re: Mussolini's tariffs and protectionism became Fascism

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Again, Mussolini used tariffs to support a transition to an autocratic, aggressive military power. Trump, on the other hand, is using tariffs to combat unfair trade practices with China, who has not responded to previous negotiations with Trump or his predecessors.

For you to equate the use of tariffs as a basis to say Trump's nationalist posture, which is defensive towards China, to Mussolini's nationalist/fascist posture, which was offensive in nature towards it's neighbors, is at best, flimsy sophistry. You've demonstrated no critical analysis that makes the charge stick.

Tariffs are an economic tool. Using another tool as an example, it's like saying a man who uses a hammer to build a fence and keep bad people out of his yard is acting in the same capacity as a man wielding a hammer that goes and attacks a neighobor with it. Would you really argue that both uses of the hammer (tool) are ethically equivalent? One is offensive and one is defensive. So, if the intent behind using a tool (hammer or tariff) is different, and if the action performed with the tool is different, then any attempt to label the person wielding the tool must be similarly distinguished... A carpenter with a hammer is not a murderous felon or psychotic person with a hammer. A policeman with a gun and a deer hunter with a gun are not the same thing as a murdering rapist with a gun or a terrorist with a gun. And Mussolini employing tariffs to increasingly turn Italy into an aggressive, autocratic military power is not remotely similar to Trump employing tariffs to force China to consider trade practices which are more fair to the US. Trump's use of tariffs is so vastly different in intent and circumstance to Mussolini's, that any attempt to relate it to Trump turning the USA into WWII Italy is completely invalid. Not partly invalid. Completely invalid. Your premise is wrong.

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