Posted on 04/06/2025 7:33:22 AM PDT by MtnClimber
When President Donald Trump slapped a fresh round of tariffs on European and Asian imports, the professional hand-wringers and legacy press clodpolls sprang into choreographed action.
Headlines and television anchors blared warnings of trade wars, economic isolation, and diplomatic fallout. The bureaucratic priesthood that worships at the altar of “free trade” without reciprocity—from Brussels to Brookings—launched into familiar homilies: tariffs are regressive, Trump is reckless, and globalism is gospel.
But let’s pause the hysteria momentarily and apply something vanishingly rare in today’s media-industrial complex: perspective.
The prevailing orthodoxy treats tariffs as anathema to prosperity—an outdated relic of 19th-century mercantilism. But this overlooks a simple truth: for trade to be free, it must also be fair. For decades, American policymakers—both Democrats and Republicans—have tolerated a grotesquely asymmetrical global trade regime that has hollowed out the American industrial base and made us dangerously dependent on foreign powers, friend and foe alike.
Trump’s critics are wrong. These tariffs aren’t a calamity. They’re a much-needed course correction
Reciprocity or Ruin
Let’s begin with the fundamental imbalance: the United States has long maintained one of the lowest average tariff rates among developed countries. Meanwhile, our “allies” in Europe and Asia—who rely on U.S. military protection for security—shield their markets with stubbornly high tariffs on American goods.
Germany taxes U.S. automobiles at four times the rate we impose on theirs. France blocks U.S. agricultural products through protectionist quotas and Byzantine regulations. And South Korea—despite a ‘free trade’ agreement—maintains tariff and non-tariff barriers on U.S. beef, pork, and automotive parts.
These aren’t historical artifacts of little significance. They are systemic disadvantages designed to extract concessions from America while giving little or nothing in return.
Trump’s tariffs expose the lie at the heart of globalist dogma: that trade liberalization is a rising tide that lifts all boats.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
We Didn’t Start the Trade War—We’ve Just Finally Joined It
and there it is...
The problem is that the chart that Trump presented describing the level of tariffs other countries are imposing on America is not based on reality, those numbers presented are crazy.
ALSO:
Why put 17% tariff on Americas greatest ally Isreal, while it has scrapped ALL tariffs against America?? What the White House did there is not reciprocity - it’s an outright non-sensical economic aggression against Israel.
And why is the White House putting tariffs against strategically important locations such as Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean and Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific tied to US national security. Basically they are US bases !!
Why put tariffs on our own bases?
This is what I call madness, and has nothing to do with true conservatism.
May this error be corrected very soon.
‘Rand Paul is SUCH a disappointment.
He should stick to medicine like he did to challenge covid lockdowns and mandates.’
Ditto - that’s exactly what I was going to say, but I figured I’d scan the comments first to see if anyone beat me to it - ;-)
the fact that the tariffs from many countries are still DOUBLE what Trump has imposed,
and the fact that he ignored many of the non-tariff restrictions (too many to list) that many other counties have imposed on us! He should have hammered them on that too!
I guarantee not one Free Republic Free Traitor™ will listen to this.
‘This is what I call madness, and has nothing to do with true conservatism.
May this error be corrected very soon’
In regards to the North American free trade agreement between the USA, Canada and Mexico in Trump’s first term. Whatever happened to that and were the tariffs worked out in that agreement?
Great talk. One for the ages.
More than 50 countries have contacted White House to start trade talks...
More than 50 countries have contacted White House to start trade talks...
Trump’s going for the long run. The world’s ‘elites’ want the gravy train to keep running - just like NATO and every other group ripping off the United States wanted to keep ripping us off.
Not gonna happen... the deep state lost, NATO deadbeats lost, and countries ripping us off with tariffs will lose too.
That is pretty much every democrat politician top down.
Democrats who allowed 98% tariffs from Cambodia and other horrible ‘trade deals’ probably had their hands greased.
Good post, you nailed it exactly.
Going to remember this one. Good answer!
TAIWAN OFFERS ZERO TARIFFS TO U.S.‼️
“Tariff negotiations can start with ‘zero tariffs,’” said LAI CHING-TE.
On April 6, 2025, Taiwan’s President LAI CHING-TE proposed zero tariffs as a basis for U.S. trade talks, opting not to retaliate against DONALD TRUMP’s new 32% tariffs on Taiwanese imports, announced earlier in the week. Lai emphasized increasing Taiwanese investments in the U.S., including TSMC’s $100 billion commitment, and boosting purchases of American goods.
Note how some other countries are getting aligned with Trump’s low or no tariffs reciprocity policy. The USA can establish free trade with them and avoid the stubborn ones who won’t budge. No difference between business and consumers getting the best deals for both.
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