Punching the Bully in the Face: Trump’s Tariff Retreat

[CdnFox]

6 hours ago, John Stone said:

........... has anyone explained the strategy of the 'trade war'? 

Tariffs are nothing more than a tax on the people - asinine! 

Any money raised thru tariffs is simply tax collected 'from the people'.

 

There's truth in that but tariffs are actually more than a tax.  If they were just a tax, we'd call them a tax   and there are such things as import taxes which are different from tariffs. 

Tariffs are designed to specifically restrict the flow of trade. It's not just about wanting customers to pay more for a product it's about wanting people to buy less of a product.

There are several reasons why a country might consider this. Personally I agree with Reagan that tariffs wind up doing more harm than good in the long run. But trump obviously believes that he will create more jobs and more economy at home by restricting trade with other countries.  

He's betting that wages and opportunity goes up more than the cost increase due to tariffs.

We'll have to see if that's true.

[paxamericana]

7 hours ago, CdnFox said:

 

He's betting that wages and opportunity goes up more than the cost increase due to tariffs.

We'll have to see if that's true.

Yes the tariff b!tchy crowd missed this entire point. So far, ie short term, the majority of tariff cost is born by the importer. No one wants to be the first to raise prices and lose market share.

Edited December 5, 2025 by paxamericana

[CdnFox]

1 hour ago, paxamericana said:

Yes the tariff b!tchy crowd missed this entire point. So far, ie short term, the majority of tariff cost is born by the importer. No one wants to be the first to raise prices and lose market share.

Those days of largely come to a close. And unfortunately for America America's inflation rate is beginning to show that. while the growth in GDP is decent that doesn't seem to have trickled down to employment and wage increases yet.

Economies and inflation aren't speed boats that turn on a dime, they're oil tankers that take a while to change course. It's a little hard to say yet but from all accounts for the first 5 months or so companies tried to lower their price to absorb the tariffs but they are no longer able to afford to do so.

At the moment I kind of call it a tie, inflation is not doing what he needs it to do, that prevents interest rates from coming down, but the investment in the economy is moving up although it hasn't trickled down to the employment level yet. Definitely some companies have moved back to America and will be setting up shop and providing jobs but that doesn't seem to be helping in the immediate term

We will see. Trump has created a great deal of turbulence in the markets and in trade and when you do that it can take a little while for the waters to settle down so you can see where you landed. So far it hasn't been the disaster some predicted, but it's not taken off yet either

 

[paxamericana]

12 minutes ago, CdnFox said:

We will see. Trump has created a great deal of turbulence in the markets and in trade and when you do that it can take a little while for the waters to settle down so you can see where you landed. So far it hasn't been the disaster some predicted, but it's not taken off yet either

Sure and Trump can also change course on a dime. He's not beholden to party politics or an ideological stance, a true leader. Which makes him in my humble opinion, one of the greatest presidential president in American history. 

[CdnFox]

3 hours ago, paxamericana said:

Sure and Trump can also change course on a dime. He's not beholden to party politics or an ideological stance, a true leader. Which makes him in my humble opinion, one of the greatest presidential president in American history. 

Trump might but the economy can't. If he's called the ball wrong here then the US will be in for a bad bounce, and it'll be too late to fix that quickly by the time it's apparent. 

But, faint heart never won fair lady. He believes he's right, and he's got the stones to roll the dice and believes in his convictions and that's not a bad thing to have in a leader. 

We'll know over the course of the next year i would think, so far it's certainly not the doomsday disaster a lot of folks claimed by any stretch, and at least elements of it appear to be working already. 

[John Stone]

On 12/5/2025 at 2:33 AM, CdnFox said:

Trump might but the economy can't. If he's called the ball wrong here then the US will be in for a bad bounce, and it'll be too late to fix that quickly by the time it's apparent. 

But, faint heart never won fair lady. He believes he's right, and he's got the stones to roll the dice and believes in his convictions and that's not a bad thing to have in a leader. 

We'll know over the course of the next year i would think, so far it's certainly not the doomsday disaster a lot of folks claimed by any stretch, and at least elements of it appear to be working already. 

...........not saying tariffs are a poor strategy ..... what I am condemning is how they're being applied with such a broad and impulsive brush.

Whack a doodle. 

[eyeball]

On 12/4/2025 at 9:37 AM, CdnFox said:

If they were just a tax, we'd call them a tax

Usually your little shit eating grin underscores your disingenuity, but perhaps you really don't know WTF you're talking about.

On 12/4/2025 at 9:37 AM, CdnFox said:

and there are such things as import taxes which are different from tariffs. 

Trump has made it clear his intention is to make Americans rich because other countries will pay the tariffs to the U.S. He has insisted repeatedly that they are a tax on the foreign country and not a cost to U.S. consumers. He has claimed the U.S. "took in hundreds of billions of dollars" in tariffs that "they paid". He has described people who say Americans pay the tariffs as "FOOLS!".

You actually do believe Trump sends Carney an invoice don't you? LMAO!

[CdnFox]

12 hours ago, John Stone said:

...........not saying tariffs are a poor strategy ..... what I am condemning is how they're being applied with such a broad and impulsive brush.

Whack a doodle. 

I think there are poor strategy. Reagan thought they were a poor strategy. There can be a handful of cases where it makes sense in very limited amounts but as you say wide scale deployment of them strikes me as bad idea. Obviously trump disagrees and we will have to see whether or not his strategy can pull out a win over time

[John Stone]

8 hours ago, CdnFox said:

I think there are poor strategy. Reagan thought they were a poor strategy. There can be a handful of cases where it makes sense in very limited amounts but as you say wide scale deployment of them strikes me as bad idea. Obviously trump disagrees and we will have to see whether or not his strategy can pull out a win over time

........... tariffs are a tax on goods coming into the country ........ stuff people, business use, eat? 

Arguably what is more damaging is the spectre of uncertainty this whack-a-doodle strategy places on business ....... there is no certainty for future planning. 

[eyeball]

On 12/7/2025 at 4:22 AM, John Stone said:

........... tariffs are a tax on goods coming into the country ........ stuff people, business use, eat? 

Arguably what is more damaging is the spectre of uncertainty this whack-a-doodle strategy places on business ....... there is no certainty for future planning. 

What's more damaging, especially to America, is how ignorant Trump is about who's paying him his danegeld. Saying its us is akin to saying vaccines are the virus. The real spectacle is how willing MAGA chuds who should know better are at suspending their disbelief for this clown. Partisan shits and giggles alone are plenty enough motivation.

[John Stone]

14 hours ago, eyeball said:

What's more damaging, especially to America, is how ignorant Trump is about who's paying him his danegeld. Saying its us is akin to saying vaccines are the virus. The real spectacle is how willing MAGA chuds who should know better are at suspending their disbelief for this clown. Partisan shits and giggles alone are plenty enough motivation.

 

14 hours ago, eyeball said:

What's more damaging, especially to America, is how ignorant Trump is about who's paying him his danegeld. Saying its us is akin to saying vaccines are the virus. The real spectacle is how willing MAGA chuds who should know better are at suspending their disbelief for this clown. Partisan shits and giggles alone are plenty enough motivation.

Trump will always have his Base - till death do they part. 

His concern, if he has any, is the right of center / independents

Winning a General has nothing to with the popular vote - the House is another matter - ergo gerrymandering. 

Depending on who the Dems put forward in a primary (they're whack-a-mole) Trump could win a 3rd term - spare me the Constitution - it's in the works. 

SCOTUS could play a huge role.

Standby

IMO tariffs will have little to do with a GOP win / loss. 

 

[SpankyMcFarland]

Nice little tribute to departing ambassador Kirsten Hillman by Tory trade critic Adam Chambers. Just a few words but struck the right note. 

[SpankyMcFarland]

3 hours ago, John Stone said:

 

Trump will always have his Base - till death do they part. 

His concern, if he has any, is the right of center / independents

Winning a General has nothing to with the popular vote - the House is another matter - ergo gerrymandering. 

Depending on who the Dems put forward in a primary (they're whack-a-mole) Trump could win a 3rd term - spare me the Constitution - it's in the works. 

SCOTUS could play a huge role.

Standby

IMO tariffs will have little to do with a GOP win / loss. 

 

At the moment the MAGA faithful seem confused, unsure of whom to blame for the many policy missteps. They’re like Russian serfs mumbling, “if only the Tsar knew”, as they try to make sense of events, looking for scapegoats other than the cult leader. Some of them will see the light eventually. Mad Marge is an example of that. 

[John Stone]

1 hour ago, SpankyMcFarland said:

At the moment the MAGA faithful seem confused, unsure of whom to blame for the many policy missteps. They’re like Russian serfs mumbling, “if only the Tsar knew”, as they try to make sense of events, looking for scapegoats other than the cult leader. Some of them will see the light eventually. Mad Marge is an example of that. 

........... Trump is a populist - that is what appeals to his base. His bread and butter are divisive issues - red meat so to speak. 

Trump has no restraint - they (Base) love him for it. 

There are issues that could decide the midterm - not swift boats, not tariffs - health care in red states. 

It's a mad rush right now to gerrymander and punt issues that could affect the Right majority. 

[eyeball]

3 hours ago, John Stone said:

Trump is a populist - that is what appeals to his base. His bread and butter are divisive issues - red meat so to speak. 

He's a troll - that's what appeals to his base.

3 hours ago, John Stone said:

Trump has no restraint - they (Base) love him for it. 

He's a vandal - the base loves the idea of smashing everything.

8 hours ago, John Stone said:

IMO tariffs will have little to do with a GOP win / loss. 

Whatever it is it'll be a tail wagging a dog for sure.

[CdnFox]

6 hours ago, SpankyMcFarland said:

At the moment the MAGA faithful seem confused, unsure of whom to blame for the many policy missteps. They’re like Russian serfs mumbling, “if only the Tsar knew”, as they try to make sense of events, looking for scapegoats other than the cult leader. Some of them will see the light eventually. Mad Marge is an example of that. 

I'm certain that you spend your days imagining that that's the case  

But there's little evidence to support it. If there's one thing that people who supported him are questioning it's that the cost of living isn't coming down. I think that's one thing they really were counting on and it's one thing he hasn't delivered on.

But that's about it, the rest of it they don't care about that much. Most like his immigration actions, most are okay with his tariffs if it results in more jobs for Americans.

But there is inflationary pressure and they're not happy about that

[John Stone]

12 hours ago, eyeball said:

He's a troll - that's what appeals to his base.

He's a vandal - the base loves the idea of smashing everything.

Whatever it is it'll be a tail wagging a dog for sure.

Yes,  Trump's political appeal to those who previously had no political interest is phenomenal. There are some instances in history that reflect a similar strategy - Mussolini immediately comes to mind. 

Trump's successful second term run can be directly attributed to the Dems .......... not so much to Biden, more the Party hierarchy - the rabid (hard Left) portion of the Party seemed to think that even considering Biden's debilitation he could still win - Biden of course is the guy that promised that if elected President, he'd only serve one term - betrayal?

But really, the Dem were moving far too fast with their ideas for social change in the U.S. asinine for a country like the U.S. But as has been said, what really won it for Trump was the border - the U.S. as a whole should be grateful for him turning off the insane spigot. Talk about getting punked. 

More the pity will be if the Left didn't learn - they completely isolated themselves from their strength - blue collar, people of  color,  non graduates. 

Depending on the Dems nominee - Trump (or Vance) could easily  win an encore re: Executive power. The winning  strategy is a Caucasian, at least 2nd generation, male, 40-50th, with roots in the blue collar. 

Someone like AOC would be a fk'n disaster. 

[eyeball]

7 hours ago, John Stone said:

Yes,  Trump's political appeal to those who previously had no political interest is phenomenal. There are some instances in history that reflect a similar strategy - Mussolini immediately comes to mind. 

I think his base has always had an interest in politics. You can trace Trump's base back to George Wallace where it wandered into the wilderness and got lost at sea following a few various dingbats like the Ross Perots and Tea Partiers and finally washed up on Republican shores just in time for Trump.

7 hours ago, John Stone said:

Someone like AOC would be a fk'n disaster. 

Probably, the whole place looks FUBAR from where I'm sitting.

[Legato]

12 minutes ago, eyeball said:

Probably, the whole place looks FUBAR from where I'm sitting.

There's an easy answer....

Try changing your seat to one that faces a window.

[eyeball]

2 minutes ago, Legato said:

There's an easy answer....

Try changing your seat to one that faces a window.

I prefer the view from the flying bridge myself...a 360° view...I see everything.

[Legato]

8 minutes ago, eyeball said:

I prefer the view from the flying bridge myself...a 360° view...I see everything.

But it seems to be foggy.

[SpankyMcFarland]

20 hours ago, CdnFox said:

I'm certain that you spend your days imagining that that's the case  

But there's little evidence to support it. If there's one thing that people who supported him are questioning it's that the cost of living isn't coming down. I think that's one thing they really were counting on and it's one thing he hasn't delivered on.

But that's about it, the rest of it they don't care about that much. Most like his immigration actions, most are okay with his tariffs if it results in more jobs for Americans.

But there is inflationary pressure and they're not happy about that

His tariff taxes will not result in more jobs for Americans. Eventually, even many of his own supporters will figure that out. It’s a ridiculous idea. 

[eyeball]

7 minutes ago, Legato said:

But it seems to be foggy.

You've never heard of a radar?

With an EBL/VRM and AIS overlay. Between that, the compass the plotter and a watch-keeping mate. I see everything.

[Legato]

13 minutes ago, eyeball said:

You've never heard of a radar?

With an EBL/VRM and AIS overlay. Between that, the compass the plotter and a watch-keeping mate. I see everything.

Powers out.

[eyeball]

1 hour ago, Legato said:

Powers out.

Stop and fix it.