I commented on credibility. For clarity, I was referring to what was/is a seemingly on/off again tariff threat/policy. The ambiguity of this makes it 💯 % harder for many businesses to develop and implement longer term strategies. I greatly appreciate your writing.
But that takes away from our long standing history as the most reliable and fair country to operate in. That is the credibility that has helped us be so successful! Our system of laws protects “everyone the same “. Kind of…… flip flopping on this is ridiculous and appears very petty and indecisive IMO.
Not sure on that. There was tariffs before, but President Trump really brought them to the limelight. He is definitely checking the boxes off his campaign list of will do’s! It looks like the tariffs are basically settled with the exception of China. China has a lot of ways to retaliate, especially because they are a giant part of the global supply chain. If anything, the tariffs should get even the heaviest of sleepers to wake up to that giant vulnerability we face.
I don't think anything is settled. It remains to be seen what Trump's ultimate goal or goals are here. He's talking out of all sides of his mouth, and he's a reactive sort generally.
Is there really any other way to address this kind of problem though? The problem he's trying to address have been decades in the making with both parties kicking the can down the road.
Whatever comes of this, it is rather refreshing to see an American president prioritizing the interests of Americans for America. This is how any country should be expected to behave. ALL nations look out for their own self interest. It's dangerous to think the world has ever operated in any other way.
Wednesday's blog post is about what to do. But, I dispute the premise. We've had a trade deficit since 1975, and we've been prospering greatly - and prospering more than the protectionist European states. Ditto for "unfair trade practices." Protectionism isn't in a nation's best interests, but it does benefit the well-connected within that nation at greater cost to the rest of the nation.
I don't think anyone disputes the benefits of free trade. But prosperity is not just about GDP numbers, it's about self-sufficiency and independence. IP theft and tactics of the CCP leave us dangerously exposed. It's not free trade now, and it already benefits the well-connected.
How do you define self-sufficiency? Isn't it just another term for economic isolationism?
As for IP theft - that's its own issue, and needs addressing. You don't do that, however, by tariffing the planet.
I don't dispute that the CCP engages in many shenanigans, or that they steal our IP. But you don't tackle those problems by shooting yourself in the foot.
Meanwhile, I caution against projecting your own goals onto Trump's tariffs. It's clearer every day that he thinks trade imbalances are themselves "theft." Which is completey wrong.
Well, if it's isolationist to not want your economy at the mercy of foreign actors, or not wanting your consumer goods sourced from what is effectively slave labor, then call me an isolationist. I don't think it is though. Free trade generally brings about peace and stability, but this is not free trade. That's the trouble with free trade idealists, they make it into a tenet of a religion. They insist on the obvious that "fair trade is an unmitigated good" and can never be questioned.
If your disagreement is that tariffs shouldn't be used for leverage to bring these issues up, then what other leverage do you think they can use? As I said, this has been a decades old problem no other leader has really tried to seriously address, but if you have no leverage and aren't prepared to use it, than nothing is going to get done.
How is our economy at the mercy of foreign actors?
Unless workers are being coerced, and you'd have to present something more than "low wages" as an argument for that, it's not "slave labor." Even in poor countries, market forces prevail, and companies need to pay prevailing wages.
I categorically reject the "idealist" and "religion" bits. A good idea doesn't have to be fully realized in order to produce benefit. Even partial capitalism is better than the alternatives.
What is the specific decades-old problem that you believe must be addressed by tariffing the planet?
Are you serious? I'm sure you are aware of the human rights abuses in China, the use of slave labor, the Uighurs? Not everything is solved by these "market forces". That's the idealism of the free-traders I am objecting to (and I am generally in favor of free trade). Even IP theft is a form of violence. Listen to the people who have done business in China. They have no access to their courts to address any complaints. The only thing they can do is swallow it. Even sellers on Amazon complain about shops in China copying their business model.
I'm not saying tariffs are the best solution, but it appears to be ultimately the ONLY solution at this point to get attention.
You can say he went to far in "tarifing the planet", but I am sympathetic to the argument that China uses other countries through which they can bypass tariffs and restrictions. Trump was able to bring them to the table and then focus on China.
I commented on credibility. For clarity, I was referring to what was/is a seemingly on/off again tariff threat/policy. The ambiguity of this makes it 💯 % harder for many businesses to develop and implement longer term strategies. I greatly appreciate your writing.
Different matter, that. Yes, absolutely, the chaos of this scattergun tariff "war" is terrible for business.
But that takes away from our long standing history as the most reliable and fair country to operate in. That is the credibility that has helped us be so successful! Our system of laws protects “everyone the same “. Kind of…… flip flopping on this is ridiculous and appears very petty and indecisive IMO.
Yes, but again, different matter. You weren't the origin of this, as I recall.
Not sure on that. There was tariffs before, but President Trump really brought them to the limelight. He is definitely checking the boxes off his campaign list of will do’s! It looks like the tariffs are basically settled with the exception of China. China has a lot of ways to retaliate, especially because they are a giant part of the global supply chain. If anything, the tariffs should get even the heaviest of sleepers to wake up to that giant vulnerability we face.
I don't think anything is settled. It remains to be seen what Trump's ultimate goal or goals are here. He's talking out of all sides of his mouth, and he's a reactive sort generally.
Is there really any other way to address this kind of problem though? The problem he's trying to address have been decades in the making with both parties kicking the can down the road.
I agree. It’s worth a try.
Whatever comes of this, it is rather refreshing to see an American president prioritizing the interests of Americans for America. This is how any country should be expected to behave. ALL nations look out for their own self interest. It's dangerous to think the world has ever operated in any other way.
Wednesday's blog post is about what to do. But, I dispute the premise. We've had a trade deficit since 1975, and we've been prospering greatly - and prospering more than the protectionist European states. Ditto for "unfair trade practices." Protectionism isn't in a nation's best interests, but it does benefit the well-connected within that nation at greater cost to the rest of the nation.
Give this a watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmoPfS-gbBk
I don't think anyone disputes the benefits of free trade. But prosperity is not just about GDP numbers, it's about self-sufficiency and independence. IP theft and tactics of the CCP leave us dangerously exposed. It's not free trade now, and it already benefits the well-connected.
How do you define self-sufficiency? Isn't it just another term for economic isolationism?
As for IP theft - that's its own issue, and needs addressing. You don't do that, however, by tariffing the planet.
I don't dispute that the CCP engages in many shenanigans, or that they steal our IP. But you don't tackle those problems by shooting yourself in the foot.
Meanwhile, I caution against projecting your own goals onto Trump's tariffs. It's clearer every day that he thinks trade imbalances are themselves "theft." Which is completey wrong.
Well, if it's isolationist to not want your economy at the mercy of foreign actors, or not wanting your consumer goods sourced from what is effectively slave labor, then call me an isolationist. I don't think it is though. Free trade generally brings about peace and stability, but this is not free trade. That's the trouble with free trade idealists, they make it into a tenet of a religion. They insist on the obvious that "fair trade is an unmitigated good" and can never be questioned.
If your disagreement is that tariffs shouldn't be used for leverage to bring these issues up, then what other leverage do you think they can use? As I said, this has been a decades old problem no other leader has really tried to seriously address, but if you have no leverage and aren't prepared to use it, than nothing is going to get done.
How is our economy at the mercy of foreign actors?
Unless workers are being coerced, and you'd have to present something more than "low wages" as an argument for that, it's not "slave labor." Even in poor countries, market forces prevail, and companies need to pay prevailing wages.
I categorically reject the "idealist" and "religion" bits. A good idea doesn't have to be fully realized in order to produce benefit. Even partial capitalism is better than the alternatives.
What is the specific decades-old problem that you believe must be addressed by tariffing the planet?
Are you serious? I'm sure you are aware of the human rights abuses in China, the use of slave labor, the Uighurs? Not everything is solved by these "market forces". That's the idealism of the free-traders I am objecting to (and I am generally in favor of free trade). Even IP theft is a form of violence. Listen to the people who have done business in China. They have no access to their courts to address any complaints. The only thing they can do is swallow it. Even sellers on Amazon complain about shops in China copying their business model.
I'm not saying tariffs are the best solution, but it appears to be ultimately the ONLY solution at this point to get attention.
You can say he went to far in "tarifing the planet", but I am sympathetic to the argument that China uses other countries through which they can bypass tariffs and restrictions. Trump was able to bring them to the table and then focus on China.
“I feel compelled to apologize to actual clowns and whores, for the sin of comparing them to politicians.” ROTFL 🤣
At least clowns and whores are honest professions....
Right now it's best if everybody worried about their own backyards. The weeds are really growing.
I love the picture of Pierre Trudeau! Young Justin doesn't look anything like him!