Think Donald Trump invented using tariffs as political leverage? Think again! 🕰️🌊 Venetian traders in the late Middle Ages were flexing tariff policies long before #TradeTwitter was a thing.
Venice, the Mediterranean’s OG economic powerhouse, dominated global commerce with strategic duties on foreign merchants. But according to historians, there’s a key difference: Unlike Trump’s aggressive trade wars, Venice kept tariffs low to boost long-term alliances. 🎭💡
"Trade was the city’s lifeblood," says Luciano Pezzolo, a historian at Ca’ Foscari University. "Venice prioritized building trust over short-term gains. It was chess, not checkers." 🧠⚖️
While Trump’s 21st-century tariffs targeted specific industries (remember the soybean drama? 🌱), Venice’s approach focused on stability. Could modern politicians learn from merchants who sailed the Adriatic? Anchors aweigh! ⚓✨
