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Discussion » Questions » Politics » Taking my life in my own hands here and asking a political question, do you think we can be civil and avoid name calling?

Taking my life in my own hands here and asking a political question, do you think we can be civil and avoid name calling?

I am interested in the news this morning that around the world there is anger and disgust about Trumps plan to impose tariffs on imports... 

Personally, and hold the front page here, I actually agree that any and every country should protect and support their own businesses and therefore their own jobs and populace..  I am a Brexiter remember so for me it wasn't about immigration.  My purpose isn't to discuss that, just the trade implications.. .

So Canada is miffed, and France is, and the Brits are making grumbling noises etc.. and some of them are threatening retaliation... which they are saying could spark the beginnings of a trade war; i.e. where countries start imposing heavy tariffs on goods imported from America to their country....

I talk to a lot of Americans and I have noted that some of them express quite frequently that America doesn't need the rest of the world and they tend to be quite dismissive about it,feeling America is the best and they are utterly superior..  I guess we can all feel that way a little about our country. But my thinking is that, it probably is not realistic..  Right or wrong we live on an international platform where much of our economy's strength and income comes from  exporting and trade with other countries, money from exports especially..

So on this one, while I agree with the sentiment, I am wondering whether imposing tariffs may not be the right solution. I am not sure  what is - but I am thinking there could well be unforseen consequences of such an aggressive move.. wouldn't it be wrong to discount the repercussions? 

PS no axe to grind here.. UK would like trade deals with US but we import way more than we export so.... 

I am interested in your thoughts.. please remain civil though, no insults needed, not even indirect ones..

Posted - June 1, 2018

Responses


  • 34284
    So you mean this is an example of a topic in which you are in agreement with the "horrible" President Trump?

    Personally, I am okay with the tariffs. If a country wants free trade then fine. But it is not free trade when one country allows all imports in with no tariff and the other does not.  That is exactly what we have going on now. ie. India we charge 0% tariff but they charge a 100% tariff on imported Harley Davidsons. That is not free trade. (So of course HD does not export their product into India....they make the product in a factory in India...costing American jobs)
    The steel tariff is aimed at China because they manipulate their currency and over flow the market with steel.
      June 1, 2018 5:40 AM MDT
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  • 13071
    Good answer. ;)
      June 1, 2018 7:09 AM MDT
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  • 6477
    Weeeeeeeeellll in your opinion... if one were to pay closer scrutiny.....  :P
      June 1, 2018 9:25 AM MDT
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  • 6477
    Now, now my2 you know I would never do such a thing :P I have always, in fact said that I don't hate him because of his policies but because he is a barely literate, which makes America look dumb for voting in a man with extremely low intelligence to run their country.. and I hate him because he has NO class, no manners, is rude, ignorant, contradicts himself a million times a day etc etc.. so no I don't ever agree with him and if you look I was quite careful to say that while I agree with the principle I don't agree with the policy, mainly because it has a high liklihood of backfiring - which indeed was the point of the question.. One could say the stupid numbskull got it wrong again.. but I didn't say that - I was more polite :P
    #
    #So back to the question... Perhaps we should all charge 100% tariffs.. I don't disagree with the idea in principle either.. but it has consequences... and there cannot be free trade once people start tit-for-tat applying tariffs against each other.. perhaps that's a good idea no more free trade but the point was that AMerica, just like many other economies just wouldn't work without exports... so it's kinda a catch 22 situation.. which was my point.. Canada are very irritated about it and plan retaliation, as does Mexico as does France.. .the Brits are thinking about it ... aka sitting on the fence - we have less to lose as we import more than we export from most countries. 

    I was hearing that in actual fact it is NOT China who has had the tariffs slapped on them... 

    Tee hee I am glad I got the chance to straighten out the misunderstanding about Trump though :P
      June 1, 2018 9:24 AM MDT
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  • 34284
    If they want "free trade" then get rid of all the tariffs on both sides....otherwise it is gonna be tit for tat.
    And in most of it....USA is exporting less than importing.
    China is getting tariffs on the steel....that is the whole point.
      June 1, 2018 3:27 PM MDT
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  • 6477
    As I say they were saying on the news this morning that the thing that has angered most of the rest of the world is that America is handing out these tariffs to ALLIES like Canada and NOT China... 
      June 1, 2018 4:09 PM MDT
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  • 34284
    Not sure where they are getting their information but it is not true or they are spinning it somehow.

    https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2018/04/10/china-files-trade-complaint-against-u-s-over-steel-tariffs/501926002/

    If they do not apply to China, why would they file a complain with the World Trade Organization?

    https://money.cnn.com/2018/05/29/news/economy/china-tariffs/index.html

    https://www.vox.com/world/2018/5/29/17405130/trump-tariffs-china-trade-war
      June 1, 2018 4:53 PM MDT
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  • 46117
    This answer of yours is equivalent to saying Adolph Hitler had some good ideas.

    What this strutting pig does is not lead.  Not invent.  Not pass.  He deals on a minute-by-minute basis to employ whatever will get his ugly name splashed all over the place.  AND EVEN SOME ON FOX NEWS CANNOT HIDE THE TRUTH AND ADMIT HE LIES AND LIES AND LIES.

    November cannot come too soon. This post was edited by WM BARR . =ABSOLUTE TRASH at June 1, 2018 11:40 AM MDT
      June 1, 2018 9:44 AM MDT
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  • 16792
    He did have some good ideas, like Volkswagen. He had many more absolutely horrific and amoral ones.
      June 1, 2018 4:54 PM MDT
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  • 46117
    America is politically retarded.  We rank at the bottom as far as EDUCATION is concerned.  I think there are countries -- "sh*thole COUNTRIES"-- that rank higher than America as far as THEIR knowledge of the world.  We are being led by a moron picked by morons.  It's that simple.  WE ALLOWED AN ELECTION TO BE RIGGED WHEN ANYONE WITH HALF A BRAIN COULD PREDICT THIS WOULD HAPPEN.  We are part of a GLOBAL living entity, the Earth.  We all live on  a living thing that we are killing. ALL OF US.    America doesn't care now.  We have Trump who lives for today's headlines.  

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/john-brennan-i-will-speak-out-until-integrity-returns-to-the-white-house/2018/05/31/afbccafa-64e8-11e8-a69c-b944de66d9e7_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.6d11e71ae047

    America is a shadow of what she formerly was and maybe that is good. Maybe she needs to rebuild and undo the many, many years of looking the other way just to keep peace among those who live in this pathetic, confused country.

    AMERICA RANKS LOWER IN EDUCATION THAN HALF THE WORLD.  AMERICA ELECTS LEADERS TO REFLECT THIS TREND.  (THEY DON'T KNOW ANY BETTER) 

    AMERICA WANTS TO SPEND MONEY ON A SHINY NEW WALL TO KEEP OUT THE RAPISTS AND MURDERERS.  BECAUSE THEY ARE UNEDUCATED.  THEY THINK THEY ARE KEEPING THE WORLD OUT.  THEY ARE WALLING THEIR IGNORANCE IN.
     
    LEARNING IS SHARING AND GIVING, NOT HATING AND GRASPING AT ANYTHING MATERIAL.
    This post was edited by WM BARR . =ABSOLUTE TRASH at June 1, 2018 12:56 PM MDT
      June 1, 2018 9:34 AM MDT
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  • 6477
    Sadly I agree :( The viewpoint of much of the rest of the world is that Americans must be dumb to have elected such a dumb prez. I know that actually most Americans aren't dumb and didn't vote for the idiot. 

    Sadly too America which did once hold most influence and respect around the world has slipped very badly in the last couple of decades. Sadly when I say that, what I get in return is insults and anger; anything rather than face up to it and try to do something about it :( 

    I truly hope America doesn't wall itself in - I think that was always one of my points.. that like it or not America needs the rest of the world and certainly needs money from exports. 
      June 1, 2018 11:53 AM MDT
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  • 5835
    Americans would have voted for Rin Tin Tin if he had been running against Hillary Clinton.
      June 1, 2018 1:20 PM MDT
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  • 6477
    And that's something to be proud of is it? I am interested in the phenomenon and we shouldn't forget the track record i.e. Ray-gun and Bush who made us laugh like drains.. not really an impressive track record regarding intelligence.. I guess it's bemusing to people who would always seek someone more intelligent to run the country than an idiot.. 
      June 1, 2018 4:12 PM MDT
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  • 13277
    Not that it is or necessarily should be a requirement for office (and putting aside the notion that those living in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, ie don't presume to put those living in countries other than your own on the defensive), but we have elected many highly intelligent individuals to the presidency. Going back to c. 1900, those who come immediately to mind include William McKinley, Teddy Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, FDR, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, JFK, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon (intelligent but also a crook), Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan (much smarter than you give him credit for), Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama.

    And I further submit that nobody who is able to convince enough people to support him and is thus elected is stupid and a dunce, even those such as, in recent times, the Bushes and Mr. Trump, who may not meet your standards of intelligence.
      June 1, 2018 4:47 PM MDT
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  • 16792
    Bush Sr wasn't an idiot exactly either. Ronnie was dead, but those pulling his strings were intelligent enough. Eisenhower and Obama were/are distinguished by being thoroughly decent human beings as well as good Presidents.
    Dunderheads do occasionally get elected, especially if they have loud voices - Trump strongly resembles Warren Harding. The real test will come in 2020 - if Trump is re-elected, it will be proof that the lunatics are running the asylum.
      June 1, 2018 5:05 PM MDT
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  • 7280
    And you think that explains why he was elected by a minority?
      June 2, 2018 11:39 AM MDT
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  • 17596
    As long as the political questions are about your own country.
      June 1, 2018 8:50 PM MDT
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  • 2219

    This should be a simple economic question, but it is unfortunately shot through with politics and so emotional.

    The slogan 'America first' may resonate with Trump's supporters in rundown steel areas, but ultimately the rest of the USA will pay the tariff either directly or through the US industry taking advantage of the hike in the competitive benchmark. 

    In the HD example above, when they go to India, they will most likely find that Chinese steel is even more competitive than before. I doubt if it ever was sensible economics to use US labour when Indian wages are so much less, effectively imposing an unfair burden on India anyway. 

    This post was edited by Malizz at June 2, 2018 3:31 AM MDT
      June 2, 2018 3:29 AM MDT
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  • 11112
    Marco - Polo -  Marco - Polo - Marco - Polo -  Marco - Polo - Marco - Polo -  Marco - Polo -  Marco - Polo -  Marco - Polo - Marco - Polo -  Marco - Polo - Marco - Polo -  Marco - Polo - Marco - Polo -  Marco - Polo -  Marco - Polo -  Marco - Polo (that will be Trump when he realizes he needs to  trade with the World but by then no one will want to trade with him).  A few Countries are starting to see that if they cave into Trump he will never be satisfied and he will keep on demanding more. So their going to stand firm together and show Trump he started a Trade war that he can't win. Cheers and happy weekend!
      June 2, 2018 11:23 AM MDT
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