Thread

1. mcmcmc · 1790027665 · focus · HN ↗

   It truly boggles the mind how Trump managed to sell tariffs as anything other than a tax on American consumers

   1. porkshoe · 1790028824 · focus · HN ↗

      He gets away with it because a lot of right-wing elites _love_ the idea of taxing consumption rather than income (or, heaven forbid, wealth).

      Additionally, Trump, Hassett, etc are still blaming Biden for inflation caused by the tariffs... and a lot of their base would rather believe that than admit that they got suckered by an obvious scam.

      1. technothrasher · 1790029083 · focus · HN ↗

         > Trump, Hassett, etc are still blaming Biden for inflation caused by the tariffs

         I'm starting to see this backfire with a lot of "personal responsibility" type old-school republicans to whom I talk. They're getting fed up with the administration just blanket blaming anything bad on Biden. Whether that will translate to actual political change, I do not know. But I found it interesting that I'm hearing the frustration more lately.

         1. jeremyjh · 1790031336 · focus · HN ↗

            Narrator: It did NOT translate to actual political change.

            1. TheOtherHobbes · 1790033478 · focus · HN ↗

               It doesn't need to translate to actual political change. It needs to translate to them staying at home instead of enthusiastically voting for more sadistic traitorous insanity.

               Which is looking quite likely.

               Although it does assume there are no peculiar and unexpected anomalies with the vote counting.

         2. LastTrain · 1790032531 · focus · HN ↗

            It will not because there are still immigrants and trans people to hate.
         3. [deleted] · 1790077841 · focus · HN ↗

            [deleted]

      2. loeg · 1790031985 · focus · HN ↗

         He doesn't actually "get away" with it. A lot of people, left and right, are unhappy about tariffs. But for now, he controls the executive, so it is what it is.

         1. LastTrain · 1790032458 · focus · HN ↗

            This is entirely in the “rights” control right now, any of them “unhappy” with it are outliers.

            1. fragmede · 1790033238 · focus · HN ↗

               We'll have to wait and see how many of those outliers end up voting, and how.

               1. Forgeties79 · 1790033417 · focus · HN ↗

                  His core base (a solid 25-50% of the party) would rather die than vote for a democrat and all this DSA scare mongering is only entrenching them further/pulling the more moderate among them back into the fold.

                  The blue wave will likely be a result of blue turnout and some small number of red sitting at home. And sadly the senate is still a toss up

                  1. LastTrain · 1790039879 · focus · HN ↗

                     As I like to say to my fellow blue friends who don’t seem to understand this “what would Joe Biden have to have done for you to vote for Trump”

                     1. Forgeties79 · 1790050868 · focus · HN ↗

                        A very fair question!
                  2. loeg · 1790055830 · focus · HN ↗

                     Ok but losing 50-75% of 2024 Trump voters would in fact cede control of more or less every democratically elected position.

                     1. Forgeties79 · 1790077730 · focus · HN ↗

                        25-50% have intensely strong feelings on the matter. I’m not saying 50-75% will vote blue or sit at home.
            2. loeg · 1790055766 · focus · HN ↗

               The right doesn't like, control the executive by democratic vote. Trump single-handedly does.
         2. mcmcmc · 1790033000 · focus · HN ↗

            The problem is it was never an executive power to begin with. The unitary executive theory pushed by the Heritage Foundation is counter to everything the US was founded on. Decisions from the current SCOTUS are questionable given the conflicts of interest with certain spouses and the endless improper gifts.
         3. porkshoe · 1790035592 · focus · HN ↗

            It's silly to claim that a lot of people on the right are unhappy about tariffs.

            When Obama put a tariff on Chinese tires, right-wingers (correctly) argued that it was a bad idea that caused American consumers to pay almost a million dollars per "job saved" in the tire industry.

            Today the right is in control of the executive, the legislative, the judicial, and and far more news media and... basically just crickets.

            As for "he controls the executive". Bullshit. When a Democrat is in office, right-wingers remember that the President is not a king.

            Please don't "both sides" this extremely one-sided attack on the American worker.

      3. pstuart · 1790032348 · focus · HN ↗

         A lot of his base believe his lie that the other countries are paying the tariffs.

         His followers are literally beyond reason and will accept anything he says. It's so very depressing.

      4. ch4s3 · 1790033015 · focus · HN ↗

         Populists of all stripes love tariffs and the illusory promise of autarky. We didn’t see Biden remove any of Trump 1’s tariffs and not a single Democrat in congress has committed to repealing the tariffs.

         1. porkshoe · 1790036311 · focus · HN ↗

            [dead]

      5. matteoraso · 1790034889 · focus · HN ↗

         If that were true, the Republicans would implement a VAT. Trump is legitimately just a moron with a cult of personality.

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