Quote:
Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop
Trump and other recent political trends are reversing the trend towards a unified global labor market.
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I'm with GGG on this. Putin's strategy, abetted by Trump and Farage, is to stop globalization and retain a regional sphere of influence. I believe Putin realizes that a decade or so more of liberal globalization will make it impossible for dictators to retain meaningful control of their states.
Putin is a dinosaur. He does not want to be challenged by global economic actors within his perceived sphere of control. His best and only way of walling off the world is by creating conflicts between regions. The tried and true way of doing this is to start a trade war/cold war. This leads to nationalism and regionalism, and impedes trade and cooperation.
But I don't think it's going to work for Putin this time around. The internet has connected us in a way that frustrates this sort of mercantilism. Too many powerful multinational actors, too many connections... I think the horse left the barn here a long time ago, and liberal, global trade will overcome all of Putin's, Trump's, and Farage's efforts to stanch it.
(What's of far more concern to me is the new Chinese policy of "social credit." If you've not read of this, do so. It's the most insidious form of oppression and control I've ever seen... straight out of
Fahrenheit 451 or
Brave New World. While we in the west and Putin try to figure out how to control our populations with borders, these sick and evil fucks in China have learned how to control their people with a perverse form of currency.)
