Trump Team Floats Tariff Talk. Major Pushback From Republicans.

[dank69]

That is of course until you realize that Republicans never cared about much outside of regressive tax cuts for the rich, and that's something Trump is very much in favor of.

Anyone want to bet that the Republicans raise the debt ceiling without more than a token complaint? Anyone want to bet Republicans end up passing policies that significantly increase federal deficits? I bet they will do both. Why? Because they never actually cared about those things, they were just convenient excuses at the time.

Maybe we'll at least get a trillion dollar infrastructure bill now that the tax-and-spend liberals can't claim credit for it. Of course, that will translate to a few billions worth of actual infrastructure upgrades as opposed to Dems only skimming about 50% off the top. We can hire Russia to do all the work.

 

[Zorba]

I still see nothing wrong with imposing tariffs that offset the cost of our additional regulations, especially our additional environmental regulations. But it should not be an across the board X percentage, it should be targeted. For example, I doubt environmental regs hurt off shore call center much, so basically no tariff on them, steel production and plated metals on the other hand would have pretty high tariffs. And of course items from places that adopt similar regulations wouldn't have any tariff.

Yeah we won't be able to buy as much cheap shit, but good for the world.

 

[soulcougher73]

Who cares? People wanted Trump. Give them Trump. People wanted GOP Congress. Give them GOP Congress. We've spent years complaining about GOP obstruction. Anyone sane knows that they took it way beyond obstructing for the good of the nation but do you think ANY conservative in the entire nation is capable of admitting that fact? No. If we obstruct even one fucking policy, even if it is a bipartisanly recognized disaster, all the both-sides-the-same chuckle-heads will cry "obstruction!" and "hypocrites!" and 50% of the nation will instantly believe it is true. Fuck them all. Fuck everyone. Rubber stamp Trump policy and laugh and laugh. Then when people come crawling back to Dems to dig us back out of whatever hole we are in our response should be "lolno." GOP is the only party with the answers guys. Go to Alex Jones and Breitbart for your answers.

This is kind of where i'm at. Let them just destroy america with their policies and watch the party crumble into irrelevance going forward to never be heard from again. Their owns peeps will turn on them and welcome back a real party with open arms

 

[Zorba]

Many US companies rely on the margins they maintain buying cheap Chinese products. Any Tariff, even 5%, will cause many of these companies to become immediately unprofitable. They will either have to lower wages and fire workers or go out of business.

A perfect example of this: Many US electrical conduit manufacturers buy steel directly from china and maintain 60-70% gross margin selling conduit in the US. To buy and use US steel instantly cuts their margin by 40-50%, making them barely profitable. Imagine if you were one of these companies and suddenly lost this supply source... what do you do? There are thousands of people in this industry alone, and it is a mirror of many other steel-based industries and their situations with China.

I don't really think this is about shifting the tax burden at all. Wealthy people already have a minuscule tax burden in comparison to even the very poor. This is about consolidating and placating his anti-immigrant and anti-trade base. Bread and circuses will be soon to follow.

Someone still has to make the electrical conduit, so what would actually happen is they'd raise their prices to cover the additional costs, but probably still loose a little margin. The tariff would affect every company, so they'd all increase their prices and move on with life.

The smart ones would buy a crap ton of it while it was still cheap, then drive their competition into bankruptcy after the tariffs passed and get a larger market share, see Southwest and fuel Hedging in the 2003-2008 time frame.

 

[dank69]

This is kind of where i'm at. Let them just destroy america with their policies and watch the party crumble into irrelevance going forward to never be heard from again. Their owns peeps will turn on them and welcome back a real party with open arms

Yeah, just like 2008 where we hear "where are the jobs Mr. President?" a few months into our first term. Fuck them. Next time we go full depression for a few decades. Let the greedy 0.001% try selling their newest gadgets to a population that can't afford to eat and then get strung the fuck up for awhile. Maybe then the nation will be ready for the next new deal.

 

[Brainonska511]

Maybe we'll at least get a trillion dollar infrastructure bill now that the tax-and-spend liberals can't claim credit for it. Of course, that will translate to a few billions worth of actual infrastructure upgrades as opposed to Dems only skimming about 50% off the top. We can hire Russia to do all the work.

That proposed trillion dollar infrastructure plan isn't quite as good as it might sound.

To understand what’s going on, it may be helpful to start with what we should be doing. The federal government can indeed borrow very cheaply; meanwhile, we really need to spend money on everything from sewage treatment to transit. The indicated course of action, then, is simple: borrow at those low, low rates, and use the funds raised to fix what needs fixing.

But that’s not what the Trump team is proposing. Instead, it’s calling for huge tax credits: billions of dollars in checks written to private companies that invest in approved projects, which they would end up owning. For example, imagine a private consortium building a toll road for $1 billion. Under the Trump plan, the consortium might borrow $800 million while putting up $200 million in equity — but it would get a tax credit of 82 percent of that sum, so that its actual outlays would only be $36 million. And any future revenue from tolls would go to the people who put up that $36 million.

http://nyti.ms/2ffqZ6s

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On topic: http://nyti.ms/2gWfEcK

Implementing tariffs on stuff coming from certain countries will likely be counterproductive. A feel good measure that will end up hurting the US economy.

 

[dank69]

That proposed trillion dollar infrastructure plan isn't quite as good as it might sound.

http://nyti.ms/2ffqZ6s

Yeah I don't think you read my post to the end, lol.

 

[Brainonska511]

Yeah I don't think you read my post to the end, lol.

You're right, my bad.

 

[dank69]

You're right, my bad.

No worries bro. The more people see what kind of shit Trump is pulling the better.

 

[brycejones]

We need more north lore

That proposed trillion dollar infrastructure plan isn't quite as good as it might sound.

http://nyti.ms/2ffqZ6s

----
On topic: http://nyti.ms/2gWfEcK

Implementing tariffs on stuff coming from certain countries will likely be counterproductive. A feel good measure that will end up hurting the US economy.

Just wait it will get better, expect a requirement for states to maintain those roads and bridges and receive none of the revenue.

 

[zinfamous]

Don't you see! turning ownership of infrastructure over to private companies is better for everyone! God-fearing constantly moral companies have no reason to suck profits in perpetuity from citizens! Chicago selling their parking meters to private entity 9 years ago was great for everyone--just ask Chicago!

Trump just wants to bring that great and best kind of service to everyone!

 

[Blackjack200]

Who cares? People wanted Trump. Give them Trump. People wanted GOP Congress. Give them GOP Congress. We've spent years complaining about GOP obstruction. Anyone sane knows that they took it way beyond obstructing for the good of the nation but do you think ANY conservative in the entire nation is capable of admitting that fact? No. If we obstruct even one fucking policy, even if it is a bipartisanly recognized disaster, all the both-sides-the-same chuckle-heads will cry "obstruction!" and "hypocrites!" and 50% of the nation will instantly believe it is true. Fuck them all. Fuck everyone. Rubber stamp Trump policy and laugh and laugh. Then when people come crawling back to Dems to dig us back out of whatever hole we are in our response should be "lolno." GOP is the only party with the answers guys. Go to Alex Jones and Breitbart for your answers.

Oh I don't care about voting no. I just mean no filibusters or any other procedural tricks. Vote no, tell America that the GOP is retarded and this plan will lead to <x>, and get the fuck out of the way.

Yup, I'd even say allow the R controlled house and senate get rid of the filibuster permanently. Simple majority for any legislation to get to the president's desk. And as much as it makes me sick to my stomach, I'd trade the supreme court seat for enacted legislation that says any court nomination must be given a hearing and an up/down vote within four weeks of nomination, or the confirmation is automatic. Remove all the tools that the Republicans have abused for the last eight years. Oppose Trump's agenda vigorously, but don't block it unless he violates the constitution or laws.

 

[Atreus21]

Republicans need to push back all they can. I'm sure most of them saw this coming.

 

[imported_tajmahal]

Seeing how the majority of Republicans have always been in favor of free trade and many Democrats have been in favor of Fair Trade I don't see why anyone would be surprised by this. Trump is going to have a lot of work ahead of him to protect the United States industries. We'll have to wait and see if Democrats will be willing to cross the aisle in support of Fair Trade or not.

 

[Vic]

More than 40% of Americans are directly employed through international trade. More than 50% of the S&P 500's revenues are from overseas. Trump's protectionist rhetoric may have helped him win the election, but if he actually follows through on it, he'll be a one term President.

 

[Blackjack200]

Republicans need to push back all they can. I'm sure most of them saw this coming.

Why push back? Isn't this the will of the voters? I mean, not a majority of voters, but a majority of the voters located in the states that count, and certainly the voters that put Trump and co. in power.

 

[dank69]

Yup, I'd even say allow the R controlled house and senate get rid of the filibuster permanently. Simple majority for any legislation to get to the president's desk. And as much as it makes me sick to my stomach, I'd trade the supreme court seat for enacted legislation that says any court nomination must be given a hearing and an up/down vote within four weeks of nomination, or the confirmation is automatic. Remove all the tools that the Republicans have abused for the last eight years. Oppose Trump's agenda vigorously, but don't block it unless he violates the constitution or laws.

Sounds great except the GOP would just reinstate all that stuff in their next lame-duck session and make it impossible to ever remove them again. Just like NC on a federal level.

 

[dank69]

More than 40% of Americans are directly employed through international trade. More than 50% of the S&P 500's revenues are from overseas. Trump's protectionist rhetoric may have helped him win the election, but if he actually follows through on it, he'll be a one term President.

You underestimate the ability of the GOP to frame everything as liberals' fault.

 

[Blackjack200]

Sounds great except the GOP would just reinstate all that stuff in their next lame-duck session and make it impossible to ever remove them again. Just like NC on a federal level.

That's true. I'd still do it though.

 

[fskimospy]

This is kind of where i'm at. Let them just destroy america with their policies and watch the party crumble into irrelevance going forward to never be heard from again. Their owns peeps will turn on them and welcome back a real party with open arms

Didn't you guys learn anything from the Bush years? That's not going to happen.

Republicans controlled the entire federal government for half of George W. Bush's presidency. In case anyone forgot, during his tenure Bush had the largest terrorist attack in US history happen, involved the US in two ruinous wars of choice, and oversaw the largest economic collapse in almost anyone's lifetime. It took exactly two years for that to be forgotten after Obama became president. Hell, I'd say it took one year. This is simply not a viable strategy.

 

[fskimospy]

Sounds great except the GOP would just reinstate all that stuff in their next lame-duck session and make it impossible to ever remove them again. Just like NC on a federal level.

That wouldn't matter though, as if the GOP reinstated it when they lost control it could be de-instated just as easily by the Democrats. This is not the same as the NC stuff which would require both the executive and the legislative branches to pass something, this is purely internal senate business.

It's best to simply eliminate the filibuster now and forever. Let's bury that fucker and be done with it.

 

[Blackjack200]

That wouldn't matter though, as if the GOP reinstated it when they lost control it could be de-instated just as easily by the Democrats. This is not the same as the NC stuff which would require both the executive and the legislative branches to pass something, this is purely internal senate business.

It's best to simply eliminate the filibuster now and forever. Let's bury that fucker and be done with it.

I think what dank is saying is that The GOP could reinstate the filibuster in the lame duck session, and use the filibuster to prevent the Democrats from getting rid of it again. I think that's possible, but I still think it should be done.

 

[FIVR]

Yeah we won't be able to buy as much cheap shit, but good for the world.

You may be right. The one silver lining in Trump's election is that it screws over the average war-mongering, consumption-obsessed, self-righteous, ignorant American. The world, apart from the US and UK, will be a better place for our suffering

 

[Atreus21]

Why push back? Isn't this the will of the voters? I mean, not a majority of voters, but a majority of the voters located in the states that count, and certainly the voters that put Trump and co. in power.

No, I don't think it's the "will of the voters" that every Trump idea be implemented. And even if it is, Republicans should push back against it. Would you say the same of liberals who opposed TPP, which Obama favored?

 

[dank69]

I think what dank is saying is that The GOP could reinstate the filibuster in the lame duck session, and use the filibuster to prevent the Democrats from getting rid of it again. I think that's possible, but I still think it should be done.

Or just find some way to codify the filibuster into some new fucking law before the door hits them in the ass.