I’m not sure if the tariff strategy is for real but small businesses are preparing for the worst. To wit:
I was a physics and meteorology major for my undergraduate coursework. I had to take some basic core classes to “round out” my degree. One of the things I learned in my basic Econ class was that the tariff applying country citizens/consumers pays for the tariffs and the entity that maybe benefits is corporations but that also usually fails.
.
Most people fundamentally misunderstand tariffs and import duty, in general. They exist to try to protect local manufacturers, which they can do. What they don’t do, however, that people sometimes think they do, is lower the costs of goods. They almost always result in an increase in price to the consumer. So yes, it may mean “made in the USA”, but the flip side is, it will cost you more.
I don’t know of any historical example of a society adopting a widespread tariff regime and having it result in economic growth. Maybe 1790 U.S. , but even then they dropped or reduced most of them pretty quickly.
I know someone on the board of a smallish ($20 million/yr revenue) who says that they’re also laying in a bunch of inventory and re-examining supply chains in anticipation of tariff issues. That, of course, is tying up capital that they can’t use for other purposes.
I question whether he will impose the tariffs he promised. He might, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he didn’t.
I’m also considering the HH narrative that he might do little but golf and hand the keys over to his rich pals. I also wonder if he sets up an ongoing corrupt mechanism for him and his family, makes sure he is pardoned for life and exits stage, as he doesn’t really want to be President.
All of these things are possible, of course, as is the possibility that he gets put out to pasture via the 25th amendment or finally eats one cheeseburger too many. But it doesn’t matter: he’s always been a Trojan horse to get the puppet masters’ people into power, and you can be sure that they learned their lesson last time and won’t let Trump install his own hand-picked clowns but will instead install much less obvious but much more effective agents.
The only thing I’d dispute in your post is that there is no way he will disposed by the 25th amendment. He will always be a cult leader. The guy could start a nuclear war and his cabinet would tell him he’s brilliant.
The economic illiteracy of the average US American is staggering. It’s by design, of course. Trump just got voted back in in large part because people don’t understand what’s behind inflationary forces, how those forces are countered and why the US is in a better position with respect to inflation than any other major economy, usually a much better position.
It just occurred to me that if they really wanted to be edgy online, instead of dyoring vaccines and other played out crap the blue checkmark brigade could take an economics class.
Trump himself does not understand tariffs. He created the notion that foreign companies are paying us.
He does understand grifting and finding suckers who’ll buy his horseshit.
If his first term is anything to go by, he will do both…and neither…and find the most excruciating and damaging combination possible.
I go back and forth on this: is it better for the oligarchy to have Trump as a figurehead or are they better off with him out of the way? I am landing (at least for now) on them keeping him as “Dear Leader”.
He’s a child. They will give him a fake set of keys to play with and let him go golf and do the fun stuff like rallies without having to worry himself about the boring shit of running the country. That will be down to Thiel, Musk, RFK Jr., Stephen Miller et al.
All this fulminating from the left about a right wing “oligarchy” is quite amusing.
JD Vance has only ever had one employer: Peter Thiel. Vance’s senate campaign was funded almost exclusively by Thiel. Thiel backed the Trump/Vance ticket with millions.
Musk backed the Trump/Vance ticket with millions. He also openly campaigned for him (Thiel doesn’t do that because he’s more awkward and unlikable in person than Musk…think about that).
In the end, about 150 donors coughed up nearly $2 billion in donations to the Trump/Vance cause.
That is oligarchy.
It must be when you’re all for it.
Some people might get some pleasure out of hate
Me, I’ve enough already on my plate
People might need some tension to relax
Me? I’m too busy dodging between the flak
What you see is what you get
You’ve made your bed, you better lie in it
You choose your leaders and place your trust
As their lies wash you down and their promises rust
You’ll see kidney machines replaced by rockets and guns
And the public wants what the public gets
But I don’t get what this society wants
I’m going underground…
Coming from someone that believes General Milly, former VP Pence, Liz Cheney, and others are part of the “Deep State” conspiracy, that’s rich.
How was an election run during the Trump Administration “stolen”, and “fraudulent”, but one run under a Biden Administration was “fair and square”?
Yeah, don’t think I’d forgotten that this fuckwit is, among other things, an election denier. Or was. Elections are great now I guess.
Yep.
This is the club with which to bludgeon election deniers.
