Posted on 04/06/2025 7:09:21 AM PDT by texas booster
In this video, Victor Davis Hanson exposes the left's lies about tariffs. Hanson takes a deep dive into how progressive critics misrepresent tariffs as harmful, often portraying them as economic poison that hurts American workers and consumers. He argues that the left’s criticism of tariffs is rooted not in economic reality, but in a broader ideological opposition to Donald Trump's policies. Hanson reveals how tariffs, in many cases, are a strategic tool aimed at rebalancing trade and protecting American industries, rather than the disastrous tactic the left claims.
Ultimately, he contends that Trump's tariff policies exposed deep flaws in both American trade practices and the global economic system.
Wow. A really good discussion on tariffs. I don't know why Prof Hanson was interviewed here, but I am willing to share this YT video.
FR Index of his articles: Victor Davis Hanson on FR
Town Hall: Victor Davis Hanson on Town Hall
American Greatness: Victor Davis Hanson on American Greatness
His website: Victor Davis Hanson
Please let me know if you want on or off this new VDH ping list.
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Tariffs protect American industry. Take Vietnam, for instance. They are going to reduce their tariffs to zero to entice Trump to mirror theirs. However, their labor cost are much less than America’s, so Vietnam will still have a cost advantage over us.
An intelligent response to Rand Paul and leftist ignorance.
RP as well as McConnell are against these tariffs for one reason...distilleries.
Same for any of the Republicans like Grassely-big AG.
Trump’s use of tariffs isn’t about protectionism for its own sake—it is a strategic tool to pressure trade partners into lowering or eliminating their own barriers.
In many cases, the goal is reciprocity, not isolation. The exception is sectors tied to national security, like steel and aluminum, where maintaining domestic capacity is a matter of strategic necessity.
It’s less about ideology and more about leverage and common sense.
This is exactly correct. No matter what Trump does, this crowd will oppose it - the very definition of TDS.
Lots of economic idiots being quoted by the media without having the slightest idea of what they're talking about.
TDS. Truly a mental illness. I have leftist friends that cannot hold a discussion about these subjects for two minutes without going ballistic and practically foaming at the mouth. There’s no hope for reasonable dialogue. They really believe Trump and Musk, and conservatives at large, are some class of monsters who wish to destroy the world. Very disturbing, the depths of their derangement.
common sense to some...
Yes, I have family members in this category.
It’s made holidays very difficult for us - as they are the ones who constantly bring up “Orange Man Bad” and start arguments to “prove their points” to the rest of us and show us how “evil” we are for supporting Trump. It is insufferable...
My dear neighbor had a fist fight in her dining room on Thanksgiving that spilled out onto the lawn.
Everything Trump does will be criticized without concern for facts or reality.
I hear you. Same here. At this point I refuse to discuss politics with these people. My last couple Thanksgivings have been spent with a small group of Christian conservative friends (not MAGA) and we talk about normal things. Wonderful time. I’m lucky in that regard.
Yes, they would reduce their tariff to ZERO from their current actual average of about 9.2% or so. Their current tariff is not 96% as Trump claims. That is their trade imbalance. Trump is not telling the truth about how much other countries charge us. His claim is based on trade imbalance ratio in dollars, NOT actual tariffs.
We currently sell Vietnam $13.1 billion in goods a year while they sell us $136.6 billion. The trade ratio for 2024 is (13.1 / 136.6) - 1 = close to 90%. Trump does not say for what year he does the calculation but he does not say he does the calculation at all. He just throws out a number and calls it their tariff.
I am not for Vietnam or any other country or against protective tariffs or against bringing strategic manufacturing back to the US. I am against misrepresentation and sleight of hand. Trump certainly looks guilty of both. When the confusion he has created settles down it will be seen just how dishonest he has been or maybe not and it will just be ignored. He had better hope for a victory that can be shown and not just claimed by him.
ding ding. winner
THE COMPLETE LACK OF AMERICAN EDUCATION IS SHOWING US THE RESULT.
Reference to Musk questioning how politicians got so rich on their saleries. Foreign money plays a big role.
Well, just listen to you. Maybe Heels-Up would have been better for you. However, I think you are just another one of those unforgiving DeSantis-bots.
Trump, and by Trump, the understanding is that Trump himself did not do the calculations, first of all, it was his economists at the White House. So screw you when you say Trump is lying.
Second, the administration thinks that China is using Vietnam to sneak in some of their exports to the United States to get a better trade deal. And the administration thinks that Vietnam is tampering with their exchange rates with currency to also get a better position in trade exchanges. China has been manipulating their currency for decades to get the advantage.
Europe has trade barriers that are not included in their tariffs rates.
So even Vietnam leaders are not squealing with righteous indignaton as loud as you are about Trump’s tariffs.
So true. I slept poorly last night and had the radio on. Demonstrations all over the country yesterday into the night. People delirious with rage over President Trump's and Musk's savage massacre of our beloved planet and government largess. Quote after quote of pure nuttiness. But their fear is real to them. I don't know how to fight such a thing.
He argues that the left’s criticism of tariffs is rooted not in economic reality, but in a broader ideological opposition to Donald Trump’s policies.
Indeed the communists using every tool in their toy box and still getting their asses kicked in every way.
MAGA is a long term meaning.
Sounds interesting. Aren’t the products produced in these states tariffed in other countries? I would think a mutual reduction of tariffs would benefit producers in these states as they could sell more abroad. I’m not following your reasoning.
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