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Culture War Roundup for the week of May 12, 2025

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US and China slash tariffs as trade war cools

It looks like we will experience a de-escalation of the tariff battle between the US and China.

The U.S. will cut Trump’s recent tariffs on Chinese imports from 145 percent to 30 percent, while the Chinese side will drop measures from 125 percent to 10 percent. The suspension is temporary for now, lasting 90 days, allowing time for further negotiations.

How does this line up with your personal predictions for how this was going to proceed?

My belief was that both sides would maintain 100+% tariffs but exempt essentially everything that matters. This development shows that I was wrong and I don't understand something about the events that have occurred. Does anybody have any ideas on what I missed?

So... Trump blinked? These are the tariff numbers we would have if Trump had just imposed the flat 10% rate on China he did on every other country. What benefit did the United States get out of this pause on trade with China? I guess Trump and his inner circle probably made a killing on insider trading this announcement.

He got to 30 and people are calling it a good thing. If he started at this number people would shriek at it. If de minimis nuking is still there in the background overshadowed by all the other stuff, then he also got to kill shein and temu and aliexpress

Even at 30% children's pyjama's from Aliexpress are still better than what's on offer domesticly with all the US safetyism.

You mean you don't want flame retardants for children's sleep clothes? You think you can just clothe your child in loose fitting, non-retarded cotton? What if your child falls asleep while smoking and the cigarette lights their jammies and they just get fucking immolated? Has that thought crossed your mind?