Are there any instance where tariffs left the people of the country in a better place?
> Is it worse to have our goods cost more
Apparently for Americans it is worse, that's why we continue to buy cheap stuff from Amazon and Walmart. Cost of living / affordability is the #1 issue for more than a decade now.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge%27s_law_of_headline...
toomuchtodo•41m ago
China deploys more robotics than anyone else in the world. Who is likely to solve this problem first? The world is rapidly aging, and the future of physical labor in manufacturing is not human. I somewhat humorously imagine a future where some of my products will be certified "100% non human labor produced." Could the US and Europe do the same? Certainly, if there is the will to do so. When will this happen? And how long will it take once the will has arrived?
UN: Ageing - https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/ageing ("In 63 countries and areas – containing 28 per cent of the world’s population in 2024 – the size of the population peaked before 2024. This group includes China, Germany, Japan and the Russian Federation.")
Global Older Adult Population Projected to Nearly Double by 2060 - https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2026/older-ad... - August 31st, 2026
China Makes AI-powered Robots Core of National Strategy: China´s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) marks pivot to innovation - https://ifr.org/ifr-press-releases/news/china-makes-ai-power...
> Frankfurt, May 05, 2026 — China has launched its 15th Five-Year Plan by placing robotics at the heart of its modern industrial system. The aim is to pivot its AI research towards physical applications with robots as main drivers for economic growth. This is a next step in the country´s strong automation development: China´s manufacturing industry already has an operational stock of around 2 million units — approximately 4.5 times more than the global no. 2, Japan. 54% of annual industrial robots installed worldwide were deployed in China. This is according to the World Robotics 2025 Report, presented by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).
Additional facts for context:
71% of the global population lives in countries below replacement rate, as of this comment.
China is expected to reach low carbon energy generation being 70% of their total electrical generation in 2027.
China's electricity generated from coal has fallen below 50% as of 2026.
China is the economy decarbonizing the fastest, ergo where you would want manufacturing to take place if carbon impact were a component of decisioning.
(think in systems)