Best of Trump

[67RModel]

I'm all for gutting large portions of the federal government and eliminating all the waste fraud and abuse. Heck, I would probably support eliminating non fraudulent and abusive sections of federal government. Its an absolute disgrace what it has become in terms or usefulness and wastefulness. at $36 trillion in debt it is obviously completely insolvent and Congress and Presidents refuse to take any meaningful action on it. THE only reason this asinine amount of debt hasn't become a crisis yet is because the US Dollar is the world's reserve currency, which is starting to come under threat but that is a topic for a different discussion. I'm very confident the United States' national debt could be reduced to 50% of GDP by year 2050 and the average citizen would not know the difference. However, since Congress refuses to take action, and on the contrary, actually doubles down on even larger budget deficits year after year you get what you have now. Trump in there with a chainsaw. Fine. Who cares. If that's what its going to take then so be it. Both parties and Congress going back at least 50 years only have themselves to blame for letting it get to this point. I would say Trump is doing the correct thing by employing auditors to go in a slash all this trash this corrupt government has been building for decades. 

With that said I think Trump is very dangerously playing with fire with regards to implementing tariffs of this quantity and magnitude as well as his handling of international relations with extremely close allies and neighbors. I'm not an economist. This is only my opinion based on some limited economics education and studying of history and trade policies since WWII. When implemented like this, tariffs pretty much always have an overall negative consequence, especially for the tariffing country. A tariff is a tax, and with any business tax, it is paid by the consumer. Businesses never pay tax, they only collect them. The only way prices don't increase is if the business takes a loss on their profit which is possible if there is a US competitor. But realistically speaking how may US based competitors are there for essentially every single thing coming into this country? The USA has not been a manufacturing country for decades. To think that is going to suddenly reverse course in a few years is simply daft. Moreover, I just don't see any overall alignment on this among political parties, politicians, or even economists for that matter to last any longer than this administration. And the election cycle and balance of power in this country is too fickle. in 3.5 years there will be a different president elected and if these tariffs are still in place they will most likely be all walked back. My guess is most offshore manufacturers will ride it out and sell at a smaller profit (if there is an a non-tariffed competitor here in country) and wait and see for 3.5 years. All the while the average citizen and retail investor will be getting hammered. This is akin to a brain surgeon using a chainsaw to remove a patient's brain tumor. I don't think this is the proper way to undo decades worth of offshoring. I would welcome anyone to find a reputable left or right leaning economist who thinks this is a good plan. I'll remain somewhat open minded and hope this is a strategy to "strongarm" other nations into negotiating a more favorable, long term trade deal with the USA but I don't have high hopes. At best everything is going to get more expensive, and we will slog on until the tariffs are eventually lifted, and we are back to where we started. At worst this will set off an all-out global trade war with the USA. I personally want neither. 

[kscarbel2]

45 minutes ago, 67RModel said:

I'm all for gutting large portions of the federal government and eliminating all the waste fraud and abuse. Heck, I would probably support eliminating non fraudulent and abusive sections of federal government. Its an absolute disgrace what it has become in terms or usefulness and wastefulness. at $36 trillion in debt it is obviously completely insolvent and Congress and Presidents refuse to take any meaningful action on it. THE only reason this asinine amount of debt hasn't become a crisis yet is because the US Dollar is the world's reserve currency, which is starting to come under threat but that is a topic for a different discussion. I'm very confident the United States' national debt could be reduced to 50% of GDP by year 2050 and the average citizen would not know the difference. However, since Congress refuses to take action, and on the contrary, actually doubles down on even larger budget deficits year after year you get what you have now. Trump in there with a chainsaw. Fine. Who cares. If that's what its going to take then so be it. Both parties and Congress going back at least 50 years only have themselves to blame for letting it get to this point. I would say Trump is doing the correct thing by employing auditors to go in a slash all this trash this corrupt government has been building for decades. 

With that said I think Trump is very dangerously playing with fire with regards to implementing tariffs of this quantity and magnitude as well as his handling of international relations with extremely close allies and neighbors. I'm not an economist. This is only my opinion based on some limited economics education and studying of history and trade policies since WWII. When implemented like this, tariffs pretty much always have an overall negative consequence, especially for the tariffing country. A tariff is a tax, and with any business tax, it is paid by the consumer. Businesses never pay tax, they only collect them. The only way prices don't increase is if the business takes a loss on their profit which is possible if there is a US competitor. But realistically speaking how may US based competitors are there for essentially every single thing coming into this country? The USA has not been a manufacturing country for decades. To think that is going to suddenly reverse course in a few years is simply daft. Moreover, I just don't see any overall alignment on this among political parties, politicians, or even economists for that matter to last any longer than this administration. And the election cycle and balance of power in this country is too fickle. in 3.5 years there will be a different president elected and if these tariffs are still in place they will most likely be all walked back. My guess is most offshore manufacturers will ride it out and sell at a smaller profit (if there is an a non-tariffed competitor here in country) and wait and see for 3.5 years. All the while the average citizen and retail investor will be getting hammered. This is akin to a brain surgeon using a chainsaw to remove a patient's brain tumor. I don't think this is the proper way to undo decades worth of offshoring. I would welcome anyone to find a reputable left or right leaning economist who thinks this is a good plan. I'll remain somewhat open minded and hope this is a strategy to "strongarm" other nations into negotiating a more favorable, long term trade deal with the USA but I don't have high hopes. At best everything is going to get more expensive, and we will slog on until the tariffs are eventually lifted, and we are back to where we started. At worst this will set off an all-out global trade war with the USA. I personally want neither. 

In short, he in one sense went too far. In another sense, he has not spoken clearly. The idea is right, but the execution is wrong. Apparently, he's listening to the wrong advisors (Lutnick, Navarro) rather than the right ones (JD Vance, Suzie Wiles and Scott Bessent).

 

[mowerman]

well you guys just but a big addition to this page,,,,very well said,,,,,i hate to see struggling familys working even harder than they already are,,,,but this 5000 stimulus check would help conciderably,,,lower taxes,gasoline prices dropping soon,best of luck to everyone involved,,bob

[kscarbel2]

6 minutes ago, mowerman said:

well you guys just but a big addition to this page,,,,very well said,,,,,i hate to see struggling familys working even harder than they already are,,,,but this 5000 stimulus check would help conciderably,,,lower taxes,gasoline prices dropping soon,best of luck to everyone involved,,bob

87 octane averages $2.99 around me. Gasoline can't fall much lower than that.

Both Biden and President Trump harped on lowering gasoline pump prices. But it can't get much lower or the oil companies aren't making any money.

[mowerman]

well its 410 average here and all over california last go around with king trump it was same as yours

[kscarbel2]

 

[mowerman]

[mowerman]

this is ridiculous,,,thankfully i usually dont go anywhere

[tjc transport]

WOW. i filled up this morning at $2.55 per gallon. and last week it was 2.63. 

i fill at 1/2 tank, which is around 12 gallons used for 235 miles traveled, or 19.5 MPG.

truck is a 2021 F150 4X4 crew cab shortbed 5.0 V8 with 10 speed trans and 3.31 gear ratio.
and that is with average speed under 45 MPH. one time i had it out on the road and with cruise set at 65 it got 26 MPG on a 300 mile flat ground run.

[Joey Mack]

N.C. is screwing us.  $3.09 +/- 

[mowerman]

every time i go back there,,its always over a dollar less 

[Joey Mack]

Not today..

 

 It will come down.

[mowerman]

well were all praying the king,,,starts pumping more fuel right here,,,,for citizens sake

[kscarbel2]