Comment by setsewerd | Hacker News Reader

Comment by setsewerd | Hacker News Reader

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My understanding of economics doesn't go further than a few college classes I took, and I have no idea how sophisticated the models are that modern economists are using to make these kinds of conclusions. And Trump's whole approach does seem to be a pretty terrible idea from what I've read.

However, a part of me is curious whether certain political maneuvers (power dynamics etc) are sufficiently captured in modern economic models? Could there be a reason that the Trump administration is continuing to persevere on something that is seen across the board as an objectively bad idea? Is it possible that this is actually smarter than just a poorly calculated ego trip or a means to game the economy for personal profit?

> Could there be a reason that the Trump administration is continuing to persevere on something that is seen across the board as an objectively bad idea?

From cofefe to tarrifs there's always someone out there insisting that whatever inexplicable move Trump is making at this moment is actually 4D chess, and ready to explain how this is some convoluted move we just don't understand. In reality I think the answer is no. I've seen nothing to convince me over the years that Trump is operating at this level, and it's telling that it's never Trump whose explaining how these moves are supposed to lead to wonderful outcomes through convoluted paths, but instead some rando on the Internet.

There's definitely still a part of me hoping that in order to have what it takes to win the presidency, a president has to be much more capable than the average person when it comes to operating at these peak positions of global power. So while I'm not big on the 4D chess arguments, I do like to keep an open mind and question whether the most obvious prevailing interpretations might be wrong or at least incomplete.

But of course this might just be wishful thinking because the alternative is a pretty hard pill to swallow, so it's less anxiety-inducing to stay optimistic.

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