The Guardian’s editorial about the American trade war feels like an essay by @pluralistic on the enshittification of the global economy
“Its message is brutally simple: you may sell your goods to Walmart shoppers, but only if you let US cloud services hoover up your data, US media flood your screens and US tech monopolies operate on their terms – not yours. TikTok is the test case for Trump’s platform nationalism: only US firms may mine data, reap profits and rule the digital empire.”
“Mr Trump demands tribute … control over digital infrastructure, forced access for hi-tech rentiers and suppression of rival technologies. The realpolitik is that you can sell to American consumers – but only if you buy into American rules, platforms and financial dependencies.”
“Mr Trump made clear, the revenues are earmarked not for public investment or industrial policy, but for tax cuts that benefit the wealthy. In this regime, tariffs redistribute upward: the poor pay more, so billionaires pay less.”
“If allies want to trade, they must also license Google Cloud services, buy Boeing jets and resist Chinese influence. Trade, technology and security are bundled into a single, rent-seeking foreign policy.”
“[Other global economies must reduce dependence on the US]– by deepening regional integration … investing in technological autonomy … In the long run, strategic cooperation – not bilateral concession – is the only durable answer to tariff imperialism.”
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/apr/04/the-guardian-view-on-donald-trumps-tariff-ultimatum-tribute-for-access-to-americas-empire
Aral Balkan
Richard Littler
Josh
David Gerard
George Takei 
🏳️🌈🖖🏽
Nathan Schneider
𝐿𝒶𝓃𝒶 "not yet begun to fight"
BeyondMachines 