Are Tariffs A Good Idea?

[Delldude]

If that is your feeble attempt to avoid confronting reality, it'll have to do, I guess.

Nothing you've provided are any form of a smoking gun

 

[Delldude]

​

Trump's pledge to lower costs on "day one"​

Empirical reality has the Trump bum kissers in a tizzy.

Forecasts Point to Tariffs Accelerating Inflation​

The latest inflation report shows that high prices are Trump’s​

I don't see too many one the right in an empirical tizzy over Trump's day one comments. It's the left who are/have/had a meltdown over the comments.

I think its called 'campaign rhetoric'.

'Forecasts point'.....................speculation Old Boy, not fact.

And to your third 'claim'..............you cropped the article title..........whatta chooch.

The latest inflation report shows that high prices are Trump’s major economic challenge​

 

[schmidlap]

Nothing you've provided are any form of a smoking gun

You can tell yourself whatever you need to, of course.

 

[Delldude]

You can tell yourself whatever you need to, of course.

You got caught.

 

[dudmuck]

He he he......it's steady as she goes, Schmid......you clowns are the ones pulling your hair out on the nightly news.

 

[Delldude]

Bet ya' can't back that up....................

Was it caused by tariffs? ​

The Great Depression was a catastrophic economic downturn that began in October 1929 and lasted for nearly a decade. It is considered one of the worst economic periods in history, with a peak unemployment rate that included an estimated 12,830,000 persons out of work in 1933 alone.

Other countries including Germany and Britain also suffered economic declines during this period.

While the U.S. has imposed tariffs on some imported goods since the late 1700s, did tariffs cause the Great Depression? "Certainly not," says Gary Richardson, economics professor at the University of California, Irvine and former historian of the Federal Reserve System.

"The depression started when tariffs were low. So the tariffs or the thought of having tariffs were not a cause of the Great Depression," Richardson tells NPR.

In the early 1900s, the U.S. government transitioned toward a free trade system and adopted federal income taxes in 1913, which helped reduce the government's dependency on tariffs.

And the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, named after Republicans Oregon Rep. Willis Hawley and Utah Sen. Reed Smoot, implemented high tariffs that reached nearly 60%. But this act was not signed into law until June 17, 1930, months after the Great Depression had already started.

https://www.npr.org/2025/03/06/nx-s1-5318076/tariffs-great-depression-explainer

 

[dudmuck]

Bet ya' can't back that up....................

Was it caused by tariffs? ​

The Great Depression was a catastrophic economic downturn that began in October 1929 and lasted for nearly a decade. It is considered one of the worst economic periods in history, with a peak unemployment rate that included an estimated 12,830,000 persons out of work in 1933 alone.

Other countries including Germany and Britain also suffered economic declines during this period.

While the U.S. has imposed tariffs on some imported goods since the late 1700s, did tariffs cause the Great Depression? "Certainly not," says Gary Richardson, economics professor at the University of California, Irvine and former historian of the Federal Reserve System.

"The depression started when tariffs were low. So the tariffs or the thought of having tariffs were not a cause of the Great Depression," Richardson tells NPR.

In the early 1900s, the U.S. government transitioned toward a free trade system and adopted federal income taxes in 1913, which helped reduce the government's dependency on tariffs.

And the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, named after Republicans Oregon Rep. Willis Hawley and Utah Sen. Reed Smoot, implemented high tariffs that reached nearly 60%. But this act was not signed into law until June 17, 1930, months after the Great Depression had already started.

https://www.npr.org/2025/03/06/nx-s1-5318076/tariffs-great-depression-explainer

Smoot-Hawley made the depression worse due to retaliatory tariffs from other countries, which reduced US exports and global trade. It was replaced by the Reciprocal Trade agreement of 1934.

 

[Delldude]

Smoot-Hawley made the depression worse due to retaliatory tariffs from other countries, which reduced US exports and global trade. It was replaced by the Reciprocal Trade agreement of 1934.

Oh, avoid your lame unsubstantiated claim of tariffs causing depressions?

 

[dudmuck]

Oh, avoid your lame unsubstantiated claim of tariffs causing depressions?

i said smoot hawley made the depression worse than it otherwise would have been. This is the reason for the 1934 reciprocal trade agreement act.

 

[Delldude]

i said smoot hawley made the depression worse than it otherwise would have been. This is the reason for the 1934 reciprocal trade agreement act.

You claimed we've been here three times due to tarrifs.

 

[Flopper]

For the most part, I'm a Trump supporter and am generally happy with the direction he's taking the country. It's too soon to know what the long term effects of his executive orders and policies will be but I'm very happy with DOGE and very happy with sending illegals back to their crapholes.

By the same token, I believe in transparency and calling a spade a spade. I started out by saying that "for the most part" I'm happy with Trump but everyone has their flaws and/or weaknesses. I'm still on the fence where Tariffs are concerned. I sell welding supplies, gases, and equipment for a living. I just received this message from Lincoln Electric (a major manufacturer of welding machines and filler metals):

"February 12, 2025

Dear Valued Customer,
Thank you for your continued business and support of Lincoln Electric. We advised you in our December 5th, 2024 letter that we would continue to monitor the effects of potential tariffs and, if necessary, we would implement tariff-related price adjustments with short notice. As you are aware, the U.S. Government imposed additional tariffs on China that went into effect on February 4, 2025.
These short-notice tariff-related increases have had a dramatic impact on the input cost of many Lincoln Electric products. As a result, we will be implementing price increases on affected Lincoln Electric products. The affected product categories at this time are helmets, accessories, expendables and parts. Pricing for these products will increase by ten percent (10%).
In addition, effective February 12, 2025, the price for all Lincoln Electric products, including consumables and equipment, will be the price at the time of shipment. The prices on Lincoln Electric Order Acknowledgements dated on or after February 12, 2025, will be subject to change until the date of shipment.
We are working to mitigate changes while ensuring we continue to provide uninterrupted service and support to you and your customers. We will continue to monitor the volatile tariff dynamics closely and implement additional changes as necessary.
Distributor-specific price files will be available via the On-Demand Price File request tool on your 'My Lincoln' account by Thursday, February 13th, 2025.
Thank you for your continued support and understanding during these turbulent times. If you have any questions, please reach out to your local Lincoln representative.
Sincerely,

Albert L. Castillo
Vice President - Sales & Marketing, Americas"

Of course, this will translate into higher prices for my customers. A 5% or 10% increase on a $5000.00 or $12,000.00 or $20,000.00 welding machine is pretty significant. So I'm not too sure tariffs are going to be a good idea. At least not from my perspective.

So, what you're saying is that you support Trump but when his actions begin to impacted you directly. then you start having second thoughts.

This reminds me of a Guamanian family. The wife, an American citizen, had never been interested in politics and paid little attention to Trump. But one morning, everything changed. There was a loud knock at the door, and her husband was taken away by ICE.

He had no criminal record, had never been arrested, and had lived in the United States for over ten years, supporting his wife and three U.S.-born children. Yet ICE claimed he was a gang leader, simply because he played basketball with some Hispanic kids who were allegedly gang members.

It’s strange how people often ignore injustices until it happen to them.

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

So, what you're saying is that you supported Trump—until his actions began impacted you directly.

This reminds me of a Guamanian family. The wife, an American citizen, had never been interested in politics and paid little attention to Trump. But one morning, everything changed. There was a loud knock at the door, and her husband was taken away by ICE.

He had no criminal record, had never been arrested, and had lived in the United States for over ten years, supporting his wife and three U.S.-born children. Yet ICE claimed he was a gang leader—simply because he played basketball with some Hispanic kids who were allegedly gang members.

It’s strange how people often ignore injustices until they happen to them.

An illegal alien was seized by ICE?
I'm shocked.

 

[San Souci]

For the most part, I'm a Trump supporter and am generally happy with the direction he's taking the country. It's too soon to know what the long term effects of his executive orders and policies will be but I'm very happy with DOGE and very happy with sending illegals back to their crapholes.

By the same token, I believe in transparency and calling a spade a spade. I started out by saying that "for the most part" I'm happy with Trump but everyone has their flaws and/or weaknesses. I'm still on the fence where Tariffs are concerned. I sell welding supplies, gases, and equipment for a living. I just received this message from Lincoln Electric (a major manufacturer of welding machines and filler metals):

"February 12, 2025

Dear Valued Customer,
Thank you for your continued business and support of Lincoln Electric. We advised you in our December 5th, 2024 letter that we would continue to monitor the effects of potential tariffs and, if necessary, we would implement tariff-related price adjustments with short notice. As you are aware, the U.S. Government imposed additional tariffs on China that went into effect on February 4, 2025.
These short-notice tariff-related increases have had a dramatic impact on the input cost of many Lincoln Electric products. As a result, we will be implementing price increases on affected Lincoln Electric products. The affected product categories at this time are helmets, accessories, expendables and parts. Pricing for these products will increase by ten percent (10%).
In addition, effective February 12, 2025, the price for all Lincoln Electric products, including consumables and equipment, will be the price at the time of shipment. The prices on Lincoln Electric Order Acknowledgements dated on or after February 12, 2025, will be subject to change until the date of shipment.
We are working to mitigate changes while ensuring we continue to provide uninterrupted service and support to you and your customers. We will continue to monitor the volatile tariff dynamics closely and implement additional changes as necessary.
Distributor-specific price files will be available via the On-Demand Price File request tool on your 'My Lincoln' account by Thursday, February 13th, 2025.
Thank you for your continued support and understanding during these turbulent times. If you have any questions, please reach out to your local Lincoln representative.
Sincerely,

Albert L. Castillo
Vice President - Sales & Marketing, Americas"

Of course, this will translate into higher prices for my customers. A 5% or 10% increase on a $5000.00 or $12,000.00 or $20,000.00 welding machine is pretty significant. So I'm not too sure tariffs are going to be a good idea. At least not from my perspective.

Politically ,I think he should have waited until the New Tax Bill is passed. But it has been a long time coming. Getting ripped off by "Trade Partners" is bad Business. We Elected a Businessman. Not a cheap ,lying politician.

 

[SaxonJackson]

So, what you're saying is that you support Trump but when his actions begin to impacted you directly. then you start having second thoughts.

This reminds me of a Guamanian family. The wife, an American citizen, had never been interested in politics and paid little attention to Trump. But one morning, everything changed. There was a loud knock at the door, and her husband was taken away by ICE.

He had no criminal record, had never been arrested, and had lived in the United States for over ten years, supporting his wife and three U.S.-born children. Yet ICE claimed he was a gang leader, simply because he played basketball with some Hispanic kids who were allegedly gang members.

It’s strange how people often ignore injustices until it happen to them.

No ... that's not what I'm saying. I asked a question.

I'm not a "bot" like the members of the Dem Party are. I can support a candidate and most of his policies while questioning some of his policies. We're allowed to do that as free-thinkers.

As for the gangsters being deported, they ALL have "criminal records" if they broke American laws to reach America in the first place. Deporting "illegal" aliens is a very good thing. Embrace it.

 

[Flopper]

Or those who manipulate their currencies. The Chinese are guilty of both tactics.

The Chinese view point is that their 34% tariff on imports provides significant revenue for the government. And they have similar tariffs on imports from other countries. So if they cut tariffs on the US that would put pressure on them cut tariffs on other trading partners.

 

[Concerned American]

The Chinese view point is that their 34% tariff on imports provides significant revenue for the government. And they have similar tariffs on imports from other countries. So if they cut tariffs on the US that would put pressure on them cut tariffs on other trading partners.

Then they can take it up with those LESSER trading partners. Their decision.

 

[Flopper]

Politically ,I think he should have waited until the New Tax Bill is passed. But it has been a long time coming. Getting ripped off by "Trade Partners" is bad Business. We Elected a Businessman. Not a cheap ,lying politician.

Every few years, the claim resurfaces that America is being “ripped off” by its partners, that trade deficits are signs of national failure and tariffs are the only appropriate response.

It’s a politically powerful story, directing anger outward rather than inward. But the real explanation for America’s persistent trade deficits lies not abroad. It lies in domestic choices — overconsumption, underinvestment in productivity and fiscal policies that favor spending over saving.

America is being ‘ripped off’: busting the myth

www.pwmnet.com

 

[San Souci]

Every few years, the claim resurfaces that America is being “ripped off” by its partners, that trade deficits are signs of national failure and tariffs are the only appropriate response.

It’s a politically powerful story, directing anger outward rather than inward. But the real explanation for America’s persistent trade deficits lies not abroad. It lies in domestic choices — overconsumption, underinvestment in productivity and fiscal policies that favor spending over saving.

America is being ‘ripped off’: busting the myth

www.pwmnet.com

Some of that is being dealt with by DOGE. Much in the New Tax Bill. We will see. The SPENDING has to stop until the Budget is balanced.