I am appalled that some “libertarians” continue to defend Trump and MAGA, as if there is some broader strategy at work here. That somehow the more blatant shift toward state capitalism is going to lead to some kind of “free market/free trade” utopia in the future. Add in Trump’s amping-up of domestic police actions in urban centers and across the United States with the goal of terrorizing and deporting millions of peaceful, productive “illegal” immigrants, as well as his intimidation of educational, cultural, and legal institutions, and his various interventions abroad and what you have is nothing resembling the libertarianism I grew up with.
Adam B. Kushner in today’s The New York Times, discusses how “The New State Interventions: Protectionism, industrial policy and government ownership — all once conservative boogeymen — have become official doctrine.”
From the article:
Conservative orthodoxy once held that the free market was the key to America’s economic success. In this view, Milton Friedman was a laissez-faire prophet. The Soviet Union was the sclerotic alternative. Ronald Reagan captured Republican sentiment when he said, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.”
That’s not how President Trump — or his party — feels. The president wields tariffs to boost American companies. Populist Republicans in Congress back government subsidies to juice manufacturing. The United States is taking a 10 percent stake in Intel and a 15 percent cut of sales by Nvidia, both chipmakers. And Trump wants to replace the people who run the independent Federal Reserve with more compliant appointees. Protectionism, industrial policy and government ownership — all once conservative boogeymen — are now official doctrine.
Notablog 