Beyond the Drama: Rethinking the Global Conversation on Trade
The mainstream U.S. media’s coverage of the so-called “trade war” has been anything but illuminating. The term itself is a contradiction in spirit. Trade, at its core, is about mutual benefit and peaceful cooperation—the very opposite of war. Yet, we are fed a daily stream of headlines that turn global economic policy into reality TV: Trump strikes! Trump retreats! Trump roars! Trump whimpers! This is not trade analysis. This is spectacle.
And therein lies the problem. The media's obsession with titillation over understanding has left the public ill-informed on one of the most consequential areas of modern geopolitics. Trade is not a game of personality. It is a delicate, dynamic mechanism that shapes the well-being of billions.
What’s missing from the coverage is any meaningful engagement with the actual impacts of this so-called war. Yes, we hear about price hikes at Walmart. Yes, there’s some mention of factory slowdowns in China. But what about the rest of the world? What about the dozens of poorer nations whose economic futures are caught in the crossfire? These are not footnotes—they are frontline casualties.
The Global South, in particular, is often sidelined in the trade discourse. Smaller economies that rely on exporting textiles, electronics components, or raw materials are among the hardest hit by the uncertainty and instability brought on by the weaponization of tariffs. These countries don’t have the luxury of strategic posturing—they survive by integrating into global supply chains that depend on stability and predictability.
We must move beyond the theater of trade and start having deeper, more systemic conversations. Fortunately, some books are pointing the way forward. Two books stand out in this regard:
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Rethinking Trade: A Blueprint for a Just and Thriving Global Economy offers a comprehensive framework to restructure global trade so it prioritizes fairness, sustainability, and global equity over brute profit and power plays. It challenges the status quo of top-down globalization and makes the case for a new model that includes the voices and interests of the Global South.
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Trump’s Trade War provides a detailed chronicle of the policies, rhetoric, and consequences of Trump-era trade strategies. It’s a sobering reminder that tariffs are not abstract tools—they are blunt instruments that can fracture economies and deepen inequalities when wielded recklessly.
These books are not just antidotes to media fluff. They are essential readings for anyone who wants to understand trade beyond headlines and hashtags.
In an age where every policy decision has global ripple effects, we need less drama and more depth. We need fewer Trumpisms and more trade literacy. We need journalism that sees beyond U.S. consumer prices and Chinese GDP numbers—and acknowledges the interconnected, vulnerable fabric of the global economy.
Let’s shift the focus from titillation to transformation. The stakes are too high to treat trade like a game.
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— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) June 12, 2025
The way U.S. media covers the so-called “trade war” is a disservice.
Trade is supposed to prevent war—not be a form of it.
But you'd think it was a reality TV show.
Trump is in. Trump is out. Trump is lion. Trump is chicken. ๐๐ฆ
That’s not trade policy. That’s drama.
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— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) June 12, 2025
Let’s stop playing “trade war” and start rethinking trade.
The world is too interconnected for this kind of media shallowness.
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๐ https://t.co/8aGH1Vh2WL
๐ https://t.co/jujJ9md1G4#TradeJustice #GlobalEconomy #RethinkingTrade #TrumpTradeWar #EconTwitter
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— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) June 12, 2025
What if one speech collapsed a country—and gave birth to a new world?
Welcome to Empty Country, a novel of mass migration, collapse, and rebirth. ๐งต@TrueSlazac
@cafreiman pic.twitter.com/Hnc9jB7sQC
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) June 12, 2025
1/ ๐ซ BREAKING: On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight 171—a Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner (VT‑ANB)—departed Ahmedabad, India, bound for London Gatwick. Less than a minute after takeoff, it veered off course and crashed into a building near the airport.
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) June 12, 2025
