“In out, in out, shake it all about.” @mrjamesob.bsky.social explains Donald Trump’s ‘Hokey Cokey’ approach to tariffs. - ThreadSky

lbc.co.uk • 9 days ago

“In out, in out, shake it all about.”

@mrjamesob.bsky.social explains Donald Trump’s ‘Hokey Cokey’ approach to tariffs.

Comments

chrisgibbons.bsky.social•9 days ago

It is pointless trying to make normal sense out of Trump's tariffs. He is appealing to his cult followers continuing the story that ALL USA's woes are due to foreigners. No matter how much it affects them, they will defecate in their hands and clap if Trump told them to!

fredw88.bsky.social•9 days ago

Unless James O'Brien has a doctorate in utter stupidity he will never explain Trump's approach to tariffs. Oh balls! I took so long to type this reply it's all changed again.

fryern10.bsky.social•9 days ago

It’s just that Trump is stupid and has surrounded himself with stupid people!

postcardsfrom1984.bsky.social•9 days ago

He’s shorting the market. Insider trading on a level never seen before.

zephyrcoles.bsky.social•9 days ago

Someone is making money on these walk backs and threats,the stock market doesn't know what to do

markj56.bsky.social•9 days ago

Wondering if Trump is doing some kind of insider trading. Anyone close to him who knows what he is “about to do” can buy or sell as appropriate.

betnav.bsky.social•9 days ago

Isn't he just creating a massive 'insider trading' scam - cause stock market values to fall, pals buy cheap shares, he doesn't impose tariffs & BINGO, everyone can make a killing

andyew.bsky.social•9 days ago

Tariffs are a tool to stop foreign countries supplying cheap goods via cheap labour. An example being FoM where abundance of labour drove down wages and conditions.
James needs to get out of his middle class privately educated bubble to see how the poor people live.
Or blame Brexit as always

kelvart.bsky.social•9 days ago

Europe does not have cheap labour, nor does Canada, Japan or South Korea. However many American companies have offshored product production to increase profits.

andyew.bsky.social•9 days ago

When the EU allowed the Eastern European countries to join all of the member put an embargo on the new members FoM ie Germany for example 7 years. The UK said no issues but the only problem was the new members minimum wage was about £3ph where the UK was £6ph.
So not rocket science is it

kelvart.bsky.social•8 days ago

Sorry Andy I don’t quite get your point.

andyew.bsky.social•8 days ago

Ok no problem when Poland joined the EU they were blocked from FoM for 5-7 years in most EU countries except for the UK. Their minimum wage was £3ph when the UK at the time was £6ph so no big surprise a lot came over for basically double wages. Tradesmen earned 3-4 times as much

andyew.bsky.social•8 days ago

The shock to the UK economy was drastic as Labour said we will get 100,000 tops except we got 3,000,000.
The indigenous low paid were put on part time or zero hours contract so applied for top up welfare payments. Basically the taxpayer was subsidising FoM

lisoosh123.bsky.social•9 days ago

Tariffs are a tax on consumers, with the poor the most heavily impacted. Even IF some manufacturing slowly moves back prices will be so much higher volume will reduce anyway. You can’t go back in time.

andyew.bsky.social•9 days ago

Tell that to James O'Brien on Brexit

lastofthefive0s.bsky.social•8 days ago

The last time he was in office, he negotiated the Free Trade Agreements with Canada & Mexico. So if those countries are "ripping us off", then he's the one who allowed it to happen. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States%E2%80%93Mexico%E2%80%93Canada_Agreement

kelvart.bsky.social•9 days ago

Free trade agreements with Mexico and Canada have been binned by Trump, so why trust him going forward. Everyone knew he was coming and will be there for four years so now is the time to look for markets elsewhere.

lastofthefive0s.bsky.social•8 days ago

kelvart.bsky.social•8 days ago

Basically he reinvented the previous trade deal, both linked the three countries together for the benefit of all three.

lastofthefive0s.bsky.social•7 days ago

But he's telling the media & the American public that the trade deals were horrible without telling them he's the one who negotiated those same deals. He didn't like NAFTA because it didn't have his sticky prints all over it. Now it does & he wants to disown it.

theortis.bsky.social•9 days ago

To clarify: tariffs are *import taxes, i.e paid by the *importer to the treasury of the country into which they *import the product. The *exporting party doesn't pay the tariff. Because they are not *importing, they are *exporting.

adamwisent.bsky.social•8 days ago

Meanwhile the UK's #WeakStarmer continues #NevilleChamberlain failed #appeasement policies with America's #ConvictedOrangeTurd #DonaldTrump. As outside of the protection of the #EuropeanUnion #JohnnyNoMates #BrexshitBritain Is shafted by #TrumpTarriffs

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/01/starmer-offered-big-us-tech-firms-tax-cuts-in-return-for-lower-trump-tariffs

pandascottish.bsky.social•9 days ago

Bully Trump wants a victory
He can sell a victory to his cult

Hell, he can probably sell a defeat to his cult

They will lap up anything

smiles61.bsky.social•9 days ago

elon musk, roelof botha, david sacks, peter thiel, Germany/south africa, apathied nazi's and pay pal.

sloanelysbeth.bsky.social•9 days ago

oh gods i was hoping when i left twitter that i wouldn't have to see that strawberry bollock anymore. 🙄

pebbleslondon2014.bsky.social•9 days ago

James, normally you would consider this to be an April Fools joke, but…

Trump team ‘monitoring’ pro-life free speech case in UK
Ministers said the case of Livia Tossici-Bolt, who is being prosecuted over a peaceful protest outside an abortion clinic, had not been discussed in tariff talks

douchechills.bsky.social•7 days ago

I've read that she's originally from Italy so we sold just revoke her right to be here, boot her out and let the US know what a great example they're setting on foreigners protesting our laws.

understandvsknow.bsky.social•9 days ago

Had America established National Healthcare it would have made it's laborer's wages more manageable (by subtracting their insane Healthcare premiums) and competitive with most contemporary nations.
Perhaps then, it could go on with light tariffs on other nations for targeted goods.

naturalmessiah.bsky.social•9 days ago

I am never sure how #Trump squares the circle of his love of #tariffs with his hatred of #taxes and his support for the #LafferCurve.

peterjameslamb.bsky.social•9 days ago

Can start referring to them as taxes now, not tariffs please, as that's what they are?

kasst.bsky.social•9 days ago

123simco.bsky.social•9 days ago

You know what sucks? It sucks that Republican Congress Critters are more worried about getting Big Daddy Trump's approval than they are about doing the job for their constituents.

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