For the entirety of my lifetime, and likely yours, we were told that workers in the US were reliant on cheaper commodities. That even when it is a ‘luxury’ item such as an iPhone, we in the US would be desperate for access to these goods that used all sorts of ill labor to produce.
This, in my opinion, has become true. We are captured by the markets, and reliant on what is accessible through them, in order to live, and we will buy quality for what is deemed ‘affordable’ pricing. This trumps how the product was produced, who did what where, etc. And this does alienate us more from international workers in nations in the ‘periphery’.
However, this critique has been unevenly distributed to us by those who control our nation, the largest capital owners and business owners.
These factories that class helps build and fund are able to produce far better-quality product extremely efficiently, however, they are the ones who decide to maximize their profits and use ‘cheap’ labor and even subpar materials.
It is that class that has become reliant on exploitation and overproduction that has continually shaped the US to follow suit, forcing these conditions amongst those with less income, the majority. This same class then has repeatedly pivoted to explaining how it is the demand from ‘consumers’ that reinforce the need for this.
This same class that we find has tailored ‘bespoke’ clothing with the highest quality materials, buys exorbitant fabrics, alcohol, flooring in their homes, etc. etc. This same class is the one that funnels tons of product, that they may not use themselves, to the rest of the populace, to create a false mimic of their life. You earn a bit more money and buy a bunch of shirts or shoes or build a home gym, etc. and feel empowered compared to your peers. Just to realize that all of these things you purchased are not of the quality that this higher class even purchase.
For you McDonalds is a quick meal of comfort. For them, it is a vestige of a past self, a nostalgic snack, a reminder. Like when you reminisce about Halloween, and all the fun you had as a kid, as you look at the candy at a check out aisle and pick up some chocolate you haven’t had in many years.
This has truly been revealed with the Trump tariffs. The Democrats, and the faux-left have come together to form a quite a misdirection. The Democrats have touted that these tariffs and the volatility that ensued from the truly horrid rollout, increased inflation and costs on ‘consumers’, something they will never stop reminding us, that Trump promised to fight in his 2024 campaign. They tell us about the costs on ‘small business owners’ and how it has led to much strife for them. And faux-left goes on and on repeating the exact same narratives, as if they all listen to the same guru, that tariffs in and of themselves are not bad, and actually are needed for an industrial economy, but you targeted tariffs are better and you need to have a detailed plan and plenty of time and cannot rely on simply market forces.
I think that there should be more focus on the unmasking of the reliance the business owning and capital owning elite have had on ‘cheap’ foreign labor, resources, and production.
We see how the elites are the ones actually tanking ‘the market’, requesting meetings with Trump for exceptions and extensions, buying out op-eds and articles, pushing their narratives through mainstream media, etc.
The average American accepts they have limited pull on the President of the United States, the major news outlets such as the NYT or CNN, let alone the ability to cause fluctuations with simply their capital. We live impatiently as active participants spectating from the sidelines where we will never be tagged in.
However, the US Elites have revealed that they are truly the ones who cannot accept not having production overseas and have always had the power to shift direction and directly access the media, the parties, and Trump, the same President who was in office almost a decade ago for his first term and through the beginning of the “Pandemic period”.
I think although it is valuable to push the messaging that protective tariffs are a great tool and that you must have a comprehensive plan for industrial development of a nation, that this is overstated. It holds a greater value, to also highlight, and focus on the desperation these US Elites have (and the International Elites that each sat down, right next to their nations’ leaders, to meet with Trump) and how they have this access and ability to get their demands heard and taken into consideration. This is showcasing how ‘liberal democracy’ is a sham and only exists for those with the most capital.
The Democrats in particular, purposefully try to blur this. They focus on Elon Musk, the aircraft gifted to Trump/the US, etc., and speak about wealthy individuals in the White House. But they also make sure to consistently position this same classes critiques against the economy and what Trump’s agenda is. Platforming their opinions, advice, and critiques as more valid due to these individuals’ billionaire status and market success.
The more we show how these Elites run our nation and truly have access to all the markets we are priced out of. How they can even access illegal markets. How they are accessing our President the same way the two Parties were desperately trying to control Twitter as revealed in the Twitter Files. How they have now really captured social media and even begun to dominate the major podcasts and the like. We are better able to see how our nation is run. How the Elite, reveal their ownership over even the ideas we see discussed on ‘our’ platforms.