2 Jul 2025 09:00
Will Trump's Tariffs Fuel or Foil the Degrowth Movement?
As Trump’s tariffs kick in, the Republican party is suddenly spouting anti-consumerist rhetoric that would make the Lorax smile. Should we cheer on this accidental experiment in economic shrinkage, or will this ham-fisted set of trade policies cause a backlash against the proponents of degrowth? As political confusion reigns, we offer eco-localism as the no-regrets way to build community resilience in the face of unprecedented ineptitude that probably won’t go away anytime soon. Originally recorded on 6/16/25.
Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language.
Sources/Links/Notes:
- Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, Abundance, Avid Reader Press, March 2025.
- UN Alliance For Sustainable Fashion addresses the damage of ‘fast fashion’
- Kelsey Piper, "Trump’s bizarre new push to make us poorer," Vox, February 7, 2025.
- Kenneth Pucker, "Lessons From Trump’s Degrowth Experiment," Business of Fashion, May 9, 2025.
- Kenneth Bradsher, "China’s Chokehold on This Obscure Mineral Threatens the West’s Militaries," New York Times, June 9, 2025.
- Adam Tooze, "Trump's futurism: Elon's rockets and fewer dolls for "baby girl," Chartbook, May 6, 2025.
- "The End of Fast Fashion?," The Daily, May 15, 2025.
- Kurt Cobb, "Trade war vise grip: China is squeezing rare earth supply and it’s hurting," Resilience, June 8, 2025.
- "Derek Thompson: Trump's War on Dolls," The Bulwark, May 2, 2025.
- Richard Heinberg, "How Eco-Localism Differs from Tariff Terrorism," Resilience, April 17, 2025.
Related episode(s) of Crazy Town:
- Episode 86, "Escaping Growthism"
- Episode 94, “Breaking News: Crazy Town joins the newly formed Department of Entropy”
