"Tariff Man" to the tune of Billy Joel's "Pianoman"

[Swordsmyth]

See? This is where you don't know shyte about what your talking. Most of the consumables go the other way. From the US to China.

They are sending us electronics, machinery, equipment, furniture, toys... that kind of thing. If they were planning on destroying economically, they couldn't be doing more of an ass-backwards job of it. https://qz.com/1232833/explore-all-5...china-in-2017/

Guys, they've instilled an irrational fear in you. I get it. They want power. And they've convinced you to give it to them. It's what they do. But perhaps you could take a step into reality?

Those things are functionally consumables, they have little resale value, for the most part they can't be used for producing things and most of them get discarded.
The manufacturing capacity has all move from America to China.

"They" have power and they used it to create the system as it is because they expect to get even more power when the current system finishes of the American middle class and the American manufacturing capacity.

[presence]

I'm crushed by the weight of your logic.

An unsolicited third party to a transaction saying you are my subject, therefore '$#@! you pay me else you can't trade' is not legit.

State intervention in markets is ALWAYS

FOREIGN, HOSTILE, OCCUPYING, and ILLEGITIMATE

it matters not the flag waved,
nor the purported territorial "jurisdiction" claimed,
nor the apparent support or number of their "entitled" subjects:



To free men peacefully contracting: Mafia is mafia.

[acptulsa]

The principles of liberty say that government intervention in the market place by a hostile foreign power is as bad or worse than domestic government intervention, "They" have created the status quo to serve them and enslave us and brainwashed the world to think it is "free trade".

No.

No, the principles of liberty do not say, being enslaved by your own government is not as bad as being enslaved by some other government. No, the principles of liberty do not say German Jews in Auschwitz were better off, or suffering less injustice, than Romanian Jews in Auschwitz. No, the principles of liberty do not say Russians in the Siberian gulag were better off, or suffering less injustice, than Georgians in the Siberian gulag.

Do you ever stop to think it through before you post this nationalist claptrap?

You complain that the U.S. government is full of globalists then defend its interventionist actions. You refuse to acknowledge Trump--whose business has properties in two dozen nations--is a globalist, then expect us to believe you're right and Ron Paul is wrong. Well, guess what?

[phill4paul]

An unsolicited third party to a transaction saying you are my subject, therefore '$#@! you pay me else you can't trade' is not legit.

State intervention in markets is ALWAYS

FOREIGN, HOSTILE, OCCUPYING, and ILLEGITIMATE

it matters not the flag waved,
nor the purported territorial "jurisdiction" claimed,
nor the apparent support or number of their "entitled" subjects:



To free men peacefully contracting: Mafia is mafia.

Free men aren't peacefully contracting when a foreign government subsidizes it's industry to drive out competition such as China does. It's called dumping and it has hurt American industry and workers.

[Superfluous Man]

We should make it here.

That statement betrays utter economic illiteracy. Go away troll.

[specsaregood]

I get your argument, but you seem to forget that we have other potential suppliers waiting in the wings if some country foolishly tried that. It'll never happen. And even if it did, the wealth that we've been accruing in the meantime has allowed us to build more things - not less. If this magic land existed where we were cut off completely from the rest of the world, we have the wealth of resources and capability to find substitutes. Precisely, because they've been "dumping" them here.

Yes, we have potential suppliers now, but they wont be supplying us after we have given up all our abilities to produce and all sources of real wealth. Production doesn't happen in a vacuum and it doesn't happen instantly. Quite frankly, there are industries that are a matter of national security and keeping the ability to produce here at home is vital --unless you don't want to have a nation at all.

All the real arguments for free trade that I have read rely on the assumption of an equilibrium and do not take into the account when one side has the global currency that they can print at will and the ability to offshore much of the inflation. With such a situation, the side with the ability to print, will do so and has no incentive to produce or sell anything and they will quickly lose those abilities.

Man, I wouldn't think the principles of liberty are this hard to understand. They've instilled some strange foreign fear into your head in order to get more power. That's all this is.

I have no "fear"; I just see the endgame and I don't want the complete collapse of government with a landmass filled with useless consumers and that is what we are headed towards and our current economic and trade policies have pointed us in that direction.

[presence]

Free men aren't peacefully contracting when a foreign government subsidizes it's industry to drive out competition such as China does. It's called dumping and it has hurt American industry and workers.

so you want your local mob boss to do something about your troubles with a foreign mob boss?


tommy taking over this joint is like putting a silk hat on a pig...$#@! you pay me

[phill4paul]

That statement betrays utter economic illiteracy. Go away troll.

Whateve's, Prog Trog.

[CaptUSA]

Free men aren't peacefully contracting when a foreign government subsidizes it's industry to drive out competition such as China does. It's called dumping and it has hurt American industry and workers.

Some. Some industries and workers. You keep doing that. It has benefitted many more. But those are invisible to you. You only see the industries that can’t compete, but you entirely miss the industries that benefit from the surplus wealth. Do you not care about those American jobs?

[CCTelander]

Some. Some industries and workers. You keep doing that. It has benefitted many more. But those are invisible to you. You only see the industries that can’t compete, but you entirely miss the industries that benefit from the surplus wealth. Do you not care about those American jobs?

With some of the tariff fetishists around here it appears to be much less about American jobs and American workers and much more about stroking their (the tariff fetishist's) nationalistic pride. Just look at the title of that recent tariff thread, something like "Boom. You can't out tariff us...." it litterally drips with a nationalistic pridefulness that's progressed well into the realm of pure hubris.

Typically, prideful people are the easiest people to manipulate. All you need do is tickle their ears with what they want to hear, stroke their pride a bit and they'll almost always follow where ever you lead. Trump has proven to be a master at this.

[phill4paul]

With some of the tariff fetishists around here it appears to be much less about American jobs and American workers and much more about stroking their (the tariff fetishist's) nationalistic pride. Just look at the title of that recent tariff thread, something like "Boom. You can't out tariff us...." it litterally drips with a nationalistic pridefulness that's progressed well into the realm of pure hubris.

Typically, prideful people are the easiest people to manipulate. All you need do is tickle their ears with what they want to hear, stroke their pride a bit and they'll almost always follow where ever you lead. Trump has proven to be a master at this.

How was the employment, welfare enrollment and industry outlook prior to Trump winning the election? People can philosophize and believe in a free trade utopia all they want.
I look at results. And the results are self evident. Unemployment lowest since 1969, black unemployment lowest since 1972, the number of people on unemployment welfare lowest since 2010, 2 million off food stamps, 12% drop in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Social Security Disability Insurance lowest level since 2012, Medicaid and CHIP enrollment dropped by 2 million in 2017.
Fantasize about a free trade libertarian utopia all you want. I'll take these results and expectations for more.

[Aratus]

It’s nine o’clock on a Saturday

Your iPhone is glowing and bright

There’s an old man up in Washington


Watching cable news into the night.

He says, “Let’s make America Great Again!

By slapping a tariff on steel—

And aluminum bars and on Japanese cars

Now, let’s make those foreigners kneel!”

La la la, di da da


La la, di da da da dum

So jack up that tax, you’re a Tariff Man!

Let’s make Americans pay

For the right to buy stuff from those foreigners–

We should make it here, anyway!

We grow lots of sugar in Florida

That we could’ve shipped from abroad

If it’s world price times three, grow it domestically


And make special interests applaud!

And the tariffs raise prices everywhere

And the jobs that they “save” cost a ton

We’d be better off if we didn’t scoff

At free trade, and just let things run!

La la la, di da da

La la, di da da da dum

Now Paul is a real estate contractor


He’d like to buy things for his wife

But he canceled a deal because structural steel’s

More expensive—it’s doubled in price!

And the firms are all practicing politics

As their businessmen fly to DC!

Yes, they’re spreading a problem called poverty,

And calling it prosperity!

Jack up that tax, you’re a Tariff Man!


Let’s make Americans pay

For the right to buy stuff from those foreigners–

We should make it here, anyway!

These policies concentrate benefits

And they spread costs to you and to me

These costs are concealed, but see, they are still real—

They are there, though they’re harder to see.

Some goods are expensive that shouldn’t be


Because tariffs have made them cost more!

And we’d have more for bars, and put bread in their jars

But we’re stopping goods at our shores!

La la la, di da da

La la, di da da da dum

Jack up that tax, you’re a Tariff Man!

Let’s make Americans pay

For the right to buy stuff from those foreigners–


We should make it here, anyway!

https://www.forbes.com/sites/artcard.../#7d060b8c6375

o.k so..... then what?

[nobody's_hero]

Can freedom exist without independence?
---------------------------

How was the employment, welfare enrollment and industry outlook prior to Trump winning the election? People can philosophize and believe in a free trade utopia all they want.
I look at results. And the results are self evident. Unemployment lowest since 1969, black unemployment lowest since 1972, the number of people on unemployment welfare lowest since 2010, 2 million off food stamps, 12% drop in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Social Security Disability Insurance lowest level since 2012, Medicaid and CHIP enrollment dropped by 2 million in 2017.
Fantasize about a free trade libertarian utopia all you want. I'll take these results and expectations for more.

But muh consumption!

[devil21]

How was the employment, welfare enrollment and industry outlook prior to Trump winning the election? People can philosophize and believe in a free trade utopia all they want.
I look at results. And the results are self evident. Unemployment lowest since 1969, black unemployment lowest since 1972, the number of people on unemployment welfare lowest since 2010, 2 million off food stamps, 12% drop in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Social Security Disability Insurance lowest level since 2012, Medicaid and CHIP enrollment dropped by 2 million in 2017.
Fantasize about a free trade libertarian utopia all you want. I'll take these results and expectations for more.

I sure hope you never once made a comment to the effect of government numbers being fake under Obama.