Maybe the Democrats need to simplify simplify simplify their message, as in, “You’re paying the tariffs. You’re paying the tariffs. You’re paying the tariffs.” Anything beyond that confuses many people.
Heartily enjoyable to see the MAGA crowd’s about-face on China trade/tariffs as a latter-day version of the American Communists’ reversal of their “friend-enemy” distinctions the day after the Hitler-Stalin pact was announced. However, I think we’ve been barking up the wrong tree to view this kerfuffle and the whole tariff gambit to be about trade. I urge you to read David Frum’s article in The Atlantic, “The Ultimate Bait and Switch of Trump’s Tariffs” (May 12). It’s all about corruptly bringing money into Trump’s coffers. The exclusive discretion given to the President on setting, adjusting and removing tariffs — although being grossly misused — enables him to extract money from people, organizations and governments purely based on his own whim. He cannot change anyone’s income tax or capital gains tax levies merely by executive order. But he can do just that if the levies are tariffs. They are the perfect punishment-reward tool. I can waive your tariff, if you make a suitable contribution, say, to my inaugural fund, TrumpCrypto or Melania’s “documentary” project. Those options hardly exhaust the list. Not only is Trump completely ignorant on foreign trade, he doesn’t give a rip about it. It’s all about him and and building his wealth.
So is the Medicaid idea simply to divert attention from the real source of revenue? Or will they try for both? And what about the pauses and disruption? The generation of so much uncertainty is going to tank a lot of small businesses. Bad. No tax base gain there. And the instability of these pauses will continue to weaken the dollar. Financing the debt will get harder as the debt grows.
Medicaid they will trim at the edges. Tariffs are likely to bring in closer to 200 billion, or may be 300 billion. That leaves another 250 to 150 billion per year from somewhere. DOGE is useless to generate that kind of revenue, it was a deception from the start. A tool to destroy key institutions like USDA and others. So, where are they going to find that extra money. Every where they can find. So medicaid might get dug in a bit, but it will be around the edges not at the center. That in itself is a huge win. Sadly.
That is because many on the left/democrafts want a universal 10% tariff.
ffin idiots
Why would they want this? How naive am I?
I dont have a clue, but Simon wont say it without a reason. I will start looking around.
Maybe the Democrats need to simplify simplify simplify their message, as in, “You’re paying the tariffs. You’re paying the tariffs. You’re paying the tariffs.” Anything beyond that confuses many people.
that will work too.
Heartily enjoyable to see the MAGA crowd’s about-face on China trade/tariffs as a latter-day version of the American Communists’ reversal of their “friend-enemy” distinctions the day after the Hitler-Stalin pact was announced. However, I think we’ve been barking up the wrong tree to view this kerfuffle and the whole tariff gambit to be about trade. I urge you to read David Frum’s article in The Atlantic, “The Ultimate Bait and Switch of Trump’s Tariffs” (May 12). It’s all about corruptly bringing money into Trump’s coffers. The exclusive discretion given to the President on setting, adjusting and removing tariffs — although being grossly misused — enables him to extract money from people, organizations and governments purely based on his own whim. He cannot change anyone’s income tax or capital gains tax levies merely by executive order. But he can do just that if the levies are tariffs. They are the perfect punishment-reward tool. I can waive your tariff, if you make a suitable contribution, say, to my inaugural fund, TrumpCrypto or Melania’s “documentary” project. Those options hardly exhaust the list. Not only is Trump completely ignorant on foreign trade, he doesn’t give a rip about it. It’s all about him and and building his wealth.
So is the Medicaid idea simply to divert attention from the real source of revenue? Or will they try for both? And what about the pauses and disruption? The generation of so much uncertainty is going to tank a lot of small businesses. Bad. No tax base gain there. And the instability of these pauses will continue to weaken the dollar. Financing the debt will get harder as the debt grows.
Medicaid they will trim at the edges. Tariffs are likely to bring in closer to 200 billion, or may be 300 billion. That leaves another 250 to 150 billion per year from somewhere. DOGE is useless to generate that kind of revenue, it was a deception from the start. A tool to destroy key institutions like USDA and others. So, where are they going to find that extra money. Every where they can find. So medicaid might get dug in a bit, but it will be around the edges not at the center. That in itself is a huge win. Sadly.