Yes. There is a kneejerk reaction among some Dems that tariffs inherently protect workers. This is not true and nobody should reinforce it. These tariffs are a perfect example: there's no doubt the effect on workers is bad. Fewer jobs, lower pay, higher costs of living. - ThreadSky

maxkennerly.bsky.social • 3 days ago

Yes. There is a kneejerk reaction among some Dems that tariffs inherently protect workers. This is not true and nobody should reinforce it.

These tariffs are a perfect example: there's no doubt the effect on workers is bad. Fewer jobs, lower pay, higher costs of living.

Reposted from James Medlock

100%. Messaging needs to be clear and forceful. This is bad and it will not help workers.

Comments

dankeevy.bsky.social•3 days ago

Even in the most liberal Leninist interpretation of protecting the economy from outside harm, would still rubbish any link between an exactly tailored goal and just picking a number between one and thirty.

cuibonobaby.bsky.social•2 days ago

What is liberal Leninism?

dankeevy.bsky.social•2 days ago

In this context, the most free reading of Lenin, specifically during the NEP.

ohonesixohiforget.bsky.social•3 days ago

It might have been true before NAFTA. Now, in a globalized economy, not only are the jobs not there, the infrastructure to support the jobs isn't there. Manufacturing isn't in a place to resurge as much as we should support that aspect.

raging-techie.bsky.social•3 days ago

Dems have a compulsion to begin every sentence with a concession.

Auto manufacturers have to still exist for there to be auto worker unions.

youtackything.bsky.social•3 days ago

It might have been possible to use tariffs during the 20th century to preserve American manufacturing.

But you can't put the toothpaste back in the tube.

voscovery.bsky.social•3 days ago

A really smart person who wanted to shift, protect or expand parts of countries economy while preserving relationships could inform nations in advance, be strategic at home to help sectors that will be hurt etc. Only an ignorant ego driven narcissist does this shit.

7z7z7z.bsky.social•3 days ago

Yeah with no lead time the capital that needs to be reallocated to make any of this actually work is being outright destroyed instead

voscovery.bsky.social•3 days ago

The problem now is no one in the world trusts him. He renegotiated Canadas trade deal once already, called it the best deal in history then threw it out day one 2nd term saying whoever negotiated it is a loser. If leaders speak out he will tariff them. Fuck him. He must be opposed at all cost IMHO.

noospheric.bsky.social•3 days ago

There was a good bit on NPR yesterday on how steel tariffs in the past resulted in more jobs in the steel industry, but the ripple effects on industries for which steel is an input resulted in a new overall loss of manufacturing jobs.

noospheric.bsky.social•3 days ago

*resulted in an

Why is having an edit function so hard bluesky.

houfek.bsky.social•3 days ago

"Some Dems" have always thought this; this was the baseline "union Democrat" position: to protect industrial jobs using sanctions. Republicans are just borrowing it.

ladolcevitaone.bsky.social•3 days ago

The tariffs are a method to make the middle class into the lower class.

rrtrent892.bsky.social•3 days ago

I just keep coming back to...many--not all!--workers decided the guys that promised to gut the labor movement, fire them all, and simply not pay them were the working man's party. Idunno how you square that circle.

waluigiyaoi.bsky.social•3 days ago

The problem with tariffs is that the only way they ever worked historically was protectionism of out dated supply and industrial models. Even modern industry and manufacturing demands global trade

waluigiyaoi.bsky.social•3 days ago

Like sure they worked for Venetian drape makers in 1650 or something but does that translate to modern electronics

cuibonobaby.bsky.social•2 days ago

Not so. Tariffs in the early American Republic allowed new industry to develop. Same for 19th century Germany.

thesamejames.bsky.social•3 days ago

And it's not like tariffs are going to give the US the same advantages it had when much of the world was devastated from WW2 and not in a position to compete.

fastandold.bsky.social•3 days ago

Honestly, anyone offering any sort of remote sympathy for tariffs whatsoever should just be primaried at this point.

Not just on it being bad policy but also it being bad politics/strategy. Being pro-tariff as a progressive is one of the stupidest things you can do right now.

piedpiper.bsky.social•2 days ago

Makes sense if you’re pro-Russian

10-5.bsky.social•3 days ago

Some people will ignore a 5 alarm fire to say

WELL AKSHULLY FIRE CAN BE QUITE HELPFUL WHEN USED TO HEAT YOUR HOME

10-5.bsky.social•3 days ago

Sure, hyper-specific usage of tariffs can be ok at times, but literally nobody should give a fuck or be focused on that right now as the GOP drives our economy off a cliff

12thnight.bsky.social•2 days ago

Where is the montage of DJT saying I don’t care about car prices, Lutnick’s SS comment, Habiba saying vets aren’t fit for gov jobs, Elon’s chainsaw-every reckless word? Run on TV, radio,YouTube, TickTock now through the vote for billionaire tax cuts.

riz4robot.bsky.social•3 days ago

the dems should have done more before

redoubters.bsky.social•3 days ago

Tariffs can broadly make sense to protect *industries* (canada tariffs on dairy to ensure that US dairy doesn't drive them out of business kinda looking a little genius right now) but yeah, not for workers

corn4life.bsky.social•3 days ago

How do they protect industries without protecting workers. Workers work in industries. That’s my understanding at least. Presumably some canadian dairy workers didn’t lose their job as a result of that protection.

newblue25.bsky.social•3 days ago

We’ve now got tariffs impacting workers and jobs. Meanwhile, we’ve got ICE impacting workers and jobs. And pretty soon we’ll have AI impacting workers and jobs.

ARE THERE GOING TO BE ANY WORKERS OR JOBS?

thetattooedprof.bsky.social•3 days ago

I can't believe that argument ever got traction, but it's galling to see it emerge now with people who really should know better

billypilgrim65.bsky.social•3 days ago

Magical thinking, and trying to insulate themselves from the reality of the world in which they live in, have been hallmarks of this era.

thecharles1.bsky.social•3 days ago

My scorching hot take is it got traction because of the UAW's position in Michigan politics and Michigan's status as a swing state.

iplayguitarbad.bsky.social•3 days ago

Stellantis announced US layoffs this morning! It's like I'm taking crazy pills reading that labor unions support tariffs. We are truly ruled by morons in almost every instance.

thewanderingjew.bsky.social•3 days ago

UAW didn't help us there

nba100.bsky.social•3 days ago

When I was in school (as a liberal dem) I had to accept that tariffs were always bad, even if they were “reciprocal”. My economics professor drew some lines on the board that intersected in a way that somehow proved this. I did not excel in that course, but that lesson stuck with me.

loriao.bsky.social•3 days ago

Yeah, Shawn Fain was a brilliant choice to lead the UAW. Autoworkers losing their jobs less than 24 hours after he kissed Trump's rear in the Rose Garden.

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