Spyke
lemm.ee

Does it feel like Trump just learned the word "tariff" a couple weeks ago or is that just me?

184
fedia.io

No he definitely learned it years ago, but he’s a simple boy, he can’t hold too many concepts in his head. It’s mostly just rape, fraud, and now tariffs

98
lemmy.world

That “simple boy” has won two presidential elections and has avoided jail even though he has been convicted multiple times.

Underestimate your opponents at your own peril.

4
fedia.io

Nah, he really is fucking dumb. Not to say he isn’t dangerous. But I don’t believe for a second he is the architect of his rise

3

He is a useful idiot pawn for the billionaire oil tycoons and media giants who actually run the USA.

7
Coreidanreply
lemmy.world

Did you really just forget his entire first presidency?

32

We all do. I had hoped not to read some completely insane headline each day for four years, but here we go again.

18

The amount of goldfish brain that goes on around here is staggering. It’s no wonder they constantly get away with shit.

0
lemmylommyreply
lemmy.world

It also feels like he means his „100% tariff“ takes all the money.

19
jonnereply
infosec.pub

Let's keep it that way. Imagine if he discovers one day he could go over 100%.

12
lemmy.world

“If you step out of line, so help me, I will TANK MY OWN ECONOMY!”

80
lemmy.sdf.org

I’m sure this will help drive BRICS closer together as they feel attacked by America. Allowing Russia to poach powerful allies away from the US.

Trump must be Putins greatest dream.

61

Yeah, Trump ending the dollar as the reserve currency would be a fitting legacy.

26
sh.itjust.works

Yeah it would be extremely funny (and probably bad) if he accidentally own-goal'ed this.

12
lemmy.world

He believes they can't raise their own tariffs in turn. That's the real danger here. Not Americans paying double for some knock off plastic widget on Temu, but American exporters running into an equivalent tariff wall trying to import cars and computers and pork shoulders into China.

He's taking a guillotine to American global logistics

27
lemmy.world

I'm not so sure.

It's free money for the government isn't it? If he's all about greed or grift, then isn't it the more the merrier?

Disclaimer: I'm not from USA, I'm watching from the other side of the world.

1

Raising the income tax to 100% might also give you a brief surge of revenue before people start starving and then burning things.

3
lemmy.world

Remember how China's CCP keeps trying to have its way by using threats to bully other nations into submission and all it does is rally everyone against them instead? Watch the world turn its back to the US even faster now.

40
NatakuNoxreply
lemmy.world

Yup. The first Trump presidency is why North Korea is blowing up roads and sending weapons and military units to Russia. Just read the open letter Kim Jong-Un sent to Trump after their Infamous meeting. Kim essentially called Trump a lier and that Kim wouldn't be made the fool again. Trump spent less than 12 hours with Kim and destroyed any possibility of reunification of Korea. Dude is a cancer

15
DharkStarereply
lemmy.world

Is there even a point to putting tariffs on Russian goods with all those sanctions on Russia?

12

Oh - he does. It’s the one most devastating things that could happen to the us. Last time someone tried they ended up dead. Gadhaffi did at least

1

Man’s really out here acting like tariffs are a cheat to fix everything. This whole move screams “short term flex, long term mess.” BRICS isn’t gonna back down just because Trump said so on Truth Social.

33
Ab_intrareply
lemmy.world

It's going to be fun when americans understands this.

12
jonnereply
infosec.pub

Americans have an amazing capacity to not understand things for centuries after the fact. Some of them are still in denial about why the civil war happened.

When the consequences of Trump's tariffs become clear, they'll just blame the closest Democrat.

29
Ab_intrareply
lemmy.world

Something I think Trump is great at is pointing at other factors for why things would be bad. For instance he will point to the imigration and other thing instead of his own actions. I fucking hate this guy but I have to admit he is good at what he is doing and that is lying.

7
jonnereply
infosec.pub

Mostly because even the mainstream media will never call him out on it. There's never been a headline like 'Trump lies about ___', despite him constantly, knowingly lying.

11
Ab_intrareply
lemmy.world

That is not really true. Also if the news would have to constantly say he was lying (which they do) then thry would use all there time on it because he lies constantly.

1
jonnereply
infosec.pub

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/10/us/politics/trump-debate-immigrants-pets.html

‘They’re Eating the Cats’: Trump Repeats False Claim About Immigrants

Not 'lies about immigrants', it's 'repeats false claims', implying that he has no agency or responsibility when he does this, just the same passive voice reserved for officer involved shootings and spontaneous explosions in Gaza.

They never dare to use 'lie'. If you're going to write the article anyway, call things what they are.

8

Of course they don't, otherwise they get sued, then the onus is on them to prove that Trump knew it was false at the time he said it.

Good luck proving that.

2

Don't bet your savings on that, he did the same bullying moves last time and look where we are now.

10
lemmy.world

Large assumption that my fellow Americans will understand this. They'll just spin it as bidens fault or some shit. Zero accountability or understanding necessary.

6

77 million won't, 74.5 million will say "I told you so, I've been telling you so, how are y'all such a goddamn bunch of deplorable morons?"

80 million will continue to be either unable to vote in federal elections or just actually dumber than the Trumpers.

2
feddit.nl

Man the rest of the world should just cut the US out of trading completely and become more self sufficient. This shit is way beyond ridiculous.

25
ricecakereply
sh.itjust.works

The thing is, they have no real reason to care about the threat of a tariff. It makes domestic US prices increase. For a lot of things, there isn't the ability to start making it domestically in a timely fashion, so either demand drops for a bit or if it's something vital, then the producer never even notices.

It's threatening the shoe store by waving a chainsaw at your legs. Sure they'll have some reduced sales, but you're mostly hurting yourself.

10
okamiuerureply
lemmy.world

Why do you suggest foreign trade partners have no reason to care? The US market will reduce. All trade partners care about that.

2
ricecakereply
sh.itjust.works

Sure it's not ideal, but it's a much bigger blow to the US market than to the other markets. We're not the only buyer, just a big one.

Punishing your electorate for buying imported products only makes sense on paper if you have a domestic supply of the product.
For a lot of what's going to be tarifed, prices will just go up and no domestic supply can scale during the life of the tariff, with politicians having to gauge how much they can punish the people who elect them to pressure other nations into doing things they're not going to do regardless.

2

Sure it’s not ideal, but it’s a much bigger blow to the US market than to the other markets. We’re not the only buyer, just a big one.

No issues with that more nuanced phrasing.

1
lemmy.world

Ooh! Donny boy found a new hammer. Hitting anything now

24

Like a 7yo who has learned that people can be sued.

"I'll TARIFF YOU!"

14

Only 100%? How about billion bazillion percent instead Donald? And make them buy you a pony too while you're at it, that'll show'em!

12

For someone who isn't Putin's puppet he does and says a lot of stuff that makes him look like Putin's puppet. If it quacks like a duck....

12

Oh no, these countries wanna be less dependent on the US? Better try and bully them with what little leverage we got left, great plan. Honestly, if he actually does it and it screws over the economy, maybe people will finally wake up and do something about him.

10

Even though it would affect me as an American citizen, I wonder what will happen if all countries decided to sanction the U.S.? Presumbly to rebuke a near-fascist leader coming to power. How many countries would actually do it is another question.

9

The population of the US is ~336 million. Trump only got ~74 million votes. So, you could say one quarter of the US thinks he's right.

1
lemmy.world

I think there's an argument for what Trump is saying. Tariffs mean that Americans will chose product alternatives that don't have those tariffs attatched. Possibly from other countries outside of BRICS.

IT also gives him leverage in negotiations (eg. He can offer to life the tariffs)... And gives him a way to appear to improve the economy ("oh look, things got cheaper and spending accelerated because I lifted my tariffs, ergo I'm good at economic management").

-40
DarkCloudreply
lemmy.world

In your mind, does he care what the costs will be to consumers? Or does he just want these things in place because they might benefit him?

Because I'm saying the latter. I'm saying he's manipulative and self-interested.

-1

Yes, for him it is about ego, winning, and being seen as a winner - and weirdly enough being loved and acclaimed.

He is a very social thinker.

That massive douche bag ego of his isn't necessarily fascist in totality, but has fascist elements due to his class and capitalist attitudes... So he's definitely some sort of threat to democracy. But it's mostly egoic, rather than fascist by way of his values. This is difficult to explain to people because of the left/right political narrative and social prohibitions on some of these topics.

...but fascists had a bunch of values and views that Trump just doesn't. He doesn't want like "a greater Germany and stronger people for national and international supremacy" or anything like that. He just wants to be seen as a winner, a cool guy, and the one with the most toys.

Still a threat to democracy, and doing massive amounts of damage. Still likely to sell America to worse people (some of whom are fascists), but in diagnosing the condition it's important to name it correctly. To know exactly which parasite is at the top at any one moment.

0
forrgottreply
lemm.ee

An argument for what Trump was saying?

Like, are you for real? Trump doesn't have the slightest fucking clue; and as far as what Trump is saying:

You're so full of shit. Like, seriously, tell me what Trump was saying? Dementia Patient in Chief doesn't even know, so wow, you must be pretty smart.... Or you know, maybe not.

18
DarkCloudreply
lemmy.world

The election result is a very touchy and emotional subject for most Americans. On the left and on the right.

Ironically the right are less destabilized by their emotions. The left are the ones shaken and unable to recover even to discuss what's going on.

That's a problem. That's part of the loss. It's understandable it's why he won (there was an emotional game played on the left and right by Trump's campaign). Which is a slightly different topic than why the establishment dems lost. But both pertain to an very emotional election.

...so I understand you are rendered incapable as far as discussing these things. Your emotions are understandable. Someone in power is finally being open about selling your democracy, your rights, to fascists. That would be upsetting.

But that's got little to do with me being able to see how his tariff plan benefits him. Nor does being able to see what he's doing make me "full of shit".

But I understand it's rightfully a sore point for any American who is a reasonably intelligent person.

-8

Umm. Ok. You're fucking stupid.

Like, seriously, if I wanna know today's propaganda, I still would not ask you. Discuss, umm, anything with you....???

Oh, yeah. You must be a fucking idiot...

And, one more thing: what did Trump say, you stupid jackass? Oh wait, I don't give a shit so shut the fuck up...

2
DarkCloudreply
lemmy.world

I didn't say prices wouldn't go up. Byt I don't think someone like him worries or cares about how much people will have to pay to replace their washing machines. Do you think he cares about that?

-2
Ab_intrareply
lemmy.world

No of course he doesn't care as it doesn't affect him. He is rich and don't give a single fuck about anyone but himself. The whole giving him a chance to negotiate is also BS. China and other countries will never pay these tarrifs and therefore it will be more expensive because the cost will be higher for the end consumer

8
DarkCloudreply
lemmy.world

The do pay if their are products of the same type, eg. one is Chinese with the tarrifs priced in, the other from a country without that tariff on it. Consumers will choose the cheaper option over the Chinese tarrifed version (resulting in less sales).

Producers in china then report lower sales in the American market, putting pressure on their government.

So although the cost is theoretically paid by consumers it is still a form of pressure (depressed sales) on the producer. That's what I meant in seeing it as a possible negotiating tool.

The left/right political narrative is elsewhere though, not in a place that is about investigating these angles of understanding. That's okay. I accept that.

-2
Ab_intrareply
lemmy.world

That's not how it works. Other products will also become more exspensive as a result. The competitors will not hold back on the prices.

1
DarkCloudreply
lemmy.world

That's a different topic with various factors involved... But generally pricing someone out can keep a competitor off shelves. Most companies want to secure marketshare.

This is not the same as what happened during covid, which effected the whole of the domestic market at once. Obviously tariffs on specific importants is a different effect than that.

1

No, that's the point. Both the less exspensive and the exspensive products will go up in price because of this. Just look at what happened with washing machines under Trumps first period. They went way up in price and drying machines did also go up in price. This will happen to most products in general if these tolls will be implemented. China will never pay for these tarrifs and the consumers will be the ones that has to.

1
Zierreply
fedia.io

He's not that smart. He bankrupted his own casino. You know, the business where people just give you their money.

7
PunnyNamereply
lemmy.world

With what choices?

Also, there's never an argument for him.

6

The choice to remove his tariff. To clarify I'm not saying there's an argument it's a good thing, I'm saying I can see his (self-interested) logic.

Of course I also understand people aren't able to look at his ideas yet, as post election hatred is still high, and should continue as such as he is a hyper capitalist willing to sell America to internal fascists (and probably some parts of it to external fascists too).

2

A lot of people don't seem to grasp this idea.

If Tramp goes through with his original plan on applying a minimum of 20% tarrifs to all imports, there are exactly zero choices.

Consumers eat the 20% price for imports, and local manufacturers raise their prices to match because they no longer have any competition at their old price point. To make it worse, wherever domestic production isn't able to meet demand, products will still have to be imported.

2