Posted on 08/11/2025 12:10:56 PM PDT by RandFan
@RandPaul
The true cost of the tariffs 👇
(Excerpt) Read more at x.com ...
“why did all the other nations of the world impose them”
Why do all the other nations have nationalized health care? Does that mean they are smart and and we should have nationalized healthcare? Or does it mean they are all socialist, authoritarian meddlers in the economy?
I’m viewing the tariffs from a different perspective. In my opinion, tariffs are a political tool meant to convince countries to rebalance their trade policies with respect to the USA.
Since the end of WW II, the US has allowed countries to impose tariffs on the US goods imported into their country while at the same time the US charged very low or no tariffs for imports from those same countries into the US.
That’s why you see things like No Napa Valley wine imported into France but huge amounts of French wine imported into the US, same thing for American cars into the EU or Japan, countless other examples exist.
My main argument about Tariffs is, if tariffs are terrible why do so many countries use them against the US but the US up until Trump had very low or no tariffs on imported items.
The end result when you combine horrible trade deals with this type of tariff imbalance you get entire industries close down and move to other countries.
If we want to rebuild our manufacturing base, we have to rebalance trade with other countries and tariffs are one tool we have that gives us leverage over every other country out there.
We are still the largest economy in the world and if countries want to have access, they need to pay up or treat our products equal to how we treat their products.
I think I’ve ignored it twice.
Rand Paul is the male version of MTG, always bitching about something Trump’s doing.
Rand has chosen which side he’s on. His own.
He is no better than Herpes... He just keeps coming back...
Levying income taxes on low-income people is problematic because many can barely pay for basic living expenses.
Tariffs allow low-income people to pay towards federal government costs when they can afford to buy Chinese-made chattels.
Low-income people usually only buy used vehicles.
He’s right. He knows it. But it’s a bridge too far. And that’s the rub.
Count up all the things necessary to return to a Madison model.
1. Massive, but massive reeducation at every level, acknowledging specific unconstitutional acts done by each president. Hello Woodrow Wilson.
2. Super majority in both Houses.
3. A president willing to set the agenda to make it happen
4. A constitutional amendment requiring an originalist interpretation (sad this has to be a requirement, but here we are).
I don’t think Trump is the man for the job. He is literally saving the Republic. I do think JD Vance can do it, but it has to be sold to the American people.
A central tenet of Economics is that people respond to incentives. By people, I mean individuals and organizations. How is it that so many people “run the numbers” with the implicit assumption that behavior will remain unaltered?
Tariffs fall on foreign goods. That will make foreign goods less appealing to individuals and businesses. It will, over time, lead to more manufacturing of goods in the US.
I’m good with tariffs, Rand. Why not work on abolishing the income tax instead of repealing tariffs?
At least I have a choice whether or not I wish to buy the products that have had such tariffs applied to them. Straight out non negotiable fees, use taxes, and income taxes have to be paid whether I want them or not!
If we can’t have a National Sales Tax, this is the next best sales tax, an “International Sales Tax.”
Rand is stupid.
He’s got a point, except he’s not thinking it all the way through. Because they tariff us we can’t sell in their markets. All Trump is doing is setting the bar equal. If they tariff us we tariff them the exact same amount. This should lower tariffs for everybody. And they pay no tariff if they open a factory here which creates jobs.
Don’t think so one-dimensional, Rand
“1. end tax on people over age 65
2. end tax on sociable insecurity and all pensions and distributions from retirement accounts
3. end tax on the first $100,000 of taxable income”
The federal government spends about $18,000/year/American resident, including Medicare and Social Security. Expect heavy taxation.
Rand Paul was a Dr. of ophthalmology. Ophthalmologists earn an average of $484,000/year while Senators earn $174,000/year.
Why did he switch to politics?
$7billion dollars in bourbon revenue.
Tariffs are a means of moving towards financial balance, internationally, nationally, regionally, and personally.
People should generally be able to live without government handouts. There should be jobs in their community.
A city and its residents should not be thrown into the dustbin of history because some company in some country can make the town’s historic products 1% cheaper.
Him and Paul krugass should go to lunch and talk about how President Trump and team have been in charge for less than a year;-)
Buy American.
There aren’t any tariffs on OUR stuff, just sales tax.
“Why do all the other nations have nationalized health care? Does that mean they are smart and and we should have nationalized healthcare?”
Trying to be perceptive, you are smart by half, as the British say. The other countries’ nationalized healthcare does not cost us hundreds of billions of dollars in the tariffs they impose on us. We are paying for their healthcare.
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