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Here’s the problem with the tariffs.

Basically Trump wants to use tariffs to force everyone to negotiate terms that would be favorable for the US. That’s the short summary of a very complicated plan.

However with negotiations of any kind, especially for results that would favor you, everyone else has to trust you in that favorable position. Trust is the most important aspect of any deals you can make.

Trump has torn up trade agreements that he himself signed, threatened to annex our closest allies, promoted an aggressor of war, etc. The list goes on and on. I don’t think there’s anyone left who still trusts the USA anymore. So any leverage he hopes to gain with this mess won’t mean anything in a room full of people who don’t trust you to not abuse the power over them you’re asking for.

It doesn’t matter how much of our remaining power we use to try forcing people into anything they don’t want. They’ll just take their business elsewhere after finding a way to stop relying on us.

Any ends gained through contemptible means aren’t worth anything and I wonder if anyone in the Trump administration understands that.

I hope I’m wrong and people will come to trust not Trump, but our country compromised of much more than just him. Trust America, but I won’t wonder why if no one does and this is the end of our power on the world stage.
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TrashCat · M
i agree with what you said to a point except for this which is the crux of your post...
Trump wants to use tariffs to force everyone to negotiate terms that would be favorable for the US.

Trump wants to force businesses and countries to bend a knee to his will which is self-serving. We've already seen him do this with Law firms and Universities.

Facebook is another and Lizardman Zuck bowed down.

This isn't about what's good for the US or the American people. Good negotiations in good faith are what is needed. Historically Tarrifs have never been good for anyone.
The Smoot-Hawley Tarrif Act of 1929 put the US in a deep depression.
Trump promised...HE PROMISED... to lower grocwries (and eggs) on day one.It was not frugal or intelligent to impose sweeping tarrifs which would significantly raise prices at this point. Why would he do this in the first 100 day when he had a commitment to the county. Trump has almost 4 tears to tackle strategic tarrifa if necessary instead of hitting on inflation.
Consider the conservative response if Biden had done this now. Sidenote... What did Iceland do to deserve a 10% taffiff?
i just wonder why america thinks that the entire world is taking advantage of them and where the figures or ideology comes from...i know i'll get grief from my statement but it really goes much deeper than what it really is....i'm tired of some of the bs that some of the armchair politicians think or where they get their facts from
Reject · 26-30, M
@beermeplease Trump has a victim complex. That sort of comes with the territory of having a big ego. It’s very easy to hurt. As for the rest of them by his side, any excuse for power is a good one. Since Trumps narrative keeps them in power, they’ll follow it. As for his supporters, they’re just easy enough to fool.
This should have happened decades ago.. somebody had to rip the band aid off..

Instead of being made at trump.. let’s be mad at the career politicians,, whom some are still currently serving. Allowed trade to get so unbalanced

Sold you out for kickbacks..

I just wish ppl would just try and be mad at the source instead of orange man every time
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Reject · 26-30, M
@Gibbon I don’t care about any of that, and I’d even say it has almost nothing to do with my post. Keep building your straw men though and screaming about the left.
wildbill83 · 41-45, M
@TheOneyouwerewarnedabout actually it did, FDR enacted the Reciprocal Tariff Act in 1934 and it brought us out of the great depression. It's when the WTO & NAFTA came along that we got shafted...
whowasthatmaskedman · 70-79, M
This is going to blow up in Americas face bigly.. The deals they had in place were already in Americas favour (contrary to what Trump says, America has a long history of using foreign aid, military defence deals and terms of trade with ownership of the $ to force terms on the other party) And these deals were prefaced on treaty arrangements and foreign aid of various sorts that Trump has also rolled back. So no reason why Anyone should accept a deal as favourable to the US as the one he just tore up.. This is not the same America. They are just another country now.. And one no one can rely on any more..😷
Reject · 26-30, M
@whowasthatmaskedman I don’t doubt that. If you look at any of the past deals we’ve made in our history, they were built around people who believed in us and everything we stood for. Freedom gets the biggest rep but our true ideology lies in caring out the people and wanting the best for everyone. So of course we made a lot of friends with that ideal and mutually benefitted everyone who was on our side. Now? As you said, Trump doesn’t care about any of it going back on it all because he’s too busy trying to bolster his ego.
whowasthatmaskedman · 70-79, M
@Reject And everyone is going to lose. But America biglier than anyone else..😷
MarkPaul · 26-30, M
The problem is no one installed in any position of influence or power will speak the truth... either because they don't know it or because they are afraid to speak up. So, the ego-driven fantasy that "the USA doesn't need any other countries because everything will be made in the USA" has no basis in reality. The comedy skit punchline is that if that was true, then how will the USA make "all that money" from tariffs if nothing needs to be imported? Even the fantasy can't stand up on its own.

There is growing resistance and opposition to the dementia that is currently running the USA. That is encouraging, but a lot of damage to the global economy and the ideal of peace and prosperity for all will be damaged in the meantime. Look for Elon to try to pawn his bejeweled chainsaw to keep the lights on in his mansion housing his 14 children from 3 different women out of wedlock... as he licks his wounds.
MarkPaul · 26-30, M
@Reject There is a reason it was called "The Greatest Generation." They were invested in America's future in a way that brought everyone along. Now, with a petty and literally delusional (possibly demented) 79-year-old with the sensibilities of a small child who is focused only on retribution, it is easy to see the difference in outcomes.
Reject · 26-30, M
@MarkPaul I know it. It’s only 4 years, but so much can happen in that time and I’m just hoping that the damage he causes won’t lead to something like WWIII. This has happened too often in history. We don’t need everyone dying for a man like Trump.
MarkPaul · 26-30, M
@Reject I don't think a World War will erupt, but sadly everyone (including Cry-Baby-trump and his love interest, Elon) will be worse off.
SunshineGirl · 36-40, F
He has quite clearly stated that the tariffs themselves are non-negotiable, which leaves him in a weak position to achieve any leverage or favourable concessions.

For all the talk of retaliatory tariffs, I think the primary strategy in the short-term will be to remove the USA from international trade as far as practicable.
Reject · 26-30, M
@SunshineGirl Well yeah, the tariffs have to be non-negotiable initially to establish the point he’s trying to make in the first step of his plan. That doesn’t mean he won’t try to talk where he can and go back on things he’s said as he’s already done many times before. Trump talks a lot. Don’t take it all too seriously.

I imagine he’ll try to make the USA more independent with manufacturing while trying to keep the US as the reserve currency for everyone. Basically he wants to have his cake and eat it too. I predict the long term deals he’s looking for will involve keeping the US on top, but again, I don’t think anyone wants that from the US anymore after he’s broken everyone’s trust so I just don’t see it working.
SunshineGirl · 36-40, F
@Reject International investors for the past half year have based their strategies around not taking Trump too "seriously" and betting that he would somehow reduce tax and regulation while leaving tariffs untouched. This is the outcome. The chaos and uncertainty is intolerable for investment and trade. If America wishes to isolate itself, we must now plan for that eventuality to minimise disruption to the rest of the world.
Reject · 26-30, M
@SunshineGirl You’re right. He’s very unpredictable. That’s why many countries are already taking steps to distance themselves from the US. America doesn’t wish to isolate itself, I don’t even think Trump wants that. It’s just all but certain now due to his foolish plans where he thinks throwing his country’s power around against everyone else will somehow work out. It won’t. At least I really don’t think so.
eMortal · M
Two weeks within the pandemic we were looting stores looking for toilet papers 😂
I wonder what will happen this time.
Reject · 26-30, M
@eMortal We’re all wondering. Come what may, I’ll just hold onto the things that matter. My family and friends. Those I can help. Thankfully they’ll always be around.
swirlie · F
Trust America, but I won’t wonder why if no one does and this is the end of our power on the world stage.

The USA's power on the world stage has already ended. That fact is reiterated from Canada to across 184 other countries around the world which otherwise conducts trade with the USA.

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney announced yesterday that with the USA no longer wanting to be the Leader of Trade in North America, Canada will immediately step in and take over that role.

Mark Carney was the Head of the Bank of England and the Head of the Bank of Canada prior to becoming Prime Minister of Canada.
Dolimyte · 41-45, M
Everyone knows that Trump is acting counter to the will of the majority of Americans. Unfortunately the fact that he was elected not once, but twice, means that the rest of the world no longer views the U.S. as a stable democracy. Even if all of this jackassery stops tomorrow, it's going to take a long time to shake that reputation.
Prison1203 · 61-69, M
You really don’t have a clue do you?
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Reject · 26-30, M
@Gibbon You are, clearly. I just wanted to support you and your new friend. Especially if you’ll be keeping this up on my post like you’re trying to do.
Prison1203 · 61-69, M
@Reject so, instead of answering my question about what allies have we lost you deflect and not answer, typical coward move
ShenaniganFoodie · 36-40, M
I went to my local hardware shop today, wanted to buy a De Walt 18V battery.

SORRY, WE NO LONGER STOCK ANY US PRODUCTS

Trump, you will phuck your country
Reject · 26-30, M
@ShenaniganFoodie It’s looking that way for sure. 😔 All I can do for now is hope I’m wrong about things. That’s the best case scenario and the bleak state of affairs for my country.
thrash · 31-35, M
america has been a laughing stock on the internet for over ten years now. what lost trust do you speak of..
Reject · 26-30, M
@thrash I’m sure you’ve seen that things have gotten worse unless you’ve been living under a rock.
It is the death of our country's empire...
Reject · 26-30, M
@SomeMichGuy Here’s to hoping it won’t be the death of anything more than that.
@Reject
The first DJT "Admin" taught me that American leadership in the world was far more important than I had previously understood.

This time around, I am seeing that we have been a linchpin of various interrelated systems to help moderate, regulate, coordinate the world.

DJT took to heart a quote from his twisted mentor, Roy Cohn, a Jewish lawyer for Sen. McCarthy's Communist-hunting cmte.--who said that he loved destroying people.

In a few weeks, DJT has undone America, the West, the world.

For detractors of the US, and the West, and the entire Post-WWII set of mechanisms, this is a day of rejoicing...

But what foolish American voters, misled by those chimera we each carry inside us--our feelings, our emotions--have done is to believe a self-aggrandizing billionaire (a sad person who will never be able to prove he's a winner to his long-dead father), a man who delights in destruction and personifies Milton's words written for Satan (of it being "better to rule in Hell than serve in Heaven"), would somehow be our path to stability, security, "good things", the Biblical Year of Jubilee, when all he has done is to bring death, hunger/famine, war, conquest.

 
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