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” Support the show