One thing about the tariffs issue that I don’t understand. Why don’t all the countries affected simply call Trump’s bluff and offer to eliminate all tariffs on US exports if the US does likewise? What’s wrong with totally free trade between our countries? Most all of them have a huge competitive advantage in their lower wages so why do they need protection from high wage US workers?
I caught an older documentary from Media Matters -the far lefty one. The whole thing was about the sell out of America by NAFTA. It showed the various groups, including clergy, opposing it because it would hollow out manufacturing. Today, all those 'leftists' are crying about the tariffs. It just shows that we have become such ideologues we will knowingly drink poison if it has the right label. Judge Napolitano discussed with a U of Chicago professor a viral clip of a Chinese young man acknowledging China's manufacturing destroyed the middle class of the US. But he said, blame your oligarchy that bought yachts instead of building roads with profits. His video contained a lot of truth wrapped in a propaganda wrapping. We were sold the concept of getting cheap goods with a promise that China's leaders would transform it into a humanitarian democracy. That was a stupid arrogant belief. China has a long complex history. They are playing a long game.
"government interventions aimed at influencing the structure and performance of specific industries or economic activities. It encompasses a range of policies, including subsidies, tax breaks, trade restrictions, and regulations, designed to foster growth, innovation, and competitiveness in targeted sectors."
I am rather leery of this part. Our government does not particularly have an encouraging track record of interventions in the economy having the intended effects at the intended costs, but rather of wasting vast sums for counterproductive results. The more government gets involved, the less the success of a company tends to depend on its actual performance or investments in R&D and the more it depends on its investments in lobbying and campaign contributions.
Good points, however, in order for tariffs to work a country must have some sort of industrial base first. As your graphs and chats clearly show, our manufacturing base has been systematically destroyed.
One thing the tariffs are already starting to do is to destroy small businesses which depend on some key imported ingredient, such as microbreweries importing hops from say, Germany, or a small manufacturer needing a computer chip made only overseas.
IOW, the tariffs seem designed to crush small businesses in the US, just like the plandemic was. The big money supporting Trump has no problem with that.
One thing about the tariffs issue that I don’t understand. Why don’t all the countries affected simply call Trump’s bluff and offer to eliminate all tariffs on US exports if the US does likewise? What’s wrong with totally free trade between our countries? Most all of them have a huge competitive advantage in their lower wages so why do they need protection from high wage US workers?
I believe some nations have done so.
I caught an older documentary from Media Matters -the far lefty one. The whole thing was about the sell out of America by NAFTA. It showed the various groups, including clergy, opposing it because it would hollow out manufacturing. Today, all those 'leftists' are crying about the tariffs. It just shows that we have become such ideologues we will knowingly drink poison if it has the right label. Judge Napolitano discussed with a U of Chicago professor a viral clip of a Chinese young man acknowledging China's manufacturing destroyed the middle class of the US. But he said, blame your oligarchy that bought yachts instead of building roads with profits. His video contained a lot of truth wrapped in a propaganda wrapping. We were sold the concept of getting cheap goods with a promise that China's leaders would transform it into a humanitarian democracy. That was a stupid arrogant belief. China has a long complex history. They are playing a long game.
"government interventions aimed at influencing the structure and performance of specific industries or economic activities. It encompasses a range of policies, including subsidies, tax breaks, trade restrictions, and regulations, designed to foster growth, innovation, and competitiveness in targeted sectors."
I am rather leery of this part. Our government does not particularly have an encouraging track record of interventions in the economy having the intended effects at the intended costs, but rather of wasting vast sums for counterproductive results. The more government gets involved, the less the success of a company tends to depend on its actual performance or investments in R&D and the more it depends on its investments in lobbying and campaign contributions.
"If it's moving tax it. If it keeps moving, raise taxes. When it stops moving, subsidize it."
-RR
Good points, however, in order for tariffs to work a country must have some sort of industrial base first. As your graphs and chats clearly show, our manufacturing base has been systematically destroyed.
One thing the tariffs are already starting to do is to destroy small businesses which depend on some key imported ingredient, such as microbreweries importing hops from say, Germany, or a small manufacturer needing a computer chip made only overseas.
IOW, the tariffs seem designed to crush small businesses in the US, just like the plandemic was. The big money supporting Trump has no problem with that.