The Moment of Truth on Tariffs

What fantasy world do you occupy?

Do you really believe that: Energy prices have no impact. Law suits dont drive up prices. Armies of corporate lawyers, accountants, HR people, don’t have an impact. Driving the auto industry off the EV cliff, no impact. Appliances that don’t work because of energy regs, no impact? Emissions regulations don’t have an impact?

You are right though, there is no price impact on goods no longer produced here.

In the 70’s Emissions and safety regs along with idiotic energy rules nearly handed the auto industry to the Japs. Steel has been killed by enviro regs and energy prices. Ditto paper making and plastics manufacturing.

Why don’t you think for just a minute about the goods driven out of existence or priced higher then needed thanks to governemt policies we cannot buy talcum powder at any price. Roundup just got a lot more expensive oh but farmers just absorb the cost.

Fertilizer, a hydrocarbon product,drives food prices but I suppose in your world high energy prices don’t impact prices to consumers.

“ most corporations like the regs to keep out the small competition from starting up.”

And why do they like having less competitors? In your world is it because less competition has no impact on prices? Or even less competitor. Means lower prices? Can’t wait to hear your logic.

Since I am told we are a nation of consumers the retail price of a toaster oven is not going to vary if the factory is charged 12 cents kwh vs 16 cents kWh for electricity. Or if it costs 1% more to follow osha rules. America wants their jobs back not increase the producers margin. It’s not the job of us workers to sacrifice their jobs , upend their life to increase the profit margin from 6% to 7%.

The tariffs can be legally applied in other ways. But as has been pointed out, by Barrett no less, those other legal methods will be far more severe and could easily ban all trade with a country and all imports conceivably including the re-importation of overseas products made by USA companies. Also the plaintiffs admitted there is no mechanism to repay any money connected to tariffs already spent. To do so will be inflationary as costs to repay result in printing more money or passing on costs to we the people in the cost of products. These so called small businesses owners may have also screwed themselves seven ways to Sunday. Not in the least by the major hit peoples bank accounts and 401k will take. We have a 13 trillion dollar deficit and no means to pay it back, Trump needs there to be a fair trade balance to help pay down the debt. It is a start and as pointed out the least damaging method is tariffs. Why, because the majority of tariffs never actually take effect.

Also, as I understood the discussion, using tariffs as part of diplomatic efforts is a legal tool. You may not like what Trump does with tariffs but the conclusion is they are legal, but questionable in this case. In this case however had Trump used some of his other tools, the damage to those whining small business owners would be far more expensive. What Trump did may have been capricious but it was the least damaging to the economy. Not a lawyer, too much self respect, so I maybe totally off base but that is what I got from what I read.

Which is why SCOTUS should simply rule that while the use of tariffs in this case is questionable, it is Congress not the Courts who must reign in the Executive. Congress passed vague ambiguous rules that allowed Trump to interpret them as he did. He knew he was out on a limb and could lose at SCOTUS, but he argued he used powers delegated to him as he interpreted the rules. Congress is responsible for removing the power to enact tariffs not the courts. This is one reason this country is AFU, elected officials in both parties grow rich by screwing us over. They leave the difficult part of their job to the unelected Judges..

“...this country is AFU...”

Unfortunately TRUE.

Your suggestion for action is nicely nuanced.

If Traitor Roberts were so inclined to save his Legacy, he could gin up a way to let Congress and The Executive battle it out without participation from the Courts.

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