China raises tariffs on US goods to 84% as rift escalates

Why tariffs are happening / how expected they were

• Several argue there is “no reason” in an economic sense; tariffs are driven by Trump’s personal fixation on trade deficits, not coherent policy.
• Disagreement on whether voters “should have known”: some say he openly campaigned on tariffs; others say he made many contradictory promises and most supporters expected lower prices, not higher.
• Debate over whether “smart” business and finance people should have predicted this; some say it was obvious from his behavior, others say markets clearly did not price it in.

Domestic US politics and voter behavior

• Long subthread on how people vote: policy vs vibes, “it’s the economy, stupid,” anger over inflation, and the structural limits of a two‑party system.
• Some emphasize you don’t win by shaming voters; others say they feel no obligation to stay civil toward Trump supporters.
• Criticism that both major US parties are unserious, with Democrats trying to outflank Trump on the right instead of offering a positive program.

US–China dependence and industrial capacity

• One camp: tariffs are a crude but necessary shock to rebuild US industrial and military capacity, reduce dependence on China, and respond to a more conflict‑prone world.
• Another camp: real re‑industrialization needs targeted tariffs plus subsidies, education, and planning; broad tariffs are “hooliganism” and inflationary.

Chinese perspectives and political systems

• A Chinese commenter says many in China understand censorship but broadly value stability and see government responsiveness improving; they reject the “high‑pressure dictatorship” caricature.
• Others challenge claims that “Chinese seem happy” given heavy information control, and contrast Taiwan’s prosperity and democracy.

National security, Taiwan, and ideology

• Some frame de‑risking from China as national security, especially around semiconductors, drones, and a possible Taiwan conflict.
• Others see “national security” as cover for declining US hegemony and ideological power politics, noting US history of regime change.
• Long exchange on Taiwan’s status, history (ROC vs PRC), national pride vs security, and whether China’s claim is practical or primarily ideological.

Globalization, inequality, and collapse narratives

• One analysis traces policy from 1980s neoliberalism: outsourcing industry, concentrating wealth in service/tech hubs, brain drain, and resentment in deindustrialized regions.
• Suggestion that Trump’s tariffs are seen by his camp as a last‑ditch attempt to reverse globalism before the US “dissolves”; others think this is overstated or just greed long ignored.

Diplomatic fallout and global perception

• Commenters outside the US describe rapidly deteriorating goodwill toward America and talk of informal boycotts, even in historically pro‑US countries.
• Concern that blanket tariffs on allies push them toward closer ties with China instead of reducing dependency.

Effectiveness, workarounds, and escalation

• Note that firms will relabel or reroute goods to dodge tariffs; one linked example describes explicitly planning around Trump‑era tariffs.
• Some call for jumping straight to extreme tariffs or embargo to “get it over with”; others ask why reciprocal Chinese measures are framed as “escalation” rather than symmetric response.