Also, one of Trump’s great advantages is that he has very few things he actually believes in, which gives him a lot of latitude. But he has a genuine personal ideological zeal for tariffs. You can find him praising them in interviews 30 years ago.
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And in the last 30 years, he couldn't wrap his mind around how tariffs are taxes on Americans. Or maybe he did & this is just his ugly negotiating tactic. Whatever the reason, it will destabilize our country. It has already begun. https://youtu.be/d9eMiNJYxO4
His transactional attitude means that it is impossible for him to comprehend that trade between two countries can make each better off. For him, one must be winning and the other losing, as a consequence.
Trump backed by other billionaires, including richest person on earth, telling others are unfair to US is quite hilarious. If they wanted they could actually help US working class and rural US. US with 4% of world's population would not be safe and wealthy without allies.
Well since he doesn’t read any history he’s very happy to repeat it! It’s the people around him that are worse by letting him get way with all he’s doing!
Tarriffs have worked when the entirety of manufacturing happened domestically but foreign goods were flooding the market. We're in a completely different world now where every sort of manufacturing relies on parts and materials for 4 or more other countries.
For industries that are still operational in the states, those that couldn't make things as cheap as China or Mexico went under and can't be revived. Still needing foreign manufacturing but imposing tarrifs is the stupidest thing I've seen in a long while.
@chris Can you dedicate a post to explaining the end game for him with these tariffs? I don’t understand what’s in it for him with these. I thought it was him bullying other countries to do something for USA in exchange for selling us stuff but if they call his bluff, what else is in it for him?
But let’s set aside the pejorative “mob” connotation and accept that we’re talking about voluntary transactions, agreed on by both sides of the trade, should any trade occur.
What are the ethics? How is Trump’s position ethical, and how is it not?
Because, for one, Trump himself just signed "NAFTA 2.0" into law, which makes what he is doing explicitly illegal, because Canada and Mexico are parties to that agreement, which absolutely covered could tariffs be on their goods (they cannot.) For another, they're our fucking allies, besides China.
All voluntary trade is ethical. If either party feels they are not benefiting from a trade, they will not engage. In other words all voluntary trade benefits both parties.
No, I'm not playing this game with you. He signed an agreement which he is now violating, which explicitly guarantees free trade between two of our largest trade partners. There's no "not benefiting," we are benefiting every single day.Learn what we actually import from them before trying 2 dny that
This is a really poor understanding of international trade. Nations do not have freedom to just walk away from trade deals if they stop liking them. They are international agreements and nations can seek remedy from international courts for breaches.
In the short run of course you’re right. But over time, would you agree that countries and the companies that make up their economies act as any rational market players?
Is this the “art of the deal”? Because this is stupid and is costly to all countries involved. Not a smart man. This will destroy our economy and many businesses will be hurt or close down
BTW: an economist friend of mine examined that book, & said that it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be! Mostly it’s just chaff, & the rest is bad advice, that may have worked for trump at one time only, & wouldn’t work for anyone else.
The book is exactly what trump university was. Don’t buy it!
Oh I know it is BS. Everyone says it is. I was being sarcastic. Is this his version of a deal? Is what I meant type thing. Because this is horrible way to make a deal.
The main reason Trump likes tariffs is that the concept is very simple. He is too mentally weak, stupid and feckless to grasp any of the multiple and varied probable consequences.
Many years ago they, tariffs, were touted as the cure for income tax. If a Government needed money it would raise tariffs on luxury goods. That is probably where he gets it from. He also probably missed the part that was supposed to be on luxury goods.
It's hard to learn when he spends most of his time insulting, bragging, demanding abject praise, and generallly being a loathesome pile or orange turds.
DJT likes the idea of tariffs that he has made up in his head. He doesn’t have a clue how they function in the real world. But to be fair, there are a lot of things that he doesn’t understand.
But we don’t live in the 1870s with the luxury of standard oil and American steel as well as the tariffs structure back then China has 6 to 9% GDP compared to America 2 1/2 to 3% who’s gonna lose a tariff war the American working class consumer, the wealthy don’t care
But he's doing them for petty reasons. Mexico for the racism and Canada because Trudeau laughed at him on video with other world leaders & he had to leave the summit out of embarrassment like a toddler. Expect similar retaliation against France soon
Why is Canada (and Mexico) to strengthen its borders against fentanyl. Why doesn't the US increase inspections and add boarder patrols to intercept illegal drugs from entering the US? Please repost.
The fentanyl thing is a joke. Less than 1% transit through Canada. The trade deficit is all the oil you buy from us. Facts matter outside your borders. We have schools here instead of fascist billionaires.
Was just about to post… it seems he just does whatever pops into his tiny criminal brain at any moment, but he’s been on this tariff thing for quite a while. What’s up with that?
I can imagine as a developer he was probably affected by tariffs by some other country at one point and now he has a grudge and lust for revenge against the world.
I think the appeal of tariffs is that they were the primary source of revenue for the federal govt prior the constitutional amendment allowing income to be taxed and rich folks want to roll the govt finance clock back to The Gilded Age.
In this 3rd party bring the actual 20 or so liberals (not the hundred plus centralist posing as Dems like Polosi) and invite along @lizcheney.bsky.social @adamkinzinger.bsky.social too. Plus @raskin.house.gov @ayannapressley.bsky.social . You could try to convince the green party to let them run it
Also when is Mark Cuban going to realize that while I appreciate him not backing a fascists autocrat, he is way off base too. You want to know who should run, here's an idea from an actual human being who almost starves every month....Acosta/Cortez 2028! Start a 3rd party.
When is James Carville going to shut the hell up and realize he's not on tap with the people's pulse. Maybe never was. I heard him say running Kamala was like running our 7th string QB. Now while Kamala should never run again, she was just about the only option at the point the race had gotten too.
since hes a MOB BOSS, he see's them as "leverage" but also since hes a spoiled rich sht from birth, he doesn't care about the neighborhood. He aint a Vito, hes a Michael.
And a personal zeal for reducing his personal tax burden. Wouldn’t it be great if we could thwart that effort?? He and all his billionaire donors would be so disappointed.
https://chrislhayes.bsky.social
Am I way off here, but the Trump tariffs from his FIRST term caused the inflation we all experienced the last four years!!!!!
I think he’s more enraptured with the concept of punishing people he doesn’t consider friendly to himself or his interests. Tariffs just sort of fit neatly into that mindset.
What people don't yet understand is his zeal for tariffs is that they've hurt his businesses in the past, too. He's so conflicted with his own mismanagement of his empire that he's now blind to his current surroundings. Forest for the trees syndrome.
His only real ideology is self. The rest of it is mainly shiny things he gathers for self-aggrandizement. And he can't really distinguish between what he *wants* something to be and what it actually is.
You have to keep in mind that he is still a politician that's corrupt and if I'm not mistaken was posted on the pedo list or trafficking list that we STILL have yet to get solved or anything done. He promised that did he not?
we need to focus on showing clips from his rallies where he makes promises to his supporters and what he is actually doing now-don't get distracted-focus on pushing the truth out there to his supporters using his words and juxtaposition his deeds and how it is hurting everyone-expose his lies
He really only cares about playing God with the economy and his irrational fear of undocumented immigrants so anything else is just whatever the people he keeps as close advisors talk him into pursuing
Trump spokesman B.S. Malarkey said that President Trump is blaming bird flu epidemic on gay chickens.” Trump said, “IT’S JUST COMMON SENSE!!!”
#BSMALARKEY
People will believe what they already want to believe, that's how Trump exploited America's bigotry to take over the country. Dems need to find that sort of core belief to exploit to take it back. Very clearly that is "eat the fucking rich" perhaps the most cross cultural core belief in the US.
He's 2 dimensionally transactional and predictable. Enact the tariff, use it as a bully tool, back down, claim victory. The "I alone can fix it", make a mess, blame others thing. Nauseating.
Because he's been in the Russian mobs pocket for over 30 years. He was buying full page ads disparaging NATO 30 years ago too. Every single policy weakens the US and benefits Putin.
Which goes to hid infantile understanding of economics. Which also is underlined by his six bankruptcies.
Never explain money to person who doesn't understand math. FFS
He’s an idiot—can’t even Google the definition of a tariff. Republicans should be ashamed to be doing his bidding. The Emperor Wears No Clothes, but no Republican will tell him that because they’re too afraid of him and Musk.
It was considered a total failure for McKinley, but rich people were really rich around that time before income taxes, so he likes it. I feel like most of this is a way to move to a regressive taxation system so that rich people don't pay for the government.
Can you please do your fucking job and physically go to the Treasury building and demand answers as to what the children Elon has sent there are doing instead of playing on your social media accounts?
Trump is deeply stupid, and does not understand economics and the impacts of tariffs. He only sees them as retaliatory and something he can inflict or threaten with to appear tough.
The effect of McKinley tariffs: 1. higher prices on imported goods and domestically produced goods, which were shielded from competition.
2. This disproportionately affected lower-income Americans who relied on cheaper imported goods.
And yet he still doesn't understand how they really work and who they worst affect.. his economic illiteracy is only matched by his thirst for diet coke.
Your point on his small tariffs on China vs. Canada and Mexico show how weak and scared he is, confronting the biggest trade imbalance the US has. He is a weak "leader" (bully), only picking on smaller countries.
He said there was nothing they could do to stop the tariffs...
Then why have them?
He wants to play with all the powers of the POTUS w/o guardrails.
The world suffers.
Huh! He obviously has no clue about American history. The Revolutionary War was started over tariffs with the cry, “No Taxation without Representation!” The colonists had no voice in Parliament. And I understand those tariffs were at 2%. Expect a backlash sooner rather than later.
He must be the most uneducated president when it comes to actual facts and history that has ever represented the United States of America. He’s trying to convince his cult following that the tariffs are going to lead to pain, but the pain is worth it. And they are all so stupid they believe him.
His tariffs had a detrimental effect on the economy, prices, jobs and manufacturing last time. Canada and Mexico have a lot of retaliation planned for the US and ordinary Americans are going to suffer.
This is definitely not for 4 years, dictators never step down and massively manipulate elections. He (and his maga successors) are here for a long run, decades. Unless he is thrown down by force. You need to understand, that this is no more democracy and next pres. elections may not hapen at all.
The Cold War was not over. The Kremlin was working in the shadows to undermine America. They were quietly molding the Republican Party into compliance and developing their human assets.
Trump 1.0 was a test run.
Trump 2.0 will finish the job.
Im not a "mental genius", but if I have an inventory of products sitting around, I'd be looking for buyers? Not waiting around for someone to "make up their mind" or ask you to add additional costs that would make them more expensive that no one buys it?
Further evidence that he’s been Billy Madison, well, forever. The difference is no one made h in go back through school to prove his mastery of each grade’s requirements.
Reminds me of the UK & Kwartangs disastrous budget under Truss.
Wrecked the economy by playing with buttons.
Sadly Trump's locked in the engine room, so has four years to destroy it all.
He won't worry as he's old enough to either die in office or extend the term as dictator.
Prison waits otherwise.
Putin has been dreaming those 30 years of a way to throw the west into a depression.
Such will throw alliances into turmoil… a distraction which will give him the opportunity to pick off certain pieces of real estate without wider push back.
You can play all the shell games you like. The bottom line is, your party lost the electoral college vote by a margin of 312 to 226. They also lost the popular vote, and ALL SEVEN swing states. Three months removed from the election, and you people still don’t understand why it happened.
He perceives them as a tax that he can exploit while simultaneously assigning blame to others for their introduction. This strategy enables him to finance tax reductions for the elite or, in Hitler’s case, to pursue war. I recommend reading “Wages of Destruction” or consulting Professor Adam Tooze.
Distilled: American importers pay tariffs, which in almost all cases=+costs for end-user buyers, increased profits for top business owners. Tariffs work best if you’re strategically using them to limit competition (i.e., not avocadoes). https://www.american.edu/sis/news/202...
He believes in himself and that's it. The only way to campaign against a narcissist is to focus on what's around him, so he'll lash out at it for depriving him of narcissistic supply.
Fairly certain it's just one of the few things he actually understands and he thinks it makes him look like he might know other things. I imagine it also makes him feel smart to use the word in sentences.
This is from Traitor Trump's obsession with McKinley. It's why he issued the Executive Order renaming Denali Mount McKinley. Perhaps he should do a little reading to discover what became of McKinley. But don't worry, Traitor Trump famously does not read (or can't).
He has a newbie understanding of tariffs — the other country will pay us to ship their goods to the U.S. The reality is that other countries don’t pay; costs get passed to consumers and countries put tariffs on our goods. It’s complicated and Trump can’t do complicated.
Because he is, at his core, nothing but a mob boss who thinks "the art of the deal" is really just shaking people down.
He operates from a strategy of inflicting maximum pain and then getting his victim to pay to make it go away.
The walking septic tank NEVER buys anything using its own $$ so of course it thinks tariffs are amazing!! IDIOT SCUM GRIFTING every day until its finally where septic tanks should be located!!
I’d call it a pathological rather than ideological zeal. It’s based on his need to present himself as strong and tough. He has neither knowledge of nor interest in economic policy as such.
The take-over didn't take long did it? Just 14 days to infiltrate the government. News kicked out of the Pentagon is cutting off the truth regarding our military. And how they are being used. Guantanamo?
Hitler didn't have hard drives to pop into government servers.
It’s astounding to me that a man with no moral compass could have such a huge following. When I’m attracted to a person, whether it’s a politician, singer, actress or whoever, there is something tangible there that draws me in.
They worship his racism and cruelty. It’s really all they need and it sadly confirms that the worst among us are not just a few, but maybe more than half of all Americans. It hurts to come to grips with that.
There’s a lot of things MAGA nation hates, and he makes it OK to hate openly in public. He says all the things they have been afraid to say out loud for decades.
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#resist
Now, time to get busy.
We can’t keep guessing, we need to know!
That’s all he knows… mob speak and rules
You can’t sell here without paying me some
It’s the only thing he understands
But let’s set aside the pejorative “mob” connotation and accept that we’re talking about voluntary transactions, agreed on by both sides of the trade, should any trade occur.
What are the ethics? How is Trump’s position ethical, and how is it not?
All voluntary trade is ethical. If either party feels they are not benefiting from a trade, they will not engage. In other words all voluntary trade benefits both parties.
Don’t benefit? Don’t trade.
FWIW I believe in free trade across all borders.
But what is the end game?…genuinely asking. When they plays out, how does he see the final advantage ?
The book is exactly what trump university was. Don’t buy it!
https://Generalstrikeus.com
Trump is going to punish everyone including those naive enough to vote for him. It's in a psychopaths nature to do so, they get off on it.
Unfortunately, he's dealing with a much more complex world ... not his small business "projects" or whatever the fuck he really did.
Get it free on Kindle Unlimited:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DVQYK5JN
#BlackGirlMagic #BlackHistoryMonth
Get it free on Kindle Unlimited:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DVQYK5JN
#BlackGirlMagic #BlackHistoryMonth
Am I way off here, but the Trump tariffs from his FIRST term caused the inflation we all experienced the last four years!!!!!
It also demonstrates a simple fact: Trump does --NOT-- learn!
He really only cares about playing God with the economy and his irrational fear of undocumented immigrants so anything else is just whatever the people he keeps as close advisors talk him into pursuing
#BSMALARKEY
Never explain money to person who doesn't understand math. FFS
The logic for the tariffs.
You're a journalist right?
Right?
He majored in how to turn a great country into a shit-hole country.
2. This disproportionately affected lower-income Americans who relied on cheaper imported goods.
WE THE PEOPLE have the responsibility to protect our democracy. 1/3 didn’t vote.
Spread the word.
Then why have them?
He wants to play with all the powers of the POTUS w/o guardrails.
The world suffers.
Frustrated? Do something.
Occupy peacefully and fight like hell using your most powerful weapon- your voice!
WE THE PEOPLE shall be heard. Change is coming.
Have you ever listened to Middle Nation? If not, you should have him on your broadcaster (if MSNBC will allow it) or just listen to his podcast.
Trump 1.0 was a test run.
Trump 2.0 will finish the job.
Wrecked the economy by playing with buttons.
Sadly Trump's locked in the engine room, so has four years to destroy it all.
He won't worry as he's old enough to either die in office or extend the term as dictator.
Prison waits otherwise.
Putin has been dreaming those 30 years of a way to throw the west into a depression.
Such will throw alliances into turmoil… a distraction which will give him the opportunity to pick off certain pieces of real estate without wider push back.
He's running a grift that is rackateer incluenced and corruptly organized.
https://www.american.edu/sis/news/202...
He operates from a strategy of inflicting maximum pain and then getting his victim to pay to make it go away.
Hitler didn't have hard drives to pop into government servers.
MAGA worships an empty suit,