Modern civilization is on the brink of collapse. The era of globalism is over. Order will return only through religion and morality. Without them, it's just chaos. It is written by Italian past prof. Roberto de Mattei.
On 2 April 2025, which U.S. president Donald Trump called "The Day of Liberation", was announced the introduction of a universal 10% tariff on all imports to the United States. In addition, the president imposed higher duties on 57 trading partners, identifying these steps as essential to correct the commercial practices he considered unfair and reconstruct the balance of the US trade balance.
Trump's initiative has sparked dismay and protests worldwide, but in itself it is not scandalous. Customs tariffs are a classical tool of protectionism, that is, the economical policy adopted by the state to defend home manufacture and production from abroad competition. This is done by imposing indirect taxes on goods that cross national borders, whether imported or exported. abroad products then become little competitive than local ones.
Protectionism is opposed to the economical policy of free trade, which recognises any barriers to global trade as harmful to the state. The most celebrated free trade theorist is British economist David Ricardo (1772-1823). All economical students know his comparative advantage explanation that all country can benefit from global trade due to the fact that trade between countries encourages specialisation in production and allows for greater production worldwide.
The British opposed the modern German Friedrich List (1789-1846), which preferred the application of customs duties and state intervention, peculiarly to defend the emerging industries. List's thesis of the emerging manufacture was first officially announced by American Treasure Secretary Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804) to build a strong nation utilizing a strong and autonomous industry.
From the very beginning, the United States has adopted a protectionist policy to advance national industrial improvement before European, especially British, competition. The tariff bill of 1789 was 1 of the first instruments passed by the United States legislature after independence. For almost a 100 years, at least until the civilian War (1861–1865), the application of duties to all imported products was a major origin of income for the national government. However, the 1930 tariff bill (Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act), which president Herbert Hoover wanted to defend the American economy from the large Depression, did not solve the problem and began the phase of the collapse of protectionism.
After planet War II, the United States led the construction of a fresh global economical order based on trade liberalisation. They were 1 of the main promoters of GATT (later WTO, planet Trade Organisation) and signed many free trade agreements, including NAFTA with Canada and Mexico. The Treaty of Maastricht of 1992 incorporated Europe into the globalisation process, which was to take place through the abolition of borders and the globalisation of markets.
However, in the 2 1000 years, there was a crisis of a fresh planet order that is moving towards serious global chaos. The Covid pandemic struck a serious blow to globalisation, prompting national states to impose strict restrictions on the freedom of movement of their citizens. Europe was at the forefront, and its European protests against trade barriers uncover a large deal of hypocrisy. In fresh years, the EU has taken the lead in the green economy against climate change. Among its precedence policies is alleged "green protectionism", i.e. the application of environmental policies (such as emissions taxes, climate regulations, green standards) which restrict or condition imports of goods from 3rd countries. This economical policy is not inspired by the liberalist logic of David Ricardo, but by the protectionist logic of Friedrich List, due to the fact that it protects strategical industries in the name of a "higher target" or "crisis situation" which yesterday was industrial development, and present climate change. In practice, it is simply a form of commercial protectionism that pretends to defend the environment.
Biden's administration besides utilized protectionist measures to implement the green economy. The inflation simplification bill, adopted in the US in 2022, provides hundreds of billions of subsidies to green technology companies (such as electrical cars, solar panels and batteries) if part of the production takes place in the US. This is an apparent form of protectionism.
The story of globalisation seems to be behind us. Donald Trump's first presidency (2017-2021) marked a return to protectionism, with the imposition of duties on steel, aluminium and Chinese goods to reduce the trade deficit. In his inaugural speech delivered on 20 January 2025 at the White House, which inaugurated his second term, Trump referred to 25th president of America William McKinley (1843-1901), a "father" of customs waves passed in 1890 that contributed to America's "golden age".
Is Donald Trump's tariff war expected to calm us and make us happy? Not at all. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, a fragile and interdependent planet arose in the name of the “universal republic”. besides strong an intervention in this weak strategy can consequence in a domino effect, triggering a series of systemic crises which, by driving each other, can lead to a planetary economical collapse. It should be remembered that economics are not just numbers and algorithms. Markets are profoundly emotional and economical decisions are frequently based not only on what is happening, but besides on what we believe will happen. The large 1929 crisis was primarily due to a breakdown of confidence, which became a collective panic.
The pandemic left deep tensions that inactive affect people's psyche. In Europe, the Russian-Ukrainian War and uncontrolled immigration have contributed to intellectual instability, which can rapidly lead to political and economical instability and thus to chaos. Modern civilization, born triumphantly on the ruins of the mediate Ages, seems close to falling. It'll either be spiritual and moral, or it won't be at all.
Roberto de Mattei
Corrispondenza Romana
Pache
