Tariffism

The strategic use of economic fear, threats, and surprise import taxes by a government to coerce compliance, punish dissent, or protect fragile national egos—often under the guise of patriotism, fairness, or “leveling the playing field.” Unlike terrorism, which weaponizes explosives, tariffism weaponizes spreadsheets and supply chains, inflicting psychological and financial trauma on domestic populations while claiming to target foreign bad guys.

Compare:

Terrorism: instills fear through violence

Tariffism: instills fear through rising prices and economic whiplash

Note:
Practitioners of tariffism are often immune to consequences due to their immunity from basic economics and their ability to print more money or blame foreigners.

When the administration slapped a 400% tariff on toothbrushes from Luxembourg, citizens began stockpiling dental floss in terror—a textbook case of tariffism.

by JesterOthePines June 4, 2025

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