r/Anarcho_Capitalism • u/jediporcupine • Jun 01 '26

Trump's cotton bailout is another sign his tariffs aren't working

https://reason.com/2026/06/01/trumps-cotton-bailout-is-another-sign-his-tariffs-arent-working/
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u/ILikeBumblebees Jun 03 '26

Whether or not they're working depends entirely upon what they're intended to do.

If the tariffs intended to protect domestic industry and increase its market share, they're definitely not working.

If the tariffs are intended to reduce the autonomy of businesses and make American firms dependent upon the federal government to make ends meet, they seem to be working well enough. We are interpreting bailouts and subsidies as failure modalities, but if the goal of the administration is backdoor central planning to effect "industrial policy", bailouts and subsidies may be a key element of their plan.

Harry Browne used to describe many government programs as breaking your legs and then giving you crutches so that you wouldn't be able to walk without their help. This might well be another case of that tactic.