Peter Navarro Invented an Expert for His Books, Based on Himself (2019)

Accountability and “Nothing Matters” Politics

• Many see inventing an expert as obviously disqualifying, but argue norms have eroded: scandals now pass with minimal impact, even serious crimes or misconduct.
• Others think consequences may finally be emerging as economic pain (tariffs, market drops, retirement losses) hits voters directly and erodes the “successful businessman” image.

Trumpism, Cult Dynamics, and Media

• Several frame Trumpism as a “cult-lite”: followers are attached to a persona built via reality TV and constant self‑promotion.
• Some believe the cult will only end with Trump’s death; others think careful framing (letting supporters “save face”) can unwind it.
• Fox News and similar outlets are described as key to maintaining support, often minimizing or ignoring negative economic news.

Tariffs, Markets, and Distributional Effects

• Commenters link Navarro’s ideas directly to Trump’s tariff policies and current market turmoil.
• Tariffs are described as a regressive “sales tax” and a wealth transfer from poorer consumers to the rich.
• People nearing or in retirement are seen as particularly exposed when market drops wipe out a year or more of gains; debate ensues over appropriate risk levels in retirement investing.

Navarro’s Role, Credibility, and Fake Personas

• The invented expert is viewed as a way to launder fringe views into “academic” authority and give Trump plausible deniability.
• Some downplay it as a literary device, but most see it as emblematic of dishonesty with serious policy consequences.
• Parallels are drawn to other Trump-world figures using pseudonyms or fake personas to boost themselves.

Economics, Expertise, and MMT Debate

• One thread attacks economics as a “bullcrap degree”; others defend the field and blame anti‑intellectualism and politicians ignoring mainstream advice.
• Navarro is portrayed as far outside mainstream economics—likened to flat‑earthers or anti‑vaxxers in other fields.
• Sub‑discussion on Modern Monetary Theory: whether it’s “mainstream” or explicitly heterodox, and how much it actually influences policy.

Academic Status and Institutional Response

• Navarro’s emeritus status at UC Irvine is debated: it’s largely honorific but still a real institutional affiliation with some privileges.
• Several argue the title can and likely should be revoked to protect the university’s reputation.

New Tariff Rules on Small Imports

• Commenters highlight upcoming elimination of de minimis thresholds and a 30% or $50 minimum charge on small imported parcels.
• Some welcome reduced “cheap junk” imports; others warn it will cripple DIYers, small importers, and niche components (e.g., sensors) with no quick domestic replacement.
• Skepticism that firms will invest in U.S. manufacturing given political uncertainty over how long such tariffs will last.

Limits of Current Economic Models

• One thread argues traditional aggregate-demand models miss distributional effects in highly unequal economies, proposing micro‑level modeling enabled by modern computation.
• Wealth concentration and mechanisms like stock buybacks are cited as evidence that standard tools poorly capture real-world outcomes.