dangillmor As far as I know, unlike Canada (due to NAFTA and USMCA), Brazil's IP laws only implements the minimum requirements from WTO's TRIPS agreement. So there is less leeway to make changes without also receiving retaliation from other members of the WTO.

At best Lula can expand the use of exceptions to TRIPS, like is already done with pharmaceutical goods, but the opportunities are limited.

Show threadTito CiuroJul 11, 2025

@dangillmor Dan, in Brazil, Reciprocity Law is a thing. It was just enacted in April. Of course, they could still follow Cory’s suggestion in addition to.

https://www.gov.br/planalto/en/latest-news/2025/04/brazil-enacts-economic-reciprocity-law

Brazil enacts Economic Reciprocity Law

Regulation reaffirms Brazil’s sovereignty in trade, environmental decisions, seeks to protect national economic interests from practices deemed unfair or abusive

Planalto
Show threadHTPC NZJul 10, 2025
@dangillmor how is this is new? Felon isn't the first or will be the last US leader to use their power to oppress and punish legitimate overseas governments who don't conform to their goals or worldviews. Only difference now is he isn't trying to hide it behind a bs made up reason and likely future US leaders will openly do the same than wasting extra effort and money on propaganda.
Show threadobscurestarJul 10, 2025

@dangillmor Let's see how popular he is with the head-up-ass crowd when they can't afford coffee.

I know. They'll probably find some reason to blame Biden or Obama but I can dream that some thing will wake them from their idiocy.

Show threadGaladJul 11, 2025
@dangillmor I sincerely doubt that he came up with this on his own.
Show threadNicole ParsonsJul 11, 2025

@galad @dangillmor

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-14/richest-brazilians-billionaires-tax-free-dividends-targeted-by-government

https://www.commondreams.org/news/global-wealth-tax-plan

https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jul/28/brazil-radical-plan-tax-global-super-rich-tackle-climate-crisis

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a27508546/farm-bailout-brazilian-meatpacking-company-donald-trump-trade-war/

https://www.statista.com/statistics/958519/richest-brazilians-by-wealth/

https://ceoworld.biz/2024/03/15/richest-people-in-brazil-2024/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Brazilian_billionaires

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Brazilians_by_net_worth

Billionaires funded Jan 6.
Which billionaires funded Bolsonaro's coup attempt? Was it the Batista brothers?
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/25/world/americas/brazil-meatpacker-jbs-trump-nyse.html

https://www.newsweek.com/trump-administration-farmers-bailout-brazil-brothers-1427346

Musk?
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2024/9/19/elon-musk-is-a-threat-to-brazils-democracy

Brazil proposed a wealth tax.
https://www.ft.com/content/859ef96a-daa8-4fcc-96ab-a3a9465a441a

Show threadJoel TruherJul 11, 2025
@dangillmor Trump's every breath is extortion of some kind. It's how he thinks the world works.
Show thread@iveylineJul 11, 2025
@dangillmor Trump is out of control and yet the Senate and Congress does nothing. The way things are going the US will have damaged relations with just about every country in the world.
Show threadDebbie BelairJul 11, 2025
@dangillmor It's just a game to him. I think the more we react the worse it will be.
Show threadWilsonSmithJul 11, 2025

@dangillmor AGENT ORANGE THE BLOVIATED UNLETTERED FASCIST AND WANNABE MOB BOSS NEEDS TO BE REMOVED FROM POWER !

All it would take is at least 3.5% of the population to take to the streets grind the economy and governance to a halt thus making it too expensive for the ruling class NOT to yield power back to the people !

https://tinyurl.com/3-5perToAffectChange

The '3.5% rule': How a small minority can change the world

Nonviolent protests are twice as likely to succeed as armed conflicts – and those engaging a threshold of 3.5% of the population have never failed to bring about change.

BBC