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. 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. 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.

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