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PaperclipPerfector  10mo ago (text post)   36234 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of May 5, 2025

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Overnight updates:

  • It looks like the NeverTrump line on the deal from the US side is that luxury car buyers and private jet makers get tariff relief and normal people don't. (Although the UK doesn't really export mass-market consumer goods - I don't think Scotch drinkers and Barbour wearers are that much poorer than Land Rover drivers). Given that the main manufactured goods covered are cars and jet engines this is being called (surprisingly accurately) the Rolls-Royce deal. (Although Rolls-Royce cars and Rolls-Royce jet engines are now entirely separate companies).
  • Conservativehome.com rather surprisingly does not have a rapid reaction piece up from a UK Tory perspective. That suggests that the Tories are split over whether to support or oppose the deal.
  • Taking time to think about it, there is an interesting pattern which matches the 1st Trump admin's negotiations with China. Trump launches a trade war saying that the aim is to revitalise US manufacturing, but when the time comes to negotiate manufacturing gets thrown under the bus and Trump negotiates benefits for US agriculture.

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